Bontgoch last night

Good nights trapping in my garden last night. 14 spp of macros and 1 micro. Interesting comparison with Tony and Ina's catch in Talybont with: 7 Oak Beauty; 12 Hebrew Char: 10 Common Quaker; 13 Clouded drab; 21 Small quaker; 7 Red Chestnut; 4 Chestnut; 2 Double-striped pug; 2 Common Plume; 2 Early Grey and 1 each Early Tooth-striped, Herald, Satellite, Twin-spot Quaker and Mottled Grey. The latter looking very like the f. nubilata. 1-0 Bontgoch I reckon!

Brindled Plume?

Disturbed by a bit of weeding in an area infested with bottle sedge.  The defining character (according to a comparison of punctidactyla and acanthadactyla on www.bettonyb.co.uk) is the tuft of scales on the hindwing which are very distinct here.
The colour was as shown, grey brownish, definitely not rusty/red.

Talybont Garden or (making the most of covid19).

Eleven macro and one micro species last night.  We have more or less ignored the garden so far this year as on the odd occasion we have put the trap out all it has done is contribute to the climate change crisis...it being empty!
However last night we had;
Small Quaker 10, Common Quaker 9, March Moth 1, Brindled Pug 1, Double-striped Pug 5, Early Grey 1, Hebrew Character 3, Clouded Drab 2, Oak Beauty 1, Chestnut 2, Grey Shoulder-knot 1 and Emmalina monodactyla (Common Plume) 2.
Colder weather on the way for the weekend so make the most of the good weather, get some vitamin D and ultra violet rays in the garden if you can.
I am not naming the photos this time, all the names are above so call it a small quiz if you need something to pass the time. Hint; there are more than one photo of some species.
Ina and Tony

 

Week 1 Self-Isolation Mothing

In spite of a rather cold night (3°C) we had 11 macro and one micro species from our usual two traps.  These included our first Early Tooth-striped for this year, a selection of Orthosia moths and three moths that had over-wintered as adults (Pale Pinion, Satellite and Emmelina monodactyla).

We have just invested in the new caterpillar book illustrated by Richard Lewington and look forward to a new hobby in the coming months of self-isolation.  Two days ago we saw our first larva of the year - that of a Fox Moth heading off to pupate.

Carolyn & Evan

Early Tooth-striped

Polymorphic Clouded Drabs

Early Grey

Llanarth garden

Although it was a damp, chilly and breezy night we had 31 moths of 12 species.
11 x Hebrew Character, 3 x Small Quaker, 3 x Brindled Pug, 2 x Oak Beauty, 2 x Twin-spotted Quaker, 2 x Early Grey, 2 x March Moth. 2 x Common Quaker, Early Thorn, Chestnut, Pale Brindled Beauty and a Pale Pinion. It amazes me how a species appears around the County within a couple of days of each other.

Pale Pinion

Ceredigion Coast in March

Twelve species last night at Wallog.  Better than expected as it felt colder than the thermometer said it was.
Brindled Pug 3; Hebrew Character 7; Clouded Drab 2; Water Carpet 2; Small Quaker 7; Oak Beauty 1; Common Quaker 2; Satellite 1; Early Grey 2; Red Chestnut 1; Pale Pinion 1; Chestnut 1.  
No micros!
Ina and Tony

Brindled Pug

Clouded Drab

Common Quaker

Early Grey

Pale Pinion

Pale Pinion

Red Chestnut

Satellite

Water Carpet

Cross Inn, Llanon

A Pale Pinion was a lifer for me last night. New for me this year was an Oak Beauty and 3 March Moths. Others were Hebrew Character 2, Clouded Drab 2, Red Chestnut, Early Grey

Cross Inn, Llanon

My first successful trapping of the year was 14 moths of 7 species, including 2 species which might be common but were lifers for me. Twin Spotted Quaker, Clouded Drab, Hebrew Character, Early Grey, Common Quaker, Mottled Grey (lifer) and Red Chestnut (lifer).
Waits to hear if I’ve misidentified any!

First Diurnea fagella of the Year

A warmer night  produced 11 macro and 1 micro species from our two usual traps.  These included our first Diurnea fagella of the year, Brindled Pugs in double figures and the lovely Yellow Horned.

Carolyn & Evan

Diurnea fagella

Yellow Horned

First night out at Llawrcwrt

 Early Moth

Twin-spotted Quaker

It was a bit drier and less windy a couple of nights ago so I dusted off the trap and put it out opposite the house. Only four moths, a couple of Dotted Borders (already recorded in the blog this year) and these two. Still it's a start

Woodland in March

Fourteen macro and three micro species last night.  Didn't feel quite as warm as the thermometer said it was and I am not sure that the moths believed it either, we were expecting more.
New for us - Early Grey, Hebrew Character, Grey Shoulder-knot, Early Tooth-striped and Mottled Grey for comparison, the photos were taken from the same distance.
The third micro was Torticodes alternella but only four as the numbers seem to be reducing now, was hoping for the first Diurnea fagella but no show yet.
Names on photos as usual.
Ina and Tony

Acleris ferrugana (possibly, will know later)

Brindled Pug

Early Grey

Early Tooth-striped

Mottled Grey

Grey Shoulder-knot

Hebrew Character

Ypsolopha ustella