Pale Pinion and Scarce Umber

Just as I thought the season had tailed off, a couple of new moths in the trap last night. A Pale Pinion and a rather bruised Scarce Umber. Tony tells me that I recorded the Scarce Umber in 1989 and 1991 but the Pale Pinion is new to the site. I am trapping later than I did years ago so am in new territory. These spur me on to continue. It's new territory for the site as well so who knows what might turn up?

Phyllonorycter nicelli?

I think this is a Hazel leaf and I think this is therefore a P. nicelli mine, found in the Llanbadarn road cemetery last weekend:

From below

From above

Simon

Recording Late Moths

Just to clarify, this does not mean dead ones!

Colin Plant (Entomologist's Record) has made the following request:

"Some people are already sending me short Notes on individual species, but it would be better if CMRs would consider compiling and sending a brief overall summary of "late" moths in their own county for publication, so that these odd reports are placed on permanent record for the benefit of future recorders."

In view of this should any recorder come across what they consider to be a late record please get in touch with your County Moth Recorder with the details as soon as possible.

Regards
Ina and Tony

Climate change?

After several disappointing results from our garden trap, we set two traps in woodland at Ynys-hir last night. What a difference, over 100 moths with 22 macro species and 4 micros. The big surprise was a Dark arches, which is reported as having a partial second generation in the Autumn in the south. With this and the Small seraphim from a couple of weeks ago, could we be experiencing a warming climate? There were large numbers of "November" moths plus Red-green carpet, Grey pine carpet, Spruce carpet, Mottled umber, Green brindled crescent, 4 Merveille du jour (still hanging on), Feathered thorn, Chestnut, Northern winter moth, Silver Y, and a couple of December moths (for Ina). In the micros there was a Rusty-dot pearl, 3 Acleris ferrugana/notana, Crocidosema plebejana, and possibly Carpatolechia decorella which, if confirmed, will be a first for VC46.

Crocidosema plebejana

Dark arches

Tony & Ina

December Moth

I have been looking back at the December 7th entry last year. This is for Ina, Lizsnell, Rosemary Royle and Sarah. It appeared in a newly acquired MV Skinner trap cunningly placed in the cowshed over a wet and windy night.  I rather like them too.

Small Seraphim

A very mild night with cloud cover last night made us put traps in three different locations.
Epirrita species showed a vast difference between sites - 59 individuals in woodland, 5 in open wetland and 0 in the garden.  Feathered Thorn was absent from the woodland.
Even though some near-by large Leylandii were cut down last year we did manage one Blair's Shoulder-knot in the garden.
Two species of note were a late Narrow-winged Pug and a Small Seraphim much later than any previous record we know of.  Does anyone know of such a late record of the latter species?
Ina and Tony

Narrow-winged Pug

Small Seraphim

Blair's Shoulder-knot

More Micros

A quick search round Ynyslas this morning just after looking for birds at high tide.

A common leafmine on Bramble Coptotriche marginea.

Stigmella anomalella on Rosa priminellifolia - the Rose Leaf Miner.

Coleophora gryphipennella (cases) on Rosa priminellifolia - this is only the second record for vc46; but it feeds on all Rose species.

Coptotriche marginea

Stigmella anomalella

Coleophora gryphipennella

Ina