Postcard from Scilly

Mike Powell & family are on holiday on the Isles of Scilly this week, and Mike sent me this pic of a Death's-head Hawk-moth he saw yesterday. Very nice too. Lets hope we get one (or two) in VC41.

Phyllonorycters and migrants

Last night, 6th October, in the garden in Gowerton produced 25 species, including  5 Silver Y, 3 Dark Sword Grass, 4 Vestal, a rather tired male Gem and 3 sorts of Phyllonorycter. P leucographella are doing well, I'm reasonably confident about the P messaniella and the other I thought would be easy with the strong cross bands but can't find a match anywhere. Any thoughts much appreciated.

Phyllonorycter messaniella

Phyllonorycter query

Alder leafminers

Here are some pics of the leafminers I posted about yesterday.  They were on large mature Alders in Cyncoed in Cardiff. I also have one pupated in a Phyllonorycter style leaf fold and a caterpillar.

No ideas on this one!

Possible Incurvaria pectinea/Fenusa dohrnii

Possible Phllonorycter Kleemannella?

Resolven

Some pics from Jenny Colley who's been getting in on the migrant action too, with 3 Vestals on the 6th, plus a nice pic of Autumn Green Carpet, a very scarce species in the county, and one I'm still waiting to see here. A chunk of our 31 records are monopolised by Mark in Cwmbach. Any migrant activity in the north Mark?

A query now - this was amongst a batch of micro photos Jenny sent me mid-August for Id and I can't figure it out - I've considered Eudemis porphyrana and various Celypha, but am struggling, so any help appreciated.

Green Brindled Crescent

This one had me stumped for a bit, but I think it is a slightly battered example of the capucina form of Green Brindled Crescent....

Other news of note includes a Vestal, Sallow and a Vapourer here last night.  There's a pic of the Vestal here.   If anyone wants to add any posts to the new East Glam wildlife blog that George and I have set up please feel free to do so!

Barry, This is the one I have been recording as Eudonia pallida by the way.  It seems the right shape, and I am taking the dearth of wing markings as diagnostic of E pallida in this case...?  It is not a particularly worn or faded specimen as best as I can tell.

Rearing leafminers

I picked up a number of Alder leaves today with 4 different types of (inhabited) leafmines in them.  Can anyone advise on the best way of rearing them on?  Can I keep each leaf in a separate jam jar, and do I need to raise the humidity to help stop the leaf wilting?

After looking at British Leafminers two of them look very much like the mines of  Phyllonorycter kleemannella and Incurvaria pectinea.  Not sure about the others!

Roath & Whitchurch

5/10 & 6/10: Good numbers of migrants recorded: Vestal at both sites, Dark Sword-grass, Silver Y, Rusty-dot Pearl & Rush Veneer. Plus Large Ranunculus & Cypress Carpets. Recorded 5 Steatoda nobilis (False Black Widow sp). at Whitchurch.