Grey Bush Crickets emerge

Grey Bush Cricket 2nd instar nymph

During the last week a few Grey Bush Cricket (Platycleis albopunctata) nymphs have hatched from a sample of Canary Thread-moss (Bryum canariense) that I collected from Horton and have kept in a living state on the kitchen window sill. The female cricket has a strong ovipositer, used to insert the eggs into soil and clearly a number of eggs were laid below this plant.

The Grey Bush-cricket is an uncommon species that is highly localised, being confined to a few favourable coastal sites (as shown), although can be very abundant where is occurs, such as at Nicholaston Burrows. At cliff sites, like Horton, Grey Bush Crickets tend to be more difficult to find.

National Moth Night 2009

Highlights from the GMRG meeting at Horton on 19th September included Cypress Pug and 2 L-album Wainscot [photo above]. Other highlights from trap catches submitted to date included Merveille du Jour at Cwm-twrch Isaf (Gwyn Roberts) this being a new species for the site, 32 species at Glen Moor - Reynoldston (David Painter), Convolvulus Hawk-moth and Red Underwing at Nitten Field - Mewslade (Barry Stewart & Bob Rigdon), Large Ranunculus at Waunarlwydd (Chris Manley) and 33 species including Mompha locupletella, Merveille du Jour and Pinion-streaked Snout at Waterfall Terrace, Resolven (Jenny Colley). A search of Ivy blossom at Overton (BS & Jordan Thomas) produced 2 more L-album Wainscot, these constituting the 6th county record of a species only recorded as recently as 2004. Check out http://www.nationalmothnight.info/ for more info.