The moth season has started

dew-covered wings of a Common Quaker 

The moth season never really goes away, as even in the middle of winter there are species on the wing. But mild March days can produce good numbers of the early spring species and this mornings catch was the best so far for us with totals of 18 Common Quakers, 17 Small Quakers, 5 Clouded Drabs, 4 Hebrew Characters and singles of Epiphyas postvittana, Early Grey and Grey Shoulder-knot, the latter being only the 3rd record for the garden. Hymenopteran interest was provided by a queen Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum). Many moths don't make it into the trap and end up resting on the grass around it covered in dew...

... I should add there is a very rare species called the Dew Moth, but sadly this isn't it!

Great haircut!

Despite the milder conditions, just a single moth in the trap last night, this only our second garden record of Pale Brindled Beauty here in Gorseinon (though we tend not to set the trap too often in February). The females of this reasonably common wodland species are wingless.

January moths at Gelli-hir

Milder conditions yesterday evening tempted Chris Manley to run his trap for a couple of hours at the Widlife Trust reserve at Gelli-hir. He was rewarded with 5 Winter Moths and 9 Mottled Umbers; the latter a highly variable species as shown by Chris' photo above. By morning the temperature must have been around 0.C judging by the frost in many localities.

I'm sure Chris wont mind me plugging his excellent new publication which I understand is on it's second print: http://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Moths-Butterflies-Photographic-Guide/dp/0713686367

Ectoedemia septembrella leaf mine

The leaf mine of the Nepticulid moth Ectoedemia septembrella occurs on Hypericum species including Rose-of-Sharon (H. calycinum) and other ornamental species. It was first recorded in Glamorgan in Cardiff as recently as 2004 and is now well-established there. It was first found in Swansea in 2006 by Martin White in Swansea Marina and a thin scatter of subsequent records indicate that it is now probably widespread in urban situations around the city. The above photo was taken in Gorseinon today. Please report if you see this recent colonist...

Alien import!

This 16mm long pyralid moth accidentally imported from India in Cassia fistula pods has been provisionally determined by Martin Honey at the Natural History Museum as Trachylepidia fructicassiella. Unsurprisingly, it appears not to have been reported from the UK previously. At the end of July a few small wasps appeared (presumably parasitoids of the pyralid), followed by the first moth on 3rd August. Yesterday's freshly emerged adult was at least the 9th to appear from the two pods, known locally as 'Viagra Sticks'!

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.