Carmarthenshire Moth and Butterfly Group

Monday, 18 February 2019

Just the one....

A single moth caught at Rhandirmwyn last night. However it was first for me, Small Brindled Beauty.

Sunday, 17 February 2019

Two migrant moths in last night`s (Sat 16/2) catch in the (flat) roof-top actinic - a small mottled willow and, better still, the crambid Euchromius ocellea. The latter is a 2nd vcr, the first being at Pwll during the noteworthy influx of rare and uncommon migrants in December 2015.
The night had been quite moonlit and breezy, so I was n`t too hopeful, but it goes to show that it can be worth trapping in these southerly winter winds. Also, I`m now reassured that my new suburban garden - with the many scores of competing bright lights (there`s a permanently-lit school nearby) - has not completely diminished the migrant moth potential.
Only small numbers of resident moths and nothing like the variety caught a few nights ago, though a FFY clouded drab.

Above: Euchromius ocellea and small mottled willow, Stradey, Llanelli 16.2.19.
Left-click on pics to enlarge.

If you `google` `migrant lepidoptera twitter` or `Atropos Flight Arrivals`, you will read that last night was excellent for migrants elsewhere in southern Britain, with other Euchromius turning up and even a crimson speckled! Note Sam`s suggestion that migrants may be still around tonight and that conditions also look good later this coming week.

Saturday, 16 February 2019

Small Mottled Willow

I was lucky enough to have a Small Mottled Willow in the actinic this morning. Alongside an early Engrailed, a Dotted Border, a few Chestnuts and a Red Chestnut. Ian confirmed it and kindly put it on the Atropos Flight Arrivals. Fame at last!

Thursday, 14 February 2019

Compare and contrast...

I`m sure that most of us in our schooldays had to undertake essays beginning with `compare and contrast` - in my mind I`d imagine different ways of disposing of certain teachers!
Anyway, following on from last night`s catch, here is a photo of grey shoulder-knot and early grey side-by-side. They are quite different and the early grey exhibits a pink suffusion that is often shown by this moth.
Grey shoulder-knot is a species that I`ve only caught c <6 times, so it is quite scarce locally.

Wednesday, 13 February 2019

March in February

Above: last night`s March moth.

Last night (Weds, 13/2) was my first trapping session at my new `home site` on the very western outskirts of Llanelli (though I have trapped there on occasions in the past). As some of you will know, I had originally intended to trap on the previous night (Tuesday) but constant drizzle put me off. The forecast for last night was cloudy but becoming clearer towards dawn.
It certainly was clear skies at first light and the frost on the flat roof where the trap was situated did not augur well for bountiful catches. Indeed this was so, with just five species: chestnut (5), early grey (1), dotted border (1), early moth (1) and March moth (1). I had hoped to catch a pale brindled beauty (emulating Steve`s find), which would have been probably new for my new trapping site - but no luck. I`d also thought that my March moth was rather early but, upon checking the books, March moths do occur `from mid February onwards`, so my individual was on cue...`March [moth] in February`.
The first singing blackbird also reminded me that spring was on the way...

A Pleasant Postscript....

I`ve just ( two hours later!) noticed that there are several moths on the white-rendered wall a couple of metres behind where the trap was situated, including a desired pale brindled beauty and also a grey shoulder-knot. There was also another dotted border and a chestnut. So, the moth season has got off to a promising start!
.... and a hebrew character and a dark chestnut were also found on another nearby wall later, making a final total of nine species.