Another window-moth @ Ffairfach

19 September 2019: Common Plume.

I like ivy....

A broad flowering clump of ivy in my garden is currently buzzing with drone-flies Eristalis sp. (with a few honey and ivy bees thrown in) and festooned with vanessid butterflies - painted ladies, red admirals and small tortoiseshells. Always worth having in your garden and worth checking for moths at night too.

              ...you`ll have to `click on the pic` to have any chance of spotting any butterflies.

It may be worth considering trapping tonight, Friday or Saturday - pick the best night weather-wise and the one that`s most convenient for you. I`ll do at least one night.

Making a start at SN6220: Maerdy, Ffairfach

The MV trap should be up and running soon, but heres one found on a window today; and it's a first for me!

Pale Mottled Willow

Leaf Mine Pembrey Country Park

Ian has stirred my interest with his series of Leaf Mines, whilst I've seen many through the course of the summer yesterday I had my camera with me.

This distinctive? mine was on Birch any ideas

Last Night - Better for Moths

             Rusty-dot Pearl x4                           Dark Swordgrass x1

Along with Silver Y x24 these three represented the 'migrants' amongst the 24 species that visited my two traps last night.  None of them raised my levels of excitement to a high pitch, but I keep trying!

Butterflies Galore but Very Few Moths

These two Small Coppers were chasing each other around in my back garden all day yesterday, occasionally alighting on the Sedum flowers to refuel.  Meanwhile the Buddleia flowers at the front were attracting many more butterflies, mostly Small Tortoiseshells and Painted Ladies, and a fair number of Silver Y moths too.  It was no surprise that this species has dominated the catch on the two nights when the traps were out last week: the 47 moths recorded on Wednesday night included 16 of them, and half of the six moths trapped on Friday night were Silver Ys. 13 species in all.

This was the view from my lounge window just after sunset yesterday evening.  I have learned that if the evening sky goes this colour, there's no point in trapping!

Norway maples....Phyllonorycter joannisi

I had the opportunity for a short episode of leaf-mining this afternoon (10/9), so I deliberately targeted a stand of planted Norway maples alongside the A484 at Penallt, Llanelli.
One tree had an abundance of vacated Phyllonorycter blisters under the leaves which seem to be P. joannisi according to UK Leaf Mines. Apparently this species is rapidly spreading northwards and westwards in the UK.