Carmarthenshire Biodiversity

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Dark Stranger

As a last minute gesture because it was dry and relatively mild last evening, I put a small (6W) actinic trap outside the front door.  This morning I was greeted by four Winter Moths and this much larger dark individual:

The prominent discal spot and the dark cross-line beyond it makes me think that it's a dark form of Mottled Umber.  I can't think what else it might be, but the bronze thorax confused me into thinking that it might be something different.  Any alternative suggestions would be welcome!

None of the moths entered the trap, they were all perched on the adjacent front door.

`In the benign mid winter`....

Sam and I have had reports of some unseasonal moths due to the very mild winter that we have so far experienced and, this weekend, I was surprised to see a dozen or so honey-bees on my profusely-flowering Daphne bholua `Jacqueline Postill` (though this is a winter-flowering species).
I may try the garden trap later this week to see which moths are about.

A reminder - NOW is the time to send your 2018 Carmarthenshire moth records to Sam Bosanquet. About a half-dozen of us (Jane Hand, Chris Handoll, Steve Clarke, Andy Turner, Huw John and myself) have already done so, but several key recorders are still awaited (as are some more casual recorders). The sooner the records are in and collated, the sooner the newsletter can be prepared with its summary of noteworthy moth records of 2018.

PLEASE SEND YOUR RECORDS TO SAM BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH - thank you.

Mild midwinter

A mild night produced 31 Mottled Umber at the Cnwc porch light, plus 6 Winter Moth and 1 Northern Winter Moth. I was hoping for Pale Brindled Beauty, but no luck on that count.

And here's one I caught earlier.....Small Waved Umber

Sam got back to me after receiving my, miraculously on time, records, asking for a photo of a Small Waved Umber that I had recorded on August 5, I hadn't checked the distribution map or county list as it was notated as common.
Turned out to be quite a nice catch.
Sam said " There are just 10 previous Carmarthenshire records: 5 from Pembrey, 4 from St Clears and 1 from Carmel, so yours is a long way from any others."

Happy New Year!!!!

And yet another.....

My brother who lives at Taliaris, in SN62, sent me this photograph which he took on 23 December 2018 inside his house. The moth is clearly in pristine condition and had obviously freshly emerged.

Alan postulated that the moth may have entered the house with some non-hardy pot plants that he had brought into the house to overwinter. On checking the pots he found an empty chrysalis cocoon on one them.

Another Unseasonal Arrival

On the wall this evening, attracted to porch light + 22w green synergetic lamp, a Grey Shoulder Knot.  I had several records of this moth from 2010-2012 but haven't seen one since, and certainly never at this time of year.  Perhaps the lights will attract a few more interesting moths tonight.

Forlorn hope!  The only other moths to appear were three Winter Moths and a single Mottled Umber.  T'was worthwhile though, to see GSK again.  I may try an MV tonight or over the weekend since the weather seems fairly settled.