Damp Squib Night at Maenol

Two actinic traps shone last night in what looked like being near ideal conditions, and sure enough when I retired at 10.30pm the traps were alive with moths, and the walls nearby were being settled on extensively by a host of LYUs, Flame Shoulders and Silver Ys, with the odd Dark Sword-grass thrown in.  I anticipated a very busy morning when I rose at 5.15am but not so, the rain (not forecast) had set in and most of the moths that hadn't entered the traps had left the scene - and there were no wasps about.

Amongst the masses of LYUs etc in the traps were two species of note: another portender of Autumn, Frosted Orange, and a dull brown micro that I think could be Agonopterix subpropinquella, but it will probably require dissection to be sure.

 Frosted Orange

Agonopterix sp. (subpropinquella?)

Old Lady

I was lucky enough to find this rather battered Old Lady yesterday, resting up in the corner of a sheltered window. I've never seen one before so really quite thrilled with her!

The beech-boy and an old pal...

Two `second-brooders` provided interest in my Pwll garden trap last night (19/8), though there was little else. In fact these two were both `spotted and potted` when I inspected the traps just before retiring to bed whereas the subsequent night`s haul that awaited me in the morning was mostly rubbish, made worse by yobbish large yellow underwings, stroppy wasps and literally hundreds of tiny beetles, especially in the MV trap.
The two `good` moths (both caught in the actinic trap) comprised a clay triple-lines (a beech feeder, with the nearest trees a very considerable distance away) and an `old pal` - cream-bordered green pea, which I`m glad to get as I missed trapping when the first brood was potentially about.
Of migrants there were only a few silver y`s and, with the other moths, there were several copper underwings, a lime-speck pug and a micro-like marsh oblique-barred.

Above: the cream-bordered green pea and clay triple-lines, photographed indoors due to the dense drizzle.

                                                 Above: the tiny marsh oblique-barred.

Bancyffordd 17/8

I ran my actinic last night and had four new species for the year which should have increased to six had my dexterity been a little better.
Apologies for the poor shots.
The first one wouldn't sit still so after the third recapture, the shot is from the tube. I think it is Argyresthia albistria.

Slightly better shot of what I think is Cydia ulicatana.

 

I have a couple of Paronix which I believe to be devoniella but these are a bit like the first moth.

 

My Devon Carpet won't behave either.



 

....and just for Chris, another autumnal moth, Sallow....in mid August !?

 



Flounced Rustics Have Arrived

Flounced Rustic

Two of them visited my small actinic trap last night.  My first thought was that they are early this year, but I've since discovered that they've come as early as August 4th in previous years, although it was 23rd August last year.

There was nothing else of note last night, a modest return by any standards, only 11 species recorded.  It didn't deter the wasps though, there were two of them in the trap.  I've been using this trap regularly since 2010 and this is the first year that wasps have shown an interest in it, in fact in previous years the MV has been the only trap that wasps have visited.  So far those that have remained in the trap until opening time (so to speak) have been quite docile.

Acleris laterana in Burry Port

I haven't trapped much recently - and when I have, the trap hasn't been as exciting as some of those I had in the warm July nights. I was though pleased to trap and photograph this attractive tortrix, Acleris laterana, not rare but quite striking.

nEARly there, but not quite.

This shot shows the underside of the Ear sp. that I trapped two nights back.
I have always trusted "Skinner" 100% and he indicates (although not foolproof) that when the hind wings are viewed from the underside, the Large Ear has "a conspicuous discal spot and a thick, wavy postmedian line", as the photograph shows.
I have spent quite a bit of time trying to compare my rather botched dissection of this female with the preparations shown on the mothdissection website. I hadn't anticipated that the scale removal was going to be so difficult. Furthermore, inexperience leads me to question things as I view the specimen from different angles. I am fairly confident it isn't Saltern or Crinan and disappointed that I can't finish the job.