I stopped for 20 minutes in Cwm Hust, in northern Brechfa Forest above Llanybydder this afternoon on my way back from a meeting. Beating trees and sweeping the road verges produced 16 spp of Micro (14 of which were new for the 10km square!) and 3 Macros (1of which was new). Highlights were 1 Little Emerald, 10 Micropterix aureatella, 2 Elachista albifrontella, 1 Parornix scoticella (from Rowan), 2 Incurvaria oehlmanniella, 1 Argyresthia conjugella (from Rowan) and 1 Epinotia subocellana (from Salix). Sorry for the dingy photos: it's pouring with rain!
Epinotia subocellana, beaten from a Willow bush
Incurvaria oehlmanniella, netted in flight over patches of Bilberry
Little Emerald
It really is worth the effort to beat & sweep for micros at the moment: you'll find far more species that way than you'll get at MV.
Really useful post, with good field tips and hints, as always, Sam!
ReplyDeleteSunny tomorrow and off out to south Crychan with RNS, so will look out for small purpled-barred on the sunny rides with milkwort.
Did n`t trap last night....though the early part of the night had fantastic trapping conditions...lots of moths bumping into my car headlights as I drove home at c 10.00pm. Heavy rain in early hours.