Something new in the garden

 Despite 2025 being the tenth year I have trapped in the garden I am pleasantly surprised to catch new moths.

I believe this is Yellow Horned, I've often seen it referred to in the catches of others.

When I potted the moth below it looked like a tortrix, but I suspected I had been deceived.

Only my third Oak Nycteoline.

Also from 20th March

 

An almost white Twin-spotted Quaker

A nicely coloured Early Tooth-striped

Brindled Pug

First Streamer of the year

One of seven Shoulder Stripe

A first county record at Pontyberem

 Chris Manley caught this lovely and unmistakable Dotted Chestnut at Pontyberem on Thursday night (20/3) - a new county record. Well done, Chris!

                                              Above: Dotted Chestnut        Photo: Chris Manley

A Gathering of Quakers (and others)...

 I put out the mains actinic on the flat roof last night (20/3), with the possible promise of migrants. As it transpired, there were none of the latter but, rather, a decent assemblage (variety - 17 spp. - and numbers - 99 individuals) of resident moths. Mostly my actinic attracts small numbers but, last night, the quakers in particular were out in force: 25 small quakers, 16 twin-spotted quakers and 19 common quakers. Of the scarcer moths, a pine beauty (relatively regular with me in spring - mature pines close-by) and a tawny pinion provided a little interest.

                                                    Above: tawny pinion.

Above: the actinic on its normal flat roof position, above the back-door. As rain was forecast (it did n`t happen!), I tested my new home-made cover to see if it would impact the catch (it did n`t either).

A Bevy of Beauties

 The warm weather encouraged me to trap for the second time this year. This time I found a new moth for the garden; Pale Brindled Beauty.

There was also a very welcome Oak Beauty - not so common in my garden and Brindled Beauty which is regular.

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth near Pontyates (July 2024)

 Arfon Williams very recently discovered some online photos of two Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moths near Meinciau, Pontyates (in the Gwendraeth Fawr valley in SE Carmarthenshire) and he duly informed both Sam Bosanquet and myself of this extremely exciting and significant record. This is a very rare species in Wales and George Tordoff informs us that he is not aware of any post-2000 records. There is an old, unlocalised record for what seems to be SN62 (the general Llandeilo area) in The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (Vol 9, p 31). The two moths were seen by Stuart Rees on 5th July 2024. He supplied two photos - see below.

The larvae make distinctive feeding marks on honeysuckle leaves - a row of holes, often near the centre line, so please `keep an eye out` for these in July (and take photos). See the bottom photo below (via online source).

Oak Nycteoline

 I had this stunning Oak Nycteoline beside the trap a few nights ago.

I posted it on a recorders page and the identification was questioned, but I don’t know what else it could be. I think it must be f.lichenodes perhaps Ian or Sam could confirm?

Happy Christmas everyone