Welcome to the recording blog for the Carmarthenshire Moth and Butterfly Group. Could members please add any moth or butterfly records or any general items of interest by making a new post. Although everyone can comment on a post you will have to be a member to add a new post.
Sorry, I had rather forgotten about the Blog. As Ian has been adding some catch up posts, I thought I would post one with some photos for 12/8 at Cnwc y Llwyn Brechfa. Highlights among >100 species were Cydia amplana new for VC44, Little Thorn new for Cnwc, Coleophora discordella, and a Lesser Earwig (!).
Reading elsewhere regarding a very recent record by Geoff Busby of his capture of an European corn-borer at Carmel, it occurred to me that I had not put an earlier record of mine on the blog. It was caught in my garden trap on 14/7. Photo below:
Two garden traps were set out last night - the MV at its usual sheltered SSW-facing position atop a garden seat towards the bottom of the garden and the `flat-roof actinic`, reached by ladder above the kitchen. The scarce bordered straw puzzled me initially as it was a small individual with completely undeveloped hind-wings. The wood carpet is seemingly local in Carmarthenshire - it is larger and more cleanly-marked than the similar common carpet. I used to get it at Pwll but the individual below may be the first time at my current garden.
A couple of weeks ago I had an email from Rob Payne from west London asking whether there was a standard way of him inputting moth records from his forthcoming holiday at Upper Lliedi Reservoir near Llanelli. After some discussions, he has now sent me a list of 141 species recorded between 11th and 15th August. Highlights included Yponomeuta rorrella, Cosmopterix pulchrimella, 120 Nomophila noctuella on 12/8, 80 Small Mottled Willow the same night, a Maiden's Blush (which is turning up all over Carmarthenshire this year), a Little Thorn (ditto to a lesser extent), Vestal, Chevron (photo below), Pinion-streaked Snout, Double Kidney, Olive, Cream-bordered Green Pea, White Point and White Speck (photo below). If only all visiting moth'ers were as diligent in their recording and sent their records in to the County Recorders! Thanks Rob
Completely eclipsed by the multiple successes of Arfon Williams (well done, Arfon!), I offer my latest update. Wednesday 12/8 yielded a surprise visitor that was totally unexpected for my essentially woodland-edge garden - a rosy wave. This species is normally a moth of upper saltmarsh habitat and is known from several sites in SE Carmarthenshire such as near WWT Penclacwydd, North Dock (Llanelli) and Pembrey Saltings, though it is very likely to occur at other saltmarshes such as those along the Tywi and Taf. I was going through my actinic trap and had counted three clay triple lines (amusingly appropriate for a moth with that name) when, initially and briefly, I thought there was a fourth present but as it was potted up, realised it was different. It was looked at after a `cool down` in the fridge and it was a rosy wave! It may actually be new for SN40 as most moth recorders at Pembrey Burrows focus on the southern arm of the dunes and saltings (SS49) and ignore the northern dunes and marsh (SN40). Photo below.
Thursday 13/8 had a modest mix of local species and common migrants in my west Llanelli trap - slightly noteworthy species (in a Carms context) such as cream-bordered green pea, clay triple lines, Vine`s rustic and lime-speck pug, as well as the usual (certainly for 2026!) small mottled willows and others representing the migrants. A resident micro (described as `local` nationally) provided the best record - Stenolechia gemmella. It was new to me and with only a handful of Carmarthenshire records. It feeds on oak, so its scarcity is perhaps surprising. Photo below.
Friday 14/8 brought me a bordered straw (photo below) and a striped hawk-moth but the latter species - for the second time this year - `did a runner` or, rather, a `flyer`. As I lifted, as is normal practice, the egg cartons one by one to check what was underneath one carton revealed a striped hawk-moth with its wings already `buzzing`. I turned to fetch a larger container -only about three steps away - returned within seconds to the trap and it was gone! Never mind, we have Arfon`s superbly crisp photo of a couple to beautify next year`s newsletter. There are a lot of these hawk-moths around at present.
More generally over the last three weeks or so, cream-bordered green peas have been regular, with up the three present, daytime hummingbird hawk-moths (singles) have been seen a couple of times in my garden and once at another Llanelli garden. Compared to last year (so far), Palpita vitrealis (photo below)has only turned up twice for me, the second time being on 10/8.
