A vestal, some micros and the smallest moth I've photographed

 Last night produced the best trap of the year with over 160 individuals of 64 species. The star of the show was a lovely Vestal.

I was stumped by not one but two unfamiliar Knothorn species. I used Obsidentify to help  me reach a conclusion. Not on the spreadsheet, the distinctively marked Euzophera pinguis.

And  Acrobasis consociella.

A tiny moth looks like Batia lunaris. It seems to be the commonest and most widespread of three similar looking species.

And finally the micro-micromoth.

It's probably Stigmella salicis, it's common, looks like the picture and associates with willows which is even more common in Burry Port than Leylandii!

Not so common moths in Burry Port

A reasonably diverse trap last night had some interesting new moths for the year. Brown-line Bright-eye and Bordered Sallow immediately caught my eye.

As did Kent Black Arches

And finally a diminutive new micro for the garden - Epernemia chaerophyllella, with a  mouthful of a name!

Bordered Beauty in Burry Port

 Despite trapping pretty consistently and getting some relatively well-filled traps, I haven't had much of interest. This morning however, I saw a wing peeking out from under an ivy leaf next to the trap.

A bit battered but only my second record.

Also present was my first Cypress Carpet for the year.
 

Striped Hawk-moth at Ffarmers

Slightly belated news - all this hot weather finally produced a good migrant moth in yesterday's trap. Striped Hawk-moth plus 5 Small Mottled Willows.

More micros in Burry Port

 Another warm night produced slightly lower numbers with slightly increased diversity. Notable were some rarer visitors and a new micromoth for the garden.

I have had Apple-leaf Skeletoniser a few times before. It seems to be rare in the county.

Anania coronata is a lovely favourite of mine.

I've had A. hastana once before; they're very variable.

This looks like Gypsonoma sociana, which I haven't seen before.

 

New micros in Burry Port

 The warm weather brought the most successful trap of the year with nearly 50 species and 139 individuals. There were a number of micros in the trap, and I eventually resorted to Obsidentify to firm up my conclusions.

This rather nondescript, relatively large micro, turns out to be Common Zebra Moth, apparently named for its caterpillars. I suspect it wandered over from Pembrey Burrows or even the Gower.

Tortrixes with white dots on their backs abound, and I had two of them. Again the magic app suggested they were both the same species - Epiblema costipunctana - a new moth for the garden.

Other goodies included 25 Willow Beauty and FFY Double Square Spot.
 

My first post in a few years (I think) as I haven't been living in Carmarthenshire but I trapped at my parents' house in Salem on Saturday night. The big excitement for me however was early evening beforehand when we found my first ever Striped Hawkmoth resting in long grass on the lawn.

In the trap itself I had 280 moths of 77 species. Plenty of migrants: 42 Small Mottled Willow, Rush Veneer, Rusty-dot Pearl, Dark Sword-grass, Diamond-back and Silver Y. Highlights for me were my first ever Scorched Carpet and Privet Hawkmoth which I rarely catch.