Some more `catch up` posts

 Apart from the desired moths, various other visitors call into my trap from time to time:

Above: `Smile for the camera!`. This long-eared bat seemed smug and contented when I examined the trap left out the preceding night (24/4). There were n`t too many moths in the trap - I wonder why?

Above: This small beetle had a `wood-boring look`, though I did n`t recognise it. However, Christian Owen duly kindly obliged. It is Pycnomerus fuliginosus, an introduced species originally from Australia and first noted in the UK back in 1962. It is new to Carmarthenshire.

Above: another beetle - the `tanbark beetle` Phytamodes testaceus, new to me but with a previous record from the Pembrey Forest area.

Essex Skipper - 1st Carmarthenshire photos

  Last summer, at the very end of July 2025, I received a report - via intermediaries - of an Essex Skipper sighting on rough grassland immediately south of Burry Port railway station but, by the time I`d investigated a few days later, there was no sign of this butterfly. The 2025 sighting was by Dominic Davidson, a well-respected birdwatcher with good knowledge of butterflies and dragonflies.

As with moths, it is desirable to obtain confirmation by photograph (or specimen) to ensure the validity of a sighting and to that aim I circulated identification notes on this species and the need to search for it along the coastline of SE Carmarthenshire. These were sent to potentially interested individuals so that optimum effort could be made during 2026. I also decided to search myself for this skipper which resembles the Small Skipper, but which has various i/d differences. In the event it was prudent to make a personal search as there was no response from any other potential helpers. My photos were confirmed by George Tordoff who stated:  "Yes, no doubt about it. It`s refreshing to be sent good photos showing the diagnostic feature [the black-tipped antennae] rather than the usual blurry phone pics taken from above that I usually get sent".  

My first sighting (on 9/7) was at the North Dock, Llanelli, where several were seen in rank but flower-rich grassland on a brownfield site (SS49987 99697) located to the immediate NE of the dock basin and adjacent to the restaurant which occupies an old castellated building known as the `Pump House`. Soon afterwards, I found some more at a nearby brownfield area at the NW of the dock (at SS49554 99919) and subsequently this species was also seen at Pentre Awel, Machynys (SS 50972 98534). Here it was seen on mature brownfield grassland to the immediate E of the new Pentre Awel main building.

During July Jon Baker was in touch to tell me of sightings he`d made on 2/7 of White-letter Hairstreaks just W of Castle Hill Cottage near Llansteffan Castle at SN 348102 and that he was undertaking a mini-project to try to photograph all of the county`s butterflies, so I informed him of the location of the North Dock Essex Skippers. He seemingly misunderstood my directions (and grid reference) and he instead visited the area near the Millennium Coastal Park restaurant (near the car park to the SE of the dock) on 10/7 and not the one I`d identified. Nevertheless he reported a sighting of a female Essex Skipper and noted that he`d obtained a `record shot` photo.

Incidentally, on 13/7 Jon also confirmed the presence of the Brown Hairstreak at Green Castle Woods on the road between Johnstown and Llansteffan. There are historical records of this butterfly from the Llansteffan area but it`s really good to confirm the survival of this rare butterfly in the south of the county.

Finally, I also had a couple of White-letter Hairstreak sightings in my west Llanelli garden this July (on 19/7 & 20/7). Earlier in the month (4/7), Emily Ivens saw and photo`d one at Sandfields, Llanllwch, W of Carmarthen.

Some more moth updates...

 I`ll take the opportunity here to add some updates of good records made by other recorders in Carmarthenshire, though there are likely to be others that I`m totally unaware of. 

Mention was made in my previous post of the three sightings of Eastern Bordered Straw - a new species for the county. Arfon Williams provided a good photo of his sighting (of 30/5) which is shown below.

Earlier in the season on 25/5, Belinda Jackson caught a Fern at Carmel - a scarce moth in our county due to its dependence on its larval food-plant - traveller`s joy - which is quite localised though it is frequent in the eastern part of Carmel Woods.  Belinda also caught a Ni moth in this general period on 28/5 when she also trapped a Striped Hawk-moth.. A photo of the Fern, followed by Belinda`s Ni and Striped Hawk-moth are shown below.

Finally, I`d like too mention George Tordoff`s spectacular capture at Pembrey Burrows on 16th July - a Dark Crimson Underwing, new to Carmarthenshire. He also caught a Ni moth and a Tissue, the former a very scarce migrant and the latter a rare resident. 

Buff form of Poplar Hawkmoth

I've never seen the buff form before.

Coptotriche marginea

 Recorded as Emmetia marginea in the sheet, this is the Bramble blotch miner - new to the garden. It's c. 4mm long and quite active.

Not a patch on any of Ian's moths.

Catching up with my catches....

 I must apologise for my tardy efforts with regard to posting my sightings this year - I had meant to for some time, but other jobs and life got in the way. I must also thank Adam Dare for persevering in posting his interesting records from Burry Port, always accompanied by his superb photos; the same gratitude is extended to anyone else who has made the effort to publicise any interesting records on the Carmarthenshire moth blog - thank you!

                             Above: Emperor moth, which may be new for my garden trap (24.4.26).

Above: Broad-barred white, usually seen in my traps as ones or twos in most years (19.6.26).

 

Above: Brown scallop, new to Carms. I was initially stuck as to the i/d of this moth when looking at a different `in-focus` photo which did not show the wing barring as well as the slightly blurred one above. Fortunately Adam came to the rescue with his Obsidentify facility and the i/d was easier after that! (21.6.26).

Above: Another almost annual visitor to my garden trap - lime hawk-moth. As I have mentioned before, this quite small hawk-moth may be feeding (as a caterpillar)on local elms rather than its namesake tree. (20.6.26)

Above: the Cream-bordered Green Pea is certainly annual with me, with repeat sightings and sometimes as multiples of twos or even threes. It has only become regular in the last c 5 years or less (26.5.26).

Above: regular on the coastal sand dunes or other dry habitat, Homoeosoma sinuella must have been blown inland to my woodland-edge garden. (22.6.26).

Above: another annual visitor to my garden trap, the leopard is always nice to see. (24.6.26)

Above: Scarlet tigers are infrequent in my garden, but singletons occur in my trap (or by day) from time to time.

Above: Two footmen - a male four-spotted footman on the left and a scarce footman to the right. Males of the four-spotted normally outnumber the females. (7.7.26).

Above: not to be confused (name-wise) with the four-spotted footman above, this is a four-dotted footman, a very infrequent visitor to my trap. (23.6.26).

Above: a male four-spotted footman was shown earlier but this is a female, showing some of her spots. (14.7.26).

Above: a pristine European corn-borer was found resting on my garden bench behind the trap. It was in a very awkward position (between the slats) and many pyralids are very `flighty`, escaping at the first chance. I surprised myself (given the circumstances and not being fully awake) by catching this individual. (14.7.26).

 

Above: only my 2nd Ni moth (16.7.26), the first being some years back on a trapping session near Pendine.

Small mottled willows started to appear in small numbers in late May (eg 21/5, when 3 were caught), but much larger numbers appeared in July (reflecting counts elsewhere) with an incredible 322 individuals in/near my two traps (MV & mains actinic) on 10/7, though that number was (just!) exceeded by Barry Stewart at west Gower on the same night. The SMWs were thickly covering the cartoons within the traps, on the outside of the traps and on benches, walls etc. Good subsequent numbers (but < 100) were noted on a couple of other nights and even larger totals were made elsewhere in S & SW Britain. Other migrants in my traps included singles of vestal and Palpita vitrealis and, initially flushed when doing chores in my garden on 28/5, an eastern bordered straw affored close and excellent views but frustratingly, to say the least, during the c 3 minutes when I went to get my camera and a plastic container, it had gone. Luckily Sam and Arfon subsequently saw this species. Another migrant that was elusive was a flighty striped hawk-moth, flushed when doing an early morning  inspection of my roof-top actinic. It was resting outside the trap but flew away around the side of the house as I approached the trap. I cursed, but then - within less than a minute - it came buzzing back, alighted briefly - but flew off  again!

New for the garden and others

 Despite my embarrassment at turning this into my personal moth blog, I continue to post during this spell of excellent mothing weather.

Lovely Herald FFY.

Gold Spot FFY.

New for the Garden, Bordered Straw.

I also had a new micro, Zelleria hepariella which escaped as I was setting up a photo!