Spruce Carpet, Beaded Chestnut x4, Autumnal Rustic, Large Ranuculus, Green Carpet x2, L-album Wainscot, Lunar Underwing x2, Pine carpet, Common Marbled carpet x2, Square-spot Rustic, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix, Brimstone, Vapourer, Straw Dot and a couple I'm not sure of. Help and confirmation, as usual many thanks.
Spruce Carpet?
Is this Pearly Underwing?
This is what I think is a Beaded Chestnut
You`ve had some good luck Melanie! The vapourer must be a 2nd or 3rd Carms record (really well done!) and you are correct re your other moths. I can`t think at present as to what your mystery noctuid (3rd pic) is though.... will have a further think, but I have to go out now to do some food shopping at Asda! I may be tempted to put my garden actinic out tonight (even though I said I would n`t, after four consecutive nights of trapping at various localities). Glad that you`ve struck lucky!
ReplyDeleteVapourer is MEGA - there are only two previous Carms records, one from 1908 and the other of larvae in 2005. Super stuff! I agree with Ian about the other IDs and will ponder the plain-looking one. Did you photo the Tortrix, as Pandemis cinnamomeana is the most likely in that group.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your Vapourer, Mel - very well done indeed. Some great photos of all the moths you illustrated, too. So glad you didn't pack up too early!
ReplyDeleteAs Sam said, there`s two previous Carms records of Vapourer - at Carmarthen (the old record) and a more recent one at Tywyn Burrows (=RAF Pembrey); I note that there`s a recent NW Gower record in Glamorgan too....so perhaps its a scarce resident in coastal Carmarthen Bay area? A good photo too, Mel....it`ll be in the next Newsletter! (which will certainly appear by late November).
ReplyDeleteI did trap at home last night, as the rain stopped quite early - but just a few regulars, which I did n`t even bother to list.
Thank you all for your comments, it's a good job you know what moths are good and what are mediocre as I like the pretty colourful ones best. I have added photo's of the Tortrix and I wonder if the plain one was a Beaded Chestnut as it was the same size as BC and I did have 4 others. Many thanks to all again, love this site and blog!
ReplyDeleteYou on the coast and Steve inland have been `star performers` in 2014, turning up some really good records. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteSome details of the 1908 vapourer record are in Newsletter 15 (Winter 2012) , p 13 - see link on right-hand side of the blog page.
Another species to perhaps keep an eye out for in the Llansteffan area is white-line snout (so check your pinion-streaked snouts)....there`s a rather recent by Jon Baker from your area and an older one by Barry Stewart from the approx Ferryside/Kidwelly area...perhaps another `Carmarthen Bay coast job`.
I think the Pandemis is heparana, based on the shapes of the basal patch and the inner edge of the median fascia.
ReplyDeleteThe long wings of your Noctuid do resemble Beaded Chestnut, but there appear to be faint stigma markings that are too broad for that species. It's an odd moth. You didn't see its hindwings did you by any chance?
Thanks Sam, didn't see hind wings sorry.
ReplyDeleteThere are just 10 records of Vapourer on the Gower peninsula, all singletons, so it's certainly a scarce species in the Carmarthen Bay area, though it does seem to become more frequent as you head east. I'd plump for Beaded Chestnut for the mystery moth, a rather odd one! Well done Mel generating so much discussion.
ReplyDeletePS. The Pearly Underwing thing is a Turnip Moth.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Barry, this blog just goes on and on : )
ReplyDelete