Two micros are of interest, the first from the trap on Tuesday night:
I thought Acrobasis advenella, but both the reddish-brown colouration and the central black dots seem to be absent, it's a Christian Grey moth. can anyone suggest an alternative?
This one turned up in my tool shed this morning. There were two of them but one got away; not necessarily the same species, but they were fluttering around together. I shall keep a look out for the other.
I suspect that this is a Gelechid of the genus Caryocolum, probably C.blandella, but C.blandulella is very similar judging from the photos in Chris Manley, who mentions Carmarthen as one of two sources of the latter species, albeit on sand dunes which we don't have hereabouts! The photo of blandulella is attributed to Jon, so I suspect that he might know!
Hi Chris, just reply to your question about bats. I have bats in the garden and they swoop through and round my Buddlea bushes and just over the top of my head, chasing MY moths no doubt, but I've never had one in a trap. I have been plagued by LYU's recently and a few escaped into the kitchen, nightmare!
ReplyDeleteI sympathise Mel, the LYRs are having a bumper-plus year and the bats are welcome to have their fill - as long as they don't enter my traps in the process!
DeleteC. blandella. Not recorded in VC44 while I was recorder, so unless there's a more recent record, it's a first. Lives on Greater Stitchwort. Nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jon, your response is much appreciated. Sam's 2013 list gives one record for that year, no earlier ones. Plenty of Stitchwort around here, hence the Cloaked/Sharp-angled Carpets.
DeleteWell done again, Chris!
ReplyDeleteAway from moths, please check your greater stitchwort patches for brown/blackish rust over the next month or so, as it`s seemingly quite scarce in Carms. Please take a photo if you find any.
It's difficult to find the Stitchwort now the flowers have gone Ian, it's largely smothered by other vegetation. What I can see of it bears no sign of rust, but I'll carry on looking.
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ReplyDeleteI`d `double-entered` my last comment, hence the deletion.
ReplyDeleteYou should probably get the Caryocolum dissected to be certain, since it's dead already.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right Dave, that's the advice on the UKMoths website too, but I can't do the necessary and unless someone volunteers the matter will remain unresolved. A pity if such a distinctive moth is unrecorded, the images available suggest that it's either C.blandella or C.blandulella, and the former seems much the more likely around here.
DeleteIf you've still got it, send it to me via the SEWBReC office and I'll add it to the slowly growing pile of dissections I've got!
DeleteDave, I've just seen your response, thank you for the offer. I still have the moth and will send it to you. However long it takes it'll probably be quicker than the alternative - I'm booked on a dissection course with Dave Grundy but it's not until next April!
DeleteCaryocolum blandella is now confirmed. A female in fact.
ReplyDelete