Decent numbers in suburbia...

 I left behind the heartening scores of 80 species or so when I perhaps unwisely departed Pwll some four years ago, but 47 species last night was encouraging at my current rather disappointing trap site.

Highlights on Saturday night (16/7) included Epermenia chaerophyllella, Borkhausenia fuscescens and a rather battered but welcome cream-bordered green pea. I also had a marsh oblique-barred which completely directed me into a `confused corner`, as it were. Somehow, the upwardly-curved labial palps (which macros can also have too) and the diminutive size of the moth made me think that it was a micro and that led me nowhere, even though I had clear recollections of the moth (`I`ve seen that before`) - indeed, in the past, I had even told others what it was when they were confused!  I did n`t think of the simple (and obvious) option of looking at the macro-moth possibilities. My early morning brain is n`t at its best! As I was in an email exchange with Sam (who, incidentally, had 113 species at Cnwc-y-llwyn, Brechfa last night), I asked him to put me out my misery, which he duly did. It`s a moth that I had quite regularly at Pwll.

                                                  Above: the tiny Marsh oblique-barred.

Four-spotted footmen are very regular with me but it is interesting to see Andy Turner`s trapping of this moth in northern Carmarthenshire, complimenting Sally`s capture of earlier this week. Perhaps it is now in the process of colonising the north of the county. Another moth of the Teifi catchment area - the cloaked carpet - is one that I`ve never seen, so well done again, Andy. Like the v-moth it used to be one of Chris Handoll`s `Maenol exclusives`. In the last week or so, I too have caught a couple of nice moths that Andy has very recently featured - slender brindle (photo below) and blue-bordered carpet. Nice surprises to enhance suburban dullness and repetition.