Some moths...

 I`ve hardly trapped, nor done any daytime recording this year but a little recent home trapping yield some useful garden records.

The first related to my attempt to rectify a backlog of garden tidying-up - both weeds and rampant plants that I had originally planted, plus seasonal pruning etc. Appropriate material goes on my compost heap, but the remainder is discarded in an area of bramble and secondary woodland immediately adjacent to my garden where itself it rots down in time. In this area I have planted a spindle and an alder buckthorn, both to attract various lepidoptera. Passing the alder buckthorn, I spotted a caterpillar of which I made a `mental note`, thinking that I had seen it before and would check it up later. That evening, my Jim Porter guide to British caterpillars informed me that it was a vapourer caterpillar, something that I had not personally seen but had seen via photos taken by others. I rushed out to relocate it and was relieved that it was on exactly the same leaf as before. Photos were taken before it was returned to its abode. A new species for my garden.

                                                       Above: vapourer caterpillar.

The next moth of interest was Ypsolopha alpella, another species that I`d never seen before, though I understand that Stephen Ruttle has had it at Graig Farm, Llandovery. Possibly my find is a 2nd county site - though not record, as it has been caught at Graig on several occasions.

                                                      Above: Ypsolopha alpella

A wanderer from local marshes was a Webb`s wainscot, also caught recently in my garden trap. Another new species for the garden, though I may have had it at my previous Pwll garden and have also caught at various Llanelli coastal locations.

                                                         Above: Webbs` wainscot

Sunday night (11/8) yielded several migrants: scarce bordered straw, vestal, diamond-back moths (2), dark sword-grass (2), silver y (3). This night was spoilt by a wasp invasion of my MV (the actinic was ok). As the night was hot and sleeping difficult, I checked both traps at approx. 2.00 am and 3.00 am and was glad to see that the MV box was full of moths, including many micros. A lot of i/d checking in the morning, I thought...The next morning I was horrified to see - literally - scores and scores of wasps in the MV, filling every egg carton and the internal sides of the box. Apart from c 6 moths all the remainder were gone - eaten by the wasps? The moths that had been on the outside (including a leopard) had also disappeared, though hopefully escaped rather than being victims of the wasp army. There was a single scarce bordered straw, much worn, presumably due to being hassled by the wasps. To cap it all, I was stung three times, one of which was very painful (I still have a swelling c 7" x 3" on my side - `hot`, itchy and painful!).

                                            Above: the much-battered scarce bordered straw

Finally, some longhorn beetles have turned up in my garden, the first by day and the other in a trap.

                                  Above: the longhorn beetle Stictoleptura rubra (female)

                                             Above: the longhorn beetle Arhopalus rusticus

Whilst clearing out a drainage culvert, I was surprised to find two cave spiders Meta menardi! This is a species that, hitherto I`d only seen in caves on the Carboniferous limestone outcrop.