Is this a 1st?

For October a fantastic night with 13 macros and 3 micros.

Light Brown Apple Moth is still in good supply with 3 last night.

This little chap on the left was identified - after considerable deliberation - as a Rhomboid Tortrix No.1042 aka Acleris rhombana.

A few are recorded in Pembrokeshire yearly.They are extremely variable and sadly this one didn't survive.


The third is possibly a new tick for Pembrokeshire - certainly none were seen according to the  2008/2009 reports.

Pictured on the right it's a Madder Pearl No. 1397 aka Mecyna asinalis. It's found on the south and west coasts of England and Wales from May to October.
I'll put this one on the Pembrokeshire News site as well - could well attract further comment there!

1342 - Narrow winged Grey

Eudonia angustea on the living room window last night.
A handsome micro of the pyralid family - well worth a photo but the timing was not right.
A Rusty-dot Pearl - Udea ferrugalis - the night before.
More comes to the window than the moth trap at the moment!!

Light Brown Apple Moth

6 of these on Friday night -
 a record in itself but little else in the micro line at the moment.

Common Grass Veneer

Agriphila tristella No.1305 - had these before but this is the first picture.
Key feature is the white streak that splits into "fingers"
29 records in 2008 and 34 in 2009 so common enough from July to September.

Little Ermel



Little Ermel No.438


Not the greatest photograph in the world but a distinctive moth that is readily recognizable.
Swammerdamia pyrella was found on the inside of our patio doors a few days back..
Just 4 records in the 2008 report  and 2 in 2009 so a nice record to have.

No pretty ones!

Most micros round here seem to be the drab variety - No. 1048 - the pleasantly named Garden Rose Tortrix aka Acleris variegana, opposite, is one with a name that should deliver more in the way of looks.

We also had 2 Ringed China-mark, Parapoynx stratiotata, and a grand total of 7 of  No.1305 -  the Common Grass Veneer - Agriphyla tristella.

To the left is No. 873 with a fitting name - Dingy Dowd - posh name Blastobasis lignea, it looks so small and insignificant in the moth trap that I wonder that anyone would give it a second glance yet amazingly there were 29 records in both the 2008 and 2009 reports!

Meantime I'm still waiting for some of the smarter looking jobs coming my way - there's still time this year - isn't there?.

Apple Ermine

We've had them already this year but this is the 1st photograph - aka 426 Yponomeuta malinellus.           

Also last night: 2 x Mother of Pearl, 2 x 20 Plume Moth , 1 x 1305 Common Grass Veneer aka Agriphilia tristella, plus a few more that got away - still a good night overall.                                                          

A Bumper Crop

A good crop last night - and a few more escaped before I could
identify them!

6 x Ringed China Mark
3 x Mother of Pearl
1 x Light Brown Apple Moth
1 x 426 - Apple Ermine
2 x 1395 - Rusty-dot Pearl
and pictured 1 x 1336 Eudonia pallida

Could this be....

Not much in the micro line last night but could this be 1044/1045 - Acleris ferrugana/Acleris notana.

They are so similar that genitalia examination is required to separate them.

1044 larva prefer oak whereas 1045 lean towards birch.

With oak in the area and no birch I prefer to think this is A ferrugana.
Either way it's not in Pembs. according to the distribution maps although it is found not too many miles  away.

5 of the best!

5 different micros last night: Small Magpie, Lt. Brown Apple Moth, 1293- Garden Grass-veneer, 1067 - Celypha Cespitana, and the new one for the year 1302 Crambus Perlella which has a distinct pearl-like sheen to its wings.
No pictures today - I'm hoping for something more photogenic coming my way.

****make that 6 different - 1 Rusty Dot Pearl I forgot.****

Rusty-dot Pearl

This is 1395 aka Udea ferrugalis the Rusty-dot Pearl.

It's classed as a migrant though it can be seen in almost any month.
Not too many records though - just 1 in the 2009 report and 3 in 2008.

At 1st glance we thought it was a China Mark so it pays to look a little closer sometimes!

A Good Crop

7 different micros last night:

Small Magpie,

1293 - Garden Grass Veneer,

1338 - Dipleurina lacustrata,

1348 - Ringed China Mark,

1063 - Celypha striana,

647 - Brown House Moth and

1067 Celypha cespitana which is pictured and the only one new for the year.

Bird Dropping Tortrix Moth

This is micro 966 the Black Headed Conch aka cochylis atricapitana fresh from the moth trap today.
A number of micros come under the broad heading of bird dropping moths - no prizes for the reason why!
They are quite similar - the small size doesn't help - so a little book has been published "Bird-dropping Moths of the British Isles" available from Anglian Lepidoptera Supplies - one day when I'm feeling flush I might just get it.

Timothy Tortrix

A somewhat plain moth with few distinguishing features other than the yellowish look - still in evidence in this picture but fading.
At 20mm he's a good size for a micro.

Just 5 records in the 2008 report and 0 in 2009.

aka 989 aphelia paleana

1063

Very quiet again last night - a combination of the chill and gusty wind no doubt.
Still this little fellow found his way into the trap - it most closely resembles 1063 calypha striana aka the Barred Marble.

That Really is Micro

Some moths I don't attempt to photograph - today it was No.5 aka Micropterix calthella - at 9mm and no distinguishing features I gave it a miss.
An attractve little moth I really did want to photograph was 1175 the Bramble Shoot Moth - he did shoot but another day....

The Thistle Ermine (1458) was more obliging and here he is.

Also had Small Magpie, Mother of Pearl, Bee Moth, 1392 Udea Olivalis and 1338 Dipleurina Lacustrata - (pictured left).

Not a bad haul.

1293 + 648

Just 2 micros that waited for me to pot them.

1293 the Garden Grass Veneer - I tried to show his blue eyes but failed miserably - still at least a picure so that's an improvement on last time.

The other was 648 the White Shouldered House Moth which, true to form, was actually found indoors.

 

These little chaps are proving somewhat hard to photo but I will persevere!

3 days in a row!



Gound-moss Grey



Buff-tipped Marble

Three days in a row we've managed to add pictures- a record!
Left is 1340 Eudonia truncicoletta and right is 1084 Hedya ochroleucana - there are a number of micros that look very similar to this one which makes id somewhat tricky!
We also had a Bee Moth which declined to be photographed. Its no. is 1428 and is aka Aphomia sociella. As the name suggests the moth enjoys the nests of bees and wasps and feeds on honeycombs.

Heath trap

Used the Heath trap with an actinic tube last night and for the first time this year.
We had one of these yesterday but he escaped - today he didn't.
This is 1392 udea olivalis - aka Olive Pearl.
A common micro and distinctive enough  to be easily recognisable.

That's a lot better

This attractive little micro has a number 1338 -and a name - dipleurina lacustrata.

The number is definitely easier!

The moth at the right is Ringed China Mark - a male.

We also had a female last night - much prettier but sadly she didn't survive.

Another common micro from last night is the Small Magpie below - it is quite a good size but though similar in appearance is, of course, small compared to its macro cousin the Large Magpie.

He's got blue eyes!

No pictures but 2 micros last night:
Light Brown Apple Moth - Epiphyas postvittana - get quite a few of these.
Garden Grass Veneer - Chrysotenchia culmella - he's the one with the blue eyes.
Look closely and they can be seen but more readily so in a photo.

1184 Epiblema Scutulana

 

A couple of pictures of the micro from last

night.

A number of these are very similar but several web sites have excellent pictures to compare.

UK moths is very good and we also use a Dutch site.

It's a lot of work but  the only way to make sure!

A Good night

15 different last night including this

obliging Powdered Quaker.

Right is the hilight of the night -  a Barrat's Marbled Coronet - records for Pembrokeshire are almost non-existant so if confirmed it's noteworthy.

The other "special" is an Oak Tree Pug - again just a few records in the county each year - perhaps because pugs are dismissed so easily - here's a big picture.

Foxglove Pug

Nice looking moth in pristine condition caught this morning.

On the bird front we have a blackbird nest with young in the garden.