Tuesday 5 April 2016

A soggy night at Dingestow Court

With southerly winds promised I trapped on Sunday night (3/4/16), but there was much more rain than forecast and the sheet around my MV was sodden when I checked the trap.  When I lifted a fold in the sheet I was surprised to find a female Smooth Newt hiding underneath, presumably it had been munching on some of the smaller insects that had come to the trap. 

Even better was a gigantic water beetle sitting on the sheet.  I very nearly recorded it as the common Dytiscus marginatus (Great Diving Beetle) because I wasn't aware of any other 3cm long species, but sense prevailed and I checked it in the book.  It was something much better: Dytiscus circumflexus (Tiger Diving Beetle) identified by its long coxal processed (spiky bits underneath), tiger-striped belly and metallic green elytra.  It is mostly found in brackish habitats and the only Welsh records are from the Levels (Gwent, Glamorgan & Llanelli), Anglesey and coastal Denbighshire, so my one presumably flew up here from the Newport area!


After such excitement, the 9 species of moth were a bit of a sideshow.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.