Tuesday 21 February 2017

Small Brindled Beauty (at last!)

I started mothing in 1994.  Every February I put out my MV trap at Dingestow Court (and in Carmarthenshire when we lived there) hoping for a Small Brindled Beauty, but they never came.  After 23 years of trying, I have finally been rewarded with one of these truly beautiful moths: to MV at Dingestow Court on 20th February 2017.  They are reassuringly distinctive - narrow and almost noctuid-like - and I now know that my past careful scrutiny of Pale Brindled Beauty just in case was pointless.  Martin's map indicates that this is a very rare moth in Gwent, so I'm doubly pleased to catch one.  I hope I won't have to wait another 23 years before my next!


Redhouse Barns, 20th February 

I ran the MV last night. This morning there were no moths in the trap, but one Oak Beauty on the barn wall approx 10' away.


Tuesday 14 February 2017


14 February- Chepstow
Psychoides fillicivora

This is a follow up on Sam's post.
Thought I would include a picture of the Fern that is in my garden upon which P. fillicivora feeds upon.
I now believe this is possibly a (soft) Shield Fern. (open to debate/ comments).
I checked over the underside leaves, fronds on all plants in my garden and I can report there is no visual sign of any activity.

 
A bit later in the year I will keep an eye out for any activity and try to post up the signs of 'feeding damage' and hopefully several adults. For those who are keen eyed -there is a white butterfly upon top of the post, but only an ornamental one!

Monday 13 February 2017

Psychoides larvae

When we sat down for lunch during a family walk in Piercefield Woods I noticed some rather manky Hart's-tongue Ferns and decided to check them for Psychoides larvae.  Almost immediately I noticed a round cluster of sori (the round spore-bearing bits), which I prodded and out popped a brown-headed larva.  The brown head indicates the commoner P. filicivora rather than the uncommon P. verhuella.  This is quite an easy Micro to spot in midwinter!

 
This is what the adults look like - distinctive too in their own small way.
 

Thankyou to the good folk of the Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan Moth Blogs for the heads-up about Psychoides larvae being identifiable.

Friday 3 February 2017

IMPERIAL PARK

Not seen a moth since 10.1.17 It's either RAIN. WIND. or too damn COLD sometimes all three at the same time.

The night of 2.2.17 was windy with some heavy rain & 6°.

I did'nt hold out much hope of finding any moths under the works security lights when i checked them at 0615 prior to the start of a dayshift.

But i found this Acleris umbrana.

Sam tells me it is a new micro species for Gwent.

Acleris umbrana

Showing scale tufts.