Recent Gwent highlights

I've been out and about in the county quite a bit this month, mostly surveying Drab Looper in its usual haunts. At Llanmelin Hillfort, Drab Looper numbers have been relatively low with a maximum of 9 counted, but there is still plenty of Wood Spurge and I may have missed the peak season. This is always an early site for them. I also saw a single Adela croesella, one of the scarcer longhorn moths but well known from this area.

At Slade Wood I've not been able to find a single Drab Looper this year, despite some good habitat. I did see a Grizzled Skipper though, the first here for several years, and some good micros including Pancalia leuwenhoekella as usual in the quarry, and Alabonia geoffrella (also seen on the same day at Llanmelin).

A visit to Hendre Woods near Monmouth on 23 May produced a good total of 18 Drab Looper, the most at this site for several years. They have moved into some big clearfells created by larch felling the previous winter, where Wood Spurge has now become established.