On 22nd June, towards the end of the hot spell of weather that already feels like a distant memory, I trapped at Magor Marsh with Seb Buckton from Gloucestershire. Seb had endured a terrible journey to the site thanks to a lorry fire on the new Severn Bridge, but in the end he was glad he persevered...
Although it got a little dewy and cool under clear skies we recorded in the range of 140 species of moth between our 6 lamps (2 MVs and various actinic and LED traps). The clear highlight was recording four Dotted Fan-foot, not only new for VC35 but a new species for the whole of South Wales. This moth has been spreading west from its strongholds in the marshes of eastern England, but had only reached as far as Wiltshire so we weren't expecting it to be breeding in Wales yet (the fact we recorded four suggests local breeding is highly likely, especially given the habitat at Magor Marsh). Three of the four were found by torchlight while walking the boardwalks, rather than at the light traps.
Other highlights included several migrants - a Vestal, two Silver Y and three Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella - Scallop Shell, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Minor Shoulder-knot, Anania perlucidalis, Eudonia delunella, Crambus pratella, Gypsonoma sociana and Acleris comariana. We also recorded five Wainscot species (Obscure, Southern, Smoky, Striped and Common).
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| Scallop Shell |
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Cream-bordered Green Pea
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Rush Veneer
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Minor Shoulder-knot
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Crambus pratella
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Gypsonoma sociana
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Congratulations George!
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