Small Mottled Willow and lots of Micros (edited)

 

A Small Mottled Willow to MV at Dingestow Court on 26th July was a welcome record of this migrant, especially as I missed the February 2019 influx here (though not in Carmarthenshire). None of the other 59 species of Macro were particularly exciting, although 10 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing was a remarkable tally and it's always nice to see Maple Pug. In contrast, the Micros were outstanding, with 45 species including Caryocolum tricolorella, Ypsolopha scabrella, Acrobasis consociella, 2 Nomophila noctuella and 3 Plutella xylostella.

 

 

 

Best of all was a Biselachista that was initially thought to be B. utonella, but which turned out to be a male B. albidella with diagnostic projecting pointed ends to the valvae. The only previous county record of this species - which feeds on Cottongrass and a few other wetland graminoids - was from Cleddon Bog in 1999. It really was an unexpected addition to the Dingestow moth list!