Sunday 1 September 2013

Coed y bedw - Friday night

I had a session at Coed y Bedw WTSWW reserve on Friday night, catching the last of the damp, mild weather before fresher conditions arrived later in the night. It was still 16.8 C when I packed up at 11:30pm. A total of 42 species recorded - slightly disapponting but then this often seems to be the case with woodlands in late summer. The highlight was undoubtedly Elachista bisulcella, which appears to be the 2nd Glamorgan record of this species (Dave - let me know if you need to see the specimen for confirmation). The larvae mine the leaves of Tufted Hair-grass, which was abundant around the trap site.

Elachista bisulcella  
Feathered Gothic was probably the best of the macros, being a declining species and now quite scarce in the south-east of Glamorgan. This was the first Cardiff record since 1997, when Jake and Mike trapped one on the same date at the same site!
Feathered Gothic

Also pleasing were good numbers of Black Arches (10), Buff Footman (5) and a couple of fresh Peach Blossom.

4 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the bisulcella George

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  2. I don't need to see the Elachista, thanks George. It's a pretty distinctive one!

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  3. George, I believe that South-east Glamorgan Feathered Gothics must have migrated in a westerly direction, they seem to be relatively abundant in Carmarthenshire this year. What a stunning photo of Elachista bisulchella! Small is beautiful as far as that species is concerned.

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  4. Thanks Chris - I was slightly disappointed not to get a sharper photo, but it helps that the moth was in mint condition.

    Re Feathered Gothic - this species is still widespread in parts of western Glamorgan, especially Gower, but there is only one other post-2000 record east of Bridgend (at least, according to my slightly out-of-date MapMate).

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