Wednesday 4 June 2014

Barry

Had a wander around Cadoxton Ponds last week and disturbed quite a few micros, some of which I am struggling to identify - could someone help please?


I'm not sure if this one is the same species as above?

I also found this caterpillar which was around 2cm long - I did wonder if it was a garden tiger which had been parasitised by something? Any other suggestions gratefully received.


5 comments:

  1. The third (and possibly the second too) could be Aethes tesserana - I've seen them in Rhoose on a few occasions so they are in the area. They feed on Bristly ox-tongue and Hawkweeds so they are very likely to be found on disturbed ground. There are not many Glamorgan records though, about 10 according to Mapmate.

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  2. The first is possibly Cydia nigricana (pea moth).

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  3. Agree with Adam on the Aethes. I think the first one is a Dichrorampha (long palps for a tortricid) but they are tricky.

    The larva might be Garden Tiger, but it looks unwell...

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  4. Hi all, thanks for your suggestions. There's certainly plenty of bristly ox-tongue and hawkweeds in that area. Would never have got to Aethes from the book though!

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  5. The markings on A tesserana can be quite variable not just between individuals, but also with age. A very fresh specimen often has quite a distinctive glossy chequerboard appearance. The sheen seems to dissapear once they become worn, and the colours become much more muted - yours look pretty worn from the state of the cilia, so I'm not surprised you struggled a bit with it!

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