Ceredigion Moths

Aberystwyth garden

2026-09-22T20:27:43.593+01:00

A milder night brought 57 varieties of Square-spot Rustic to my garden actinic, and my first Welsh Box-tree Moth. I was more excited about a Striped Hawkmoth:

Also 2 Small Mottled Willow, 3 Pale Mottled Willow, and Yponomeuta sedella. NFY Autumnal and Black Rustics and my earliest ever Red-line Quaker. And latest ever Riband Wave, Burnished Brass and Garden Pebble.

Palpita vitrealis and L album wainscot

2026-09-22T12:26:18.638+01:00

Caught 19th Sept at Aberporth, had a leg missing unfortunately but flew off following night.

Very excited to see one of these not encountered since a trip to Spain a few years ago.

Quite excited to see at least 25 Square Spot Rustics in all states of wear as its always good to see some abundance.

This better than previous catch was achieved by renewing my 15w synergetic tube!

Late Single-dotted Wave

2026-09-14T10:37:44.863+01:00

Single-dotted Wave attracted to the lighted window of our garden room last night, despite the constant drizzle: would this be a second brood?

On another subject, does anyone have any tips of discouraging hornets from creating havoc in the trap? On two recent trappings, at sites about 60m apart, I had eight and twelve hornets respectively. Curiously, three of the latter trapping were dead.

Blowin' in the Wind

2026-09-03T20:59:07.835+01:00

I left the garden trap in a relatively sheltered corner last night. Mostly LYUs and Flounced Rustics, but this was a surprise:

I think it is Black-banded, presumably blown here from the coast (about a mile).

Endothenia marginana was also new for the garden list:

Neglected Rustic

2026-09-01T09:43:42.242+01:00

New for me in my garden at Troedrhiwseiri, Bontgoch

this morning a smart Neglected Rustic. Hardly heathland though I have a good bank of heather and moorland habitat not too far away.

Beautiful Brocade...probable

2026-08-11T13:34:40.663+01:00

Caught at Aberporth Sunday night, garden trap overlooking a valley to the sea (1km) organic fields recently cut to foreground.

Sorry about the photo quality...time pressure, just potted it quickly as I thought it was a strange looking Lychnis and let it go as the day was so warm. Live and learn.

A puzzle lurking in my pics for 28th June

2026-07-29T13:22:19.555+01:00

Caught at light above Aberporth in a garden.

The lines on paper are 8mm apart so about 10/12mm.

Any help appreciated.

Crescent Dart at Moelgolomen.

2026-07-25T19:00:48.942+01:00

Recorded from one of my traps last night on a very dry, grassy hillside east of Bont Goch.

I would imagine it is a fairly common moth on the Ceredigion coast but a first for me.

22 other species but all ordinary for the habitat.

Scarce Silver Y

2026-07-25T11:43:57.008+01:00

This week's highlight in the garden trap (Aberystwyth) was this Scarce Silver Y on Thursday night:

Catches have been quite small, but I also had three Small Mottled Willow and FFY Sallow Kitten, Flounced Rustic, Dusky Thorn and Agriphila selasella.

In the field behind our house, I was pleased to find Phyllonorycter trifasciella and Prays ruficeps. The former looks nicer, but the latter is more unusual:

Last night's trap in the Rheidol Valley was dominated by Black Arches and Apotomis betulatana (>20 of each). Also two August Thorn and two Cloaked Carpet, but nothing unusual.

Llanarth garden

2026-07-20T15:15:26.489+01:00

This large micro is Sitochroa palealis. It was last recorded in Ceredigion in 1956 at Gwbert. Possibly a migrant, although there are populations in the south of Britain.

Sitochroa palealis

Old Warren Hill

2026-07-18T17:44:49.772+01:00

I trapped at Nanteos (Old Warren Hill) last night, and was surprised to find Italian Bark Moth (Metalampra italica):

They appeared to be most abundant at dusk and dawn, and I saw 20 in total.

Best of the rest were Clouded Magpie (11), Buff Footman, Tissue (my 5th of the year, and 6th ever, so a good year for them) and this Double Kidney:

Agnopterix Angelicella?

2026-07-17T12:27:28.780+01:00

According to the micro moth list this would seem to be the 8th for Ceredigion if correct

Angelica Brown

To MV light in Llechryd last night. Rural garden with mixed woodland and farmland adjacent

Least Carpet ?

2026-07-16T10:21:30.878+01:00

Caught above Aberporth last night in garden and grass habitat. Seems way out of area but I may be way out of date!

Sorry about the pic my trusty Lumix has focussing problems like us all old 'uns.

Also this Grapholita flew into the kitchen last night...7mm so jungiella?

Four (?) Footmen of Llangeitho

2026-07-12T14:27:46.508+01:00

Trapping on 10th July, a mild dry night yielded over 150 moths, with 48 macros and numerous micros, largely Eudonia spp..

One Footman I am unsure about: Obsidentify says Orange Footman, 100%, but the flight season is late and the wing looks less angular. The Four-spotted is the second I have recorded here in Llangeitho.

Buff Footman

Dingy Footman

Orange (or Buff?) Footman

Four-spotted Footman

Cloaked Carpet

Of the micros, I think these are:

Calamotropha paludella

Beautiful China-mark

Apple Ermine: Yponomeuta malinellus

Gem, Dusky Sallow, Mouse Moth

2026-07-11T20:12:16.614+01:00

In the garden trap on Thursday night, it was the turn of Cydia splendana to appear en masse: 43, including only 4 of the melanic form. A new-for-me Gem and 3 Small Mottled Willow were suggestive of migration. Also Marsh Oblique-barred, Hypsopygia glaucinalis and NFY Z. ratzeburgiana (2), Slender Pug and Endotricha flammealis.

Last night I trapped in Ponterwyd. Over 400 moths of 90 species. Good numbers of Large Yellow Underwing (51), True Lovers Knot (32), Dark Arches (52) and Agriphila straminella, and even Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (11). FFYs included Grass Emerald (3), Barred Straw, Chinese Character, Small Elephant Hawkmoth (2), Garden Tiger (3), Coxcomb Prominent, Dotted Clay, Bulrush Wainscot, Gold Spot (3), Small Rufous, Honeysuckle Moth, Mompha propinquella, Mompha raschkiella, and Eupoecilia angustana. New for my county list were Catoptria falsella, Mouse Moth and Dusky Sallow.

Thursday night at Cwmerfyn. 09/07/2026.

2026-07-10T15:23:19.706+01:00

A rather humid, full night survey on a mixed grassy, scrubby slope c.280m above Cwmerfyn produced 70 species on Thursday night.

The likelihood is this is a Red Underwing but I am stumped by the "inner central cross-line bends outwards so it usually touches pale central mark" (Waring, Townsend & Lewington) which is characteristic of a possible immigrant Dark Crimson Underwing (very similar to the example in Chris Manley) but does not have a convincing deep "W" on the outer cross-line. More like a "V".

Any help on this would be great.

Also recorded what I suspect to be a Northern Rustic?

Not recorded this before so a confirmation would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Phil.

Additional photo received from Sam Grinsted who managed to get a shot of the red hindwing (apologies for the poor quality photo but it shows the important bit!)

Four-spotted moth spotted

2026-06-30T22:04:17.906+01:00

The highlight of last night's garden trap was this Double Lobed, my first for almost 5 years.

Also NFY Common Footman and Wormwood Pug among 37 sp.

On my route to work, a Large Emerald yesterday clinging to a building, and today this Four-spotted Footman, new for me, in the same place:

Night at Bwlch Corog, Glaspwyll.

2026-06-28T12:00:00.393+01:00

Hi all,

A very busy night on Friday with a site wide 91 species recorded for Coetir Anian including the following two micros:

Is this about right for Eudonia delunella? I have spent too much time staring at it!

and is this brownish enough for Apotomis capreana? Everything else looks right to separate it from A.betulana. There is a hint of a greyish tip to the tuft, well arched costa and the "hook" is present.

Photos have not been fiddled with except for cropping.

Any corrections/comments welcomed.

Thanks.

Phil.

Bilberry Pug, Llangeitho

2026-06-20T15:13:27.897+01:00

The one distinguished item in a rather humdrum catch of 43 species last night was this Bilberry Pug - the first I've recorded here since July 2021.

Rheidol Valley

2026-06-15T21:48:57.876+01:00

A trip to woodland in the Rheidol Valley last night. 88 moths of 34 species. Most numerous were Variagated Golden Tortrix (17+), Eudonia lacustrata (11+) and Aleimma loeflingiana (10). Highlights were Lilac Beauty, Beautiful Snout, Northern Spinach, Peach Blossom (3), Barred Yellow, Cydia fagiglandana and Eudonia delunella (2). New for me is what might be Celypha aurofasciana (although this one doesn't look very golden):

Aberystwyth garden

2026-06-07T17:34:02.997+01:00

Last night was a bit breezy. 45 of 62 moths were Heart and Darts. Among the others, my first Shoulder-striped Wainscot for three years, and what I think is a Ni Moth.

A dark clouded silver

2026-06-05T10:27:03.741+01:00

A very dark clouded silver (or is it something else..?). Much darker than any other I have had. Aberaeron.

Ochreous pug

2026-06-04T10:30:48.197+01:00

This one from Aberaeron a few nights ago. Described as "common" but I have only had one before but that was on the way up Pumlumon Fawr in daylight! The records to 2021 show 24 previous records in the county, mine on the mountain being the 25th. So this, according to Pete, is the 26th. Given the challenges of identifying pugs, perhaps they are under-recorded?

Small mottled willow at Aberaeron

2026-05-29T22:16:02.477+01:00

A first for me last night in my garden in Aberaeron.

Moths at Bontgoch

2026-05-27T16:45:37.539+01:00

Delighted to find a Small Purple-barred in my trap this morning. My only previous sightings were the odd day flier at Cors fochno years ago. Alder moth, Lobster and Satin Wave were also present. Earlier this week I had my first Lead Belle for many years.