A big surprise!

My first post on here! I caught a Convolvulus Hawkmoth in my Skinner Trap last night, up on Mynydd Bodafon, Anglesey. Quite a surprise as I only caught 14 other moths. This is the second I've caught at this site, and only a few days different in date. There have been a few other reports of this migrant moth around the country over the last fewdays. Hope to get a few more posts this autumn. Tonight looks promising!

Miss one, find one

After missing out on one immigrant this morning (greenish warbler Great Orme) slightly made up for it with my first ever immigrant rusty-dot pearl moth caught at a trapping session at my son's house in Dyserth last night. Also my first centre-barred sallow for some time as well as a couple of yellow-barred brindle, another moth I've not seen for a while. Also my first mouse moth of year. In total 19 species so I think I'll be doing more sessions there.

Slowing down

Moth numbers dropping off now with just one nfy over the last couple of nights with this square-spot rustic.

Although its been really quiet in the traps recently, I caught my first Sallow of the year last night, and also a smart Drinker. During the day, I saw two migrants Rush Veneers and a Silver Y, and also a strikingly well-marked Rhomboid Tortrix.

 Sallow

 Drinker

 Acleris rhombana

Does anyone have any idea what this is??

Prominent moth

Nice find in the trap this morning was my first lesser swallow prominent for the year.

Smart moths

Two nfy last night were a smart black arches and a canary-shouldered thorn.

Ceredigion Moths and Dragonflies

I took my trap down to Aberystwyth last week and although the catches weren'y that good, I managed a few nice ones.

It's been a while since I've seen a Chinese Character - lovely moths.

 Orange Swift was particularly common around the caravan.

 GoldSpot - always great to see.

A walk around Tregaron Bog saw the emergence of several hundred if not thousands of Dragon and Damselflies. I managed several species - Black Darter, Common Darter, Emerald Damselflt, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Darter, Emperor and Banded Damselfly. I also had Migrant Hawker at the caravan site.

 Black Darter

 Common Hawker

 Common Darter

 Common Blue Damselfly

 Hoverfly sp. Any help appreciated.

 A visitor while moth trapping!

Peacock Butterfly

Cherry picking

Think this is bird-cherry ermine, has a lot more spots than an ermine I caught earlier in the summer and they're arranged in what looks like five rows. Also lime-speck pug caught last night.

Update

Three nfy in my garden last night were dingy footman (grey form), orange swift and a probable but worn white-line dart (you can just about make out some of the 6 arrow heads at the base of the wing. The small dark specimen trapped at R&R's garden in Colwyn Bay was in fact a caddis (confirmed by Liverpool Museum) while at the same trapping session the Pammeme aurita has been confirmed by CR Bryan Formstone as a first for Denbighshire (VC50).

Can you tell the difference?

Caught 4 copper/svennson's underwing last night. Three of them had upperside arrow marks all looking level and one possibly with 2 longer near body. Can you tell any difference? Also ruby tiger nfy.

Ypsolopha sequella

Ypsolopha sequella and i think Slender Pug from last night.

Migrants coming through

A few more migrant moths around today: six Rush Venners during the day, Pearly Underwing in the trap, Silver Ys and probable Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Also on the moth-front today, the first Double Kidney for Bardsey, and a Twenty-plume Moth.

 Double Kidney

 Rush Veneer

Rosy Rustic- nfy

Also finally cracked the micro from my previous post. I have found it be just a strange, well-marked form of Cydia ulicetana that I have not seen before

Svennson's/copper underwing

According to Essex Moths separation by palps or underwing of Svennson's/Copper underwing is no longer reliable. They claim the only way is the upperside projections with copper typically all the same length while in Svennson's the 2 nearest the abdomen are longer and more pointed. Have to check this out next time I catch one (let 2 go this morning without checking!).

Another micro

Caught one or two of these in the garden, I think they're bryotropha domestica? Just looked up VC49 records and there's only one previous record in 1998.

Tort ID

Really stuck on this moth, and would appreciate some help. Closest in terms of the appearance is Selania leplastriana, but it can't possibly be that!

New site

Had another trapping session at R&R Scholfield's garden in Colwyn Bay last night and added a few more to their garden list including one of those tiny micros that I can't yet put a name too. It's a slate grey colour with antennae resting forward and the nearest I can get is the dark form of ypsolopha vittella - but there are only 4 other North Wales records! It is the same colour as coleophora albitarsell and coleophora seratella/spinella but these have white legs/antennae whereas they are all dark on this moth. Sadly not great pics because of its size but any help much appreciated.

Among others trapped were black arches (7th record for VC50), dark arches, dunbar and July highflyer.

A bug...

Thought it was time we had a bug on the bug blog... this Pentatoma rufipes Red-legged Shieldbug was in R&R Schofield's Colwyn Bay garden this morning.

Couple more

Two more nfy last night with shaded broad-bar and smoky wainscot.

Dodgy Carpets

There were a few bits about last night.  I think a Red Carpet flew out of the box this morning. Another great escape.  There were seconds of Blastobasis adustelle and Agriphila geniculea and a Red Chestnut and a couple of Carpets were the rest.

I think these are Common Carpet:

 And Common Marbled Carpet but I could be wrong on both counts.  Not seen either quite as well marked or dark.

 Any ideas of this from Conwy RSPB this eve: