Upcoming moth-ing event at Llanymynech Golf Club, Saturday 24th May.

 

This area of calcaerous grassland is sympathetically managed by the golf club and always produces a diverse range of moths.

We will be setting up traps around 8.30pm and switching them on at dusk.

Directions

OS NGR SJ265220 w3w//fuels.buns.spreading

From Welshpool direction, turn left off the A483 at the Cross Guns Pub in Pant. Take the second lane on the left, signposted for the golf club, following the narrow and sinuous lane to the top, passing over the cattle grid. 

Continue along the track up to and past the club house to a car park at the rear. The event will be based in the practice shed (as with previous years) below the car park.

Suitable clothing, footwear and hand/head torch are advised as for an outdoor, night time event. Midge repellent recommended.

You will need to bring your own refreshments etc.

Simon Spencer and Phil McGregor will be leading the event.

We hope to see you there!

Phil

A moth night at Cultivate, Y Drenewydd. Friday 16th May 2025.

A second invite from Cultivate, Newtown (next door to Theatr Hafren) for me to run another moth night at their fabulous community gardens, proved to be a chilly challenge and not of the hot variety!

Cultivate gardens, Y Drenewydd. Phil McGregor

With the setting sun, a fabulous evening meal prepared by Annie Levy was provided for attendees, using on-site produce and Newtown food hub ingredients, a major part of Cultivate's sustainability ethos. Locally grown and reduce waste   https://www.cultivate.uk.com/bwyd-powys-food/

By switch-on time for the traps, around 9.15pm, it was apparent that the forecast cloud was not going to materialise and a steady drop in temperature was felt by all.

Having caught and examined Common Carpet, abundant Alucita hexadactyla and Gracillaria syringella before dusk, the recording base moved indoors as darkness descended and the familiar chill deepened.

Gracillaria syringella. Phil McGregor

Initially, micro moths easily outnumbered their macro counterparts, including Hedya pruniana, Anania hortulata, Bactra lancealana and Tinea Trinotella, the latter being a specialist of bird nests. A lovely Cinnabar and Silver Y were the next macros brought to the table. We then saw a slowly-but-surely flow of diverse macro moths, including Figure of Eighty, Miller, Poplar Hawk-moth and Pebble Hook-tip.

Anania hortulata. Phil McGregor.

Figure of Eighty. Phil McGregor.

Miller. Phil McGregor.

By 01.30am activity was very quiet in all respects. I decided to wind down the night with the last trap switched off at 02.15am. The final moths for the list, (typically) found as the traps are dismantled, were Peppered Moth and Alder Moth.

Alder Moth. Phil McGregor

36 species were recorded. 

25 Macros:

Common Carpet

Silver Y 

Cinnabar

Poplar Hawk-moth

Pale Tussock

Coronet

Foxglove Pug

Brimstone Moth

Pebble Hook-tip

Common Pug

Flame Carpet

Common Marbled Carpet

Miller 

Marbled Minor agg.

Currant Pug

Buff-tip

White Ermine

Spectacle

Brindled Pug

Garden Carpet

Poplar Grey

Heart & Dart

Golden-rod Pug

Common Rustic agg.

Peppered Moth

11 Micros:

Gracillaria syringella

Alucita hexadactyla

Celypha lacunana

Endrosis sarcitrella

Epiphyas postvittana

Anania hortulata

Aphomia sociella

Hedya pruniana

Bactra lancealana

Dioryctria abiatella

Tinea trinotella

Traps used:

2 Skinner's 12v15w Green Phosphor

1 Skinner's 240v 20w Blue Actinic

1 Skinner's 125wMV

1 White Sheet 125wMV

A big thank you to Cultivate, Newtown  https://www.cultivate.uk.com/ for great food, great company and great moth-ing! 

Cinnabar and Pebble Hook-tip on Golden Hop (released). Phil McGregor

Phil McGregor.

There will be another opportunity to see moths at Cultivate when I run a second moth night on Saturday 19th July. More details will be available on this blog and Cultivate's facebook page nearer the time.

Cors Dyfi Moth Night, 26th April 2025. Report by Simon Spencer.

 

Visitor centre, Cors Dyfi. Phil McGregor

Our first MMG evening moth event at Cors Dyfi on Saturday 26th April was very successful.  It is a superb venue being surrounded by excellent and unusual wetland habitat, having  electricity, tables and warm shelter if needed. Our hosts Dulcie and Tom Faulkner were very  welcoming and regularly trap there. Phil McGregor, Simon Spencer and Richard Bullock  attended. We were joined later by Peter Williams, Mont Moth Recorder. We started by  putting traps along the board walk where we heard Grasshopper Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler  and Sedge Warbler. We ran a Mercury Vapour trap in the car park and a white Sheet with a  MV bulb by the picnic tables. The weather was kind with cloud coming in from the West  keeping the temperature up. I am sure it was still 12C when we packed up at midnight. It  was a very enjoyable evening and we got some stunning moths. 

Maiden's Blush. Richard Bullock

Small Phoenix 

Maiden's Blush (new to Cors Dyfi list)

Peach Blossom 

Pale Prominent 

Early toothed-striped 

Dwarf Pug 

Oak-tree Pug 

Brindled Pug 

Narrow Winged Pug 

Water Carpet 

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Pebble Hook-tip 

Brown Silver-line 

Scalloped Hook-tip 

Least Black Arches 

Pale Pinion 

Purple Thorn 

Hebrew Character 

Flame Shoulder 

Lunar Marbled Brown 

Pebble Prominent 

Oak Nycteoline 

Ruby Tiger 

White Pinion Spotted 

Pale Tussock 

Common Quaker 

Alder Kitten 

Common Wave 

Great Prominent 

Red-green Carpet 

Brimstone 

Brindled Beauty 

Scorched Wing 

Lesser Swallow Prominent 

Early Thorn 

Overnight 

Poplar Hawk 

Square Spot

Pebble Prominent. Richard Bullock.

The standardised event species link will be available HERE in due course.

Edited and added to the Blog by Phil McGregor.

Next event is on Saturday 24th May at Llanymynech Golf Club. OS NGR SJ265220. w3w//fuels.buns.spreading

Start time 21.00pm.

Montgomeryshire Moth Group events programme 2025

Hi all,

I am just taking the opportunity here to remind everyone of the dates for the moth group night events arranged so far. It is hoped to hold events in Welshpool and Newtown later in the year but the details are still being finalised for these.

The Andrew Logan Museum event in Berriew will be a collaborative event during the school holidays with a night event and following day activities. More details to come on this.

26th April 2025.  Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve, MWT  NGR SN703984  w3w.baker.officers.  guideline 8.00PM

24th May 2025. Llanymynech Golf Club, Pant. NGR SJ265220 w3w.fuels.buns.spreading   9.00PM

14th June 2025   Dyfnant Forest Car Park. Rainbow trails. NGR SJ018136. w3w.shadowing.straws.giant    9.00PM

23rd August 2025.  Llangynog.  Craig Rhiwarth. NGR SJ055263. w3w.desktop.socialite.ashes  8.00PM

20th September 2025.  Deri Woods MWT. Llanfair Caerinion. NGR SJ099065. w3w.nitrate.rigs.mammouth 7.00PM

Simon is running a series of moth mornings this year. These will be advertised on the MMG facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/montymoths They will normally start at 8.00am and unless the catch is ridiculous, should finish at 10.00am.  Anyone wishing to host such an event please get in touch with Simon Spencer cerisyi@btinternet.com or 07866428875.  240volt MV traps and cables can be provided but a power supply will be required.

Simon also intends to hold regular public Moth Mornings at RSPB lake Vyrnwy.  Exact location of these will be advertised nearer the time and will start at 8.00AM. These will be advertised by the RSPB as well on the MMG facebook page and Blog.  There will be similar events at 8.00AM at Llanymynech Golf Course, behind the greens staff tractor shed,

NGR SJ265220. w3w.enhanced.surpassed.flames. Access via Briggs Lane by the Cross Guns Pub in Pant leading to Hillside but signposted.  Again these will be advertised at short notice.

Two further moth mornings are planned as part of bio-blitz events.

Sunday 8th June 2025 8.00AM Dolydd Gobaith Bioblitz  Pen y Garnedd, SY10 0AW NGR SJ109230 w3w.reflect.continues.reserved

Friday 20th June 2025 8.00AM Ola Lluest, SY22 5NB (near Llanfyllin). NGR SJ126148 w3w.saved.balconies.foiled ***Places for this event must be booked through Eventbrite which can be done HERE***

Phil.

Apologies for the background text colour, Blogger has chosen what to highlight!

Annual mothing report for Montgomeryshire 2024

Hello all,

Just a quick message to let everyone know that my annual report for 2024 can now be viewed in the 'Articles and reports' area of the website, or please click on the link below to take you directly to the article.

http://www.montgomeryshiremoths.org.uk/articles/VC47_summary_2024.pdf

Peter.

BIS Library Loaning Scheme

 Hi all, 

I thought it worth advertising this very good lending scheme from the Biodiversity Information Service as it applies to the whole of Powys and includes the loan of moth traps! 

Phil.

BIS Library Loaning Scheme

We are excited to launch the BIS Loaning Library which will be made available from the end of this month to all recorders or wildlife enthusiasts across Powys. Through the library, we want to inspire recorders to generate new biological records and enable anyone with an interest in wildlife to learn more and develop new skillsets!

As part of the library scheme, you will be able to borrow: 

• Guides and books on various taxon groups  
• Hand lenses 
• Moth traps
• Camera traps 
• Microscopes

We will be updating our website with the full list of equipment and resources by the end of the month. In the meantime, please contact us via email (info@bis.org.uk) if you wish to borrow any equipment/books or if you have any questions.

The library is open to recorders of all abilities who are live in Powys. We can make arrangements for recorders to collect loaned equipment/resources from our Brecon office or somewhere more convenient to you. 

An Autumnal evening in Gerddi Bro Dyfi, Machynlleth

All was set up & the lights were on by the time Mark & I arrived in the gardens, behind the Plas in Machynlleth.  And there were already a number of people there eager for the traps to start yielding their moths.  The first record was a Brimstone Moth, and in face it was one of the more numerous moths of the night.  

As well as moths there was a good showing by other invertebrates, including some magnificent crane flies, lots of pesky caddis flies pretending to be moths, and a very handsome beetle.  One keen person managed to pot up a sleeping Large White Butterfly as well.  

Crane fly - (photo by Fern Towers)

Brimstone Moths (photo by Fern Towers)

A surprise visitor to the light sheet - Peter Williams (photo Fern Towers)

Nicrophorus sp. Beetle (photo by Fern Towers)

We had a very rare but welcome sighting of the county moth recorder, Peter Williams.  It was a great pleasure to see him at an event again, and it was lovely to be able to hand the pots of moths to him for an instant ID.  Especially as I managed to completely mis-identify the Udea ferrugalis (Rusty-dot Pearl) as a Straw Dot!  In my defence the light wasn't very good.....

Phil was kept very busy through the night, taking groups round to all the traps.  He also stayed long after the last of us had started to head home.  Many thanks to him for organising and setting up an excellent night, and to Fern Towers for allowing Montgomeryshire Moth Group to trap in the gardens.  It is always a very warm welcome there.  In total we trapped 15 macros & 6 micros (plus one butterfly).  The full list of moths can be found here.

Black Rustic (photo by Phil McGregor)

Copper Underwing Agg. (photo by Phil McGregor)

Silver Y (photo by Phil McGregor)

Udea ferrugalis (photo by Phil McGregor)

Butterfly Conservation Wild Spaces project.

Butterfly Conservation have a relatively new project entitled "Wild Spaces". No doubt some of you are aware of this already.

The idea behind this project is to engage people, groups and organisations in creating room for nature to help stem the decline in species, focussing on Butterflies and Moths. From balconies to parks, gardens, schools and work place grounds, no space is too small or too large. BC have pledged to achieve 100,000 of these Wild Spaces by 2026, a very ambitious but possible target.

Attending a BC branch meeting yesterday (28/09/2024), where this project was more formally promoted, it really struck me as a positive and worthwhile project that anybody can sign up to, even if you have already created a wild area. It is good for nationwide environmental charities to know about these, to build a picture of awareness and action. Where it is happening and not happening.

On the BC website map which roughly shows where all the pledged Wild Spaces are, Wales is terribly lagging behind and the message needs to be spread. Montgomeryshire has only a few places pledged when I know of dozens myself. This is the link to the project where you can read more about it and sign up https://wild-spaces.co.uk/ Please do so if you can and encourage others to do likewise. It does not cost anything. It will not result in clip-board visits!

Many thanks,

Phil.

Cypress Pug and an NCR at Cultivate , Y Drenewydd/Newtown. 21/09/2024 In association with Butterfly Conservation.

As part of efforts to increase species records at Cultivate community garden in Newtown, I was invited by Stephanie Green, Branching Out Volunteer Leader of this cooperative organisation, to conduct a moth recording session and workshop. Primarily for members of the project and public, at their premises on the south side of Newtown, neighbouring Theatr Hafren.

Cultivate gardens. ngs.org.uk©

Established in 2012, the project was founded with the aim of supporting and promoting the local food economy and network. Volunteers help to maintain the very productive gardens.

Traps were set up around the gardens, according to the weather forecast, which was for ideal conditions other than scattered, heavy rain showers. Fortunately, it was possible to keep the two MV lights under cover.

Before the trapping had even started, I experienced a personal, new county record, in the form of a superb evening meal being laid on for a mothing event. It really was great, a delicious, vegan curry.  All compliments to the chefs!

Traps were switched on around 8.15pm and it was not long before the first moth, a Silver Y (of which many have been sighted throughout Montgomeryshire this year), appeared in a pot and then several more, some being caught feeding on the lavenders. A good steady flow of moths followed, including the odd looking Lilac and Privet leaf-miner Gracillaria syringella, and this time a true New County Record, Tachystola acroxantha, apparently an Australian species!

Gracillaria syringella. PMcG

Tachystola acroxantha. PMcG

And another sometimes immigrant, Pale Mottled Willow.

Pale Mottled Willow. PMcG

Fantastic enthusiasm and curiosity was present from the 14 strong group of all ages, throughout the evening as they collected moths from the traps and brought them back to the room we were based in, for help with identification. Attendees were soon however, confidently identifying the moths for themselves.

Dusky Thorn and Canary-shouldered Thorn delighted many while the striking shape of Angle Shades was much admired.

All members of the group had retired from the event by around midnight. As the last two left, I decided to do a quick round of the traps myself and came across a very much out of its range Cypress Pug in one of the synergetic traps, confirmed by Peter Williams as 5th county record. A moth normally confined to southern Wales and England.

Cypress Pug. PMcG.

This was accompanied by Small Dusty Wave and a stunning (as ever), Black Rustic.

Small Dusty Wave. PMcG.

Black Rustic. PMcG.

All traps were switched off by 2am.  21 species were recorded, four of those being micro's.

A very enjoyable and worthwhile event, hopefully to be repeated in Spring 2025.

Traps used:

1 x White Sheet 125wMV

1 x Skinner's 125wMV

3 x Skinner's 15w synergetic

Many thanks to Cultivate https://www.cultivate.uk.com/, Newtown for their hospitality and enabling the event.

Thanks to Butterfly Conservation https://butterfly-conservation.org/ for mothing event insurance cover.

Many thanks to Peter Williams, Vice County Moth Recorder for verifications.

Phil.

Butterfly Conservation - Butterfly Emergency

This in effect applies to moths too, they feed on many of the same poisoned flowers/plants, just at night:

Call on the Government to take urgent action.

Wondering where all the butterflies have gone? You're not alone.  

In 2024, we've seen butterfly numbers fall across the UK. With 80% of butterflies having declined since the 1970s and a third of moth numbers having fallen in that same period, the time has come to tell the Government  enough is enough.

We're calling on the Government to:

1. Declare a nature emergency
2. Implement an immediate and permanent ban on butterfly-harming neonicotinoid pesticides, without exceptions. 

If you agree, sign our letter and join leading conservation figures in calling on the Government to take action now. 

This is the link to the letter:

https://butterfly-conservation.org/emergency?_cldee=gyI6xY11UQ3DDj_ICJ3MFzXye2nczxyn8VE7wsp_liM3deKNqXh4zZ3jYYsGqByT&recipientid=contact-a2bcc0cd571feb11a81300224801b559-1cabf98a60ff43ce8908936932253a09&esid=7cef5480-0a75-ef11-a670-6045bdf23bce

Phil.