Surveying for moths in a lost world (14th September 2014)

The idea of conducting a moth survey in a "lost world" at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) was something that Peter had been working on since May.  The site is part of the disused Llwyngwern slate quarry just north of the main CAT site, now only accessible through a small wet tunnel.  Ideally the survey would have taken place in mid-summer, but the availability of group members and then inclement weather precluded running the event until now.

 

Logistics - getting 9 traps on site

Four of us arrived on site just before 7pm, giving us about an hour to set things up.  Peter's excellent organisational skills ensured that the necessary transport was on hand to convey the trapping gear from our vehicles, namely a trolley and two rusty wheel-barrows!  

En-route to trap site

However, a fallen tree across the path meant we had to carry everything through the dark wet tunnel in order to set up the traps in the quarry beyond.  Come 8 o'clock and everything was ready for the moths: two 125w MV Skinner traps on the path short of the tunnel, then within the quarry itself two more Skinners and a Robinson trap all with 125w MV lamps, plus four Heath traps (three 6w actinic and one 15w Actinic).



Tunnel entrance

Survey site

It wasn't long before Douglas came back with the first moth of the evening - a dead Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas), a species native to South-East Asia!  We wondered whether some enterprising member of the CAT staff had left it specially for us to find? 

Atlas Moth

British moth species gradually appeared, starting with Flame Carpet, then the first of the two most prolific species of the night - Common Marbled Carpet and July Highflyer.  A single Brimstone Moth was followed by a Tissue; subsequently many of these were found over-wintering on the tunnel walls, as well as three Herald.

Over-wintering Herald

Over-wintering Tissues

The air temperature at the table was holding up quite well, between 13°C and 14°C for most of the evening, but when it rose to nearly 16 degrees surprise was expressed, until we found that Peter's mug of tea was rather close to the sensor!

Micro-moths were being outnumbered 2-1 by their macro cousins, but notable finds were Argyresthia goedartella, Epinotia ramella, Ypsolopha parenthesella and Pandemis cinnamomeana.
 

Epinotia ramella

Argyresthia goedartella



Ypsolopha parenthesella

Pandemis cinnamomeana

















Back with macros, a very fresh Red-line Quaker was nice to see, along with a rather worn Anomalous.  Some late arrivals included a Straw Dot and Fan-foot and at about 1am, as the last trap was being emptied, we found a Purple Bar and a Hedge Rustic.  That took the species tally for the night to 36 (11 micro and 25 macro).

We mused that notable by their absence were many of the usual autumn species such as Autumnal Rustic and the Sallows, but we felt that the site holds enough promise for a re-visit, hopefully in mid-summer next time.

Survey species list

0411  Argyresthia goedartella

0460  Ypsolopha parenthesella

0858  Hypatima rhomboidella

0971  Pandemis cinnamomeana

1038  Acleris laterana

1062  Acleris emargana

1134  Epinotia ramella

1334  Scoparia ambigualis

1338  Dipleurina lacustrata

1340  Eudonia truncicolella

1344  Eudonia mercurella 

1722  Flame Carpet

1752  Purple Bar

1760  Red-green Carpet

1764  Common Marbled Carpet

1769  Spruce Carpet

1777  July Highflyer

1790  Tissue

1862  Double-striped Pug

1906  Brimstone Moth

1913  Canary-shouldered Thorn

2102  Flame Shoulder

2109  Lesser Yellow Underwing

2111  Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

2176  Antler Moth

2177  Hedge Rustic

2178  Feathered Gothic

2263  Red-line Quaker

2361  Rosy Rustic

2364  Frosted Orange

2394  Anomalous

2469  Herald

2474  Straw Dot

2477  Snout

2484  Pinion-streaked Snout

2489  Fan-foot