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.