CARMARTHENSHIRE MOTH & BUTTERFLY GROUP NEWSLETTER ISSUE No.9 AUGUST 2007 Editor: Jon Baker (County Moth Recorder for VC44 Carms) INTRODUCTION Welcome to the 9th Newsletter. Let’s face it, July has been terrible. It’s been the wettest summer on record, and when it hasn’t been raining, it’s usually been cool, windy and grey. There have been very few opportunities to get out and look at insects, so consequently not a great deal has been recorded. But August is looking up, and certainly as I write this on August 1st the sun is shining and the forecast is set fair. In this edition I look at the limited highlights of the last month, as well as continue with the next section of the Pyralid review. I’ll continue doing these over the next few bulletins, and once I’ve finished Pyralids, maybe move on to some other group of micros. Please do take note of the information on National Moth Night (below). If the weather is not too bad, I really hope we can get some good participation and results. Given that so many species emerged very early in April, I am expecting there to be a number of unusual 2nd broods of things during August. If you do note any species that seems unusual at this time of year, I would like to hear about it. Otherwise, good luck all with August mothing, and let’s hope for some nice surprises…. I noticed quite a few Silver Y Autographa gamma at Pembrey by day on 31st July, so maybe there will be a little spell of migration. Let’s hope so. Foxglove Pug Eupithecia pulchellata (indeed). NATIONAL MOTH NIGHT 2007 This year NMN will be on August 11th. I do urge you all to try and be involved, so that we can get some good returns from VC44. Martin Lovell is running an “event” for members of the group at Byrgwm in Brechfa Forest. If you haven’t got details yet and wish to attend, contact Martin or myself. I will be trapping at Pembrey as usual, along with traps here in Carmarthen, and at my Pa’s woods just north of here. Ian Morgan will be running a number of traps in the Llanelli area. If weather is good, I really hope that everyone can participate, either by attending the group event or by trapping their own garden/patch. This year national Target Species include Four-spotted Footman Lithosia quadra, which occurs in Carmarthenshire, primarily at Pembrey, but it is spreading. Chalk Carpet Scotopteryx bipunctaria is another target species that has not yet been found here, but occurs in Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire, so there is hope. It lives on bird’s- foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus. Any claim, of course, would need to be fully supported by a specimen or photograph. RECENT HIGHLIGHTS Records are mine (JSB) if not noted otherwise 272 Bucculatrix cidarella Mines of this species were found at Cors Goch Nature Reserve (SN3618) in the leaves of bog-myrtle Myrica gale on 27th July (per Richard Price, det: Barry Stewart). The 5th county record. 382 SIX-BELTED CLEARWING Bembecia ichneumoniformis The 13th county record, swept by day from its foodplant bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus sp by Ian Morgan on 8th July at Llanelli North Dock (SS4999). A new 10km square record. 470 Orthotaelia sparganella The 5th County Record. Two to MV light at Cynheidre (SN4908) on 14th July. Lives on bur-reed Sparganium, iris Iris spp. and reed sweet-grass Glyceria maxima. Orthotaelia sparganella 878 Batrachedra preangusta The 6th county record to MV light at Cynheidre (SN4908) on 14th July. Photographed and released. Lives on poplar Populus and willow Salix. 888 Mompha propinquella One to MV in Carmarthen (SN3919) on 5th July is the 5th County Record of this distinctive and pretty little moth. Lives on willowherb Epilobium spp. Photographed and released. 898 Limnaecia phragmitella Two to MV light at Cynheidre (SN4908) on 14th July. The 8th county record, and all since 2002. Lives on bulrush Typha spp. Photographed and released. 1292 Calamatropha paludella Following on from last month’s 2nd County Record, I found this species to be very common on a night’s trapping at Cynheidre (SN4908) on 14th July. At dusk it was easily netted in numbers along the margins of the ponds there. Calamatropha paludella 1306 Agriphila inquinatella One swept by day in the old quarry in Carmel Woods (SN5916) on 18th July. Photographed and released. On the same day Martin Lovell swept at least 4 in Brechfa Forest (SN5541). Also photographed. Only 2 of the previous 22 records of this species are from the last decade (both singles), so it really is a scarce and local species here. 1367 Pyrausta cingulata Swept by day from thyme Thymus polytrichus at Carmel (SN5716) on 19th July (Ian Morgan). A good inland record, this species occurs, sparingly, at Pembrey Burrows. 1384 Phlyctaenia stachydalis A new site for this national scarce species (which seems to be commoner in south Wales than anywhere else). One caught by Julian Wormald at Rhydcymerau (SN5739) on 4th July. Lives on woundwort Stachys spp. 1784 PRETTY CHALK CARPET Melanthia procellata Previous records (5 plus 2R) come from Llandyfaelog (SN4210), twice at Carmel Woods, twice at Pembrey Forest and several Rothamsted records from the trap at St Clears (SN2517). With traveller’s-joy Clematis vitalba being quite scarce in the county, this is a very local species. Ian Morgan beat one from the foodplant near Carmel (SN6016) on the afternoon of 14th July. Four more beaten from the food-plant at Carmel Woods (SN5916) on 18th July (JSB). 1793 CLOAKED CARPET Euphyia biangulata At last this species moves to Category A1 of the Carms List, thanks to a photographed individual caught by Martin Lovell at Rhydcymerau (SN5739) on 10th July. There have been previous claims (mainly Rothamsted and therefore unchecked by the county recorder). Cloaked Carpet Euphyia biangulata Photo: Martin Lovell 1833 BLEACHED PUG Eupithecia expallidata One caught on 31st July at Abernant, Brechfa (SN5834) by Martin Lovell and the Moth Group. Photographed. Twenty previous records, but this is a new 10km square. 1990 STRIPED HAWK-MOTH Hyles livornica One to MV light in my garden in Carmarthen (SN3919) on 2nd July was most unexpected. Photographed and released. Photo was in the last bulletin. The 5th modern record, all in the last 5 years. 2038 MUSLIN FOOTMAN Nudaria mundana Caught again at Gelli Aur CP (SN5919) by Ian Morgan on 10th July. Still the only known site. 2051 FOUR-SPOTTED FOOTMAN Lithosia quadra Continues to increase in the county it would seem. At Pwll (SN4601) there were two on 18th July and another on 27th (all Ian Morgan), whilst I had one at Nantgwyn (SN3623), north of Carmarthen on 12th July. Hopefully someone will score one on National Moth Night, given that it is a target species, but perhaps it will be too late by then. Twelve recent records (since 2003) – ten from Pembrey Forest. 2145 NUTMEG Discestra trifolii 10th county record, all being from the south-east coastal area of the county. Caught on 14th July at Pwll by Ian Morgan (SN4601). 2312 OLIVE Ipimorpha subtusa The 14th county record. Virtually all have been from the south-east area. Caught at Pwll by Ian Morgan on 23rd July (SN4601). 2372 WEBB’S WAINSCOT Archanara sparganii The 8th and 9th County records. All previous county records have come from SN30, SN40 and SS59. The first came to MV at Cynheidre (SN4908) on 14th July. Photographed and released. This is a very early date for this species, with the species more usually seen in late August and September. The second was caught at Pwll by Ian Morgan on 23rd July (SN4601). WEBB’S WAINSCOT Archanara sparganii 2435 SCARCE BURNISHED BRASS Diachrysia chryson One to MV at Pwll (SN4601) on 23rd July (Ian Morgan). Twenty-four of the previous Twenty-five records have come from the south-east coastal area of the county. Nationally Rare A. Lives on hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum. PYRALID MOTHS OF CARMARTHENSHIRE PART 2 A Review – by Jon Baker Following on from last months review of the Crambids of Carmarthenshire, this month I am looking at the next few groups within the Pyralids – Schoenobiinae (1 species), Scopariinae (11 species), Nymphulinae (5 species) and Evergestinae (2 species). As with the Crambids I’m only reviewing those species which have occurred in Carmarthenshire so far. Species not yet recorded here, and therefore missing from the following review, require full verification by the county recorder (that’s me). Any notes on identification included below are merely tips and are not meant as absolute or comprehensive. The excellent British Pyralid Moths – a guide to their identification by Barry Goater is an essential purchase if anyone wants to take up recording of this family. But the following information and photos should hopefully prove useful too. Thank you to those photographers who filled in the gaps in my image library. SCHOENOBIINAE Britain: 3 species. Carmarthenshire: 1 species. Similar in many ways to the closely related Crambids, though larger. All three British species are closely associated with reeds, and are therefore local by nature. 1329 Donacaula forficella National Status: Local in southern and central England and Wales. Foodplant: Common reed Phragmites australis, reed sweet-grass Glyceria maxima and sedges Carex spp. Habitat: Reedy ditches, marshes, fens and bogs. Main Flight Period: June and July County Status: Local in the south-east coastal area. VC44 Records prior to 2007: 12 10km squares prior to 2007: SN30, SN40, SS49, SS59 Identification: Wingspan 25-30mm. Sexually dimorphic.