Dave Grundy

Pale Shoulder - Acontia lucida is an amazing looking moth in any condition, but this one looks to be just perfect and even the photo came out just right! - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025.

An attractive colour form of Grass Eggar - Lasiocampa trifolii - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025.

Pediasia siculellus can be quite a common Grass Crambid for me in autumn. - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025.

Part 2 - back to CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025. Photos are; Pale Shoulder, Grass Eggar & Pediasia siculellus. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

The important thing is to enjoy them!

No worries - I see and follow your political posts - the world is un a crisis right now! And with moths you cant do everything - you choose the bits you like most! Bottom line is you have to enjoy it! I dint di enough leaf mines! If in Britain try to do beech and hazel first plus exotic trees!

3. and look for other features - eyecaps are swollen based to the antennae and are in nepticulids, bucculatrix and related species. So make sure you read the instructions for every family. This sounds like hard work but will save you so much time in the future. Good luck - it is so exciting!

2. Then if you look for forward pointing antennae there are only Coleophoras and a handful of other species. long curved palps in-front of face are usually gelechids or elachista or related species. Short palps and tufty heads are like tineids etc near the start of the book.

1. Just like with macros - if you can learn the families then this will save you lots of time. Do you look through all 900 macros or do you learn to delete half of them that dont look right. Backward pointing antennae at rest narrows you down to only Crambids and Pyralids - about 200 of the 1600+.

This is a 'gallery miner' on Elm - Ulmus sp. and this is the moth species Stigmella ulmivora - I found 8 of these mines yesterday quite easily on elm trees, whilst - moth-trapping at Huerta Grande, Pelayo, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 18th of November 2025. (Huerta Grande, is a great place to stay when looking at moths or other wildlife!)

And this leaf-mine - you won't find easily - as it is from 2,000 metres up in the Sierra Nevada! This mine is; Stigmella mespilicola, on the small bush; Amelanchier ovalis and at El Dornajo, Sierra Nevada, Granada, Andalucia, Spain, back on 19th of September 2025.

Have you tried leaf-mining as a way of finding moths? - autumn is best. Easiest to start with are probably deciduous broad-leaved trees, shrubs and brambles etc. Here are 2 different mines. For help in ID of leaf-mines try; bladmineerders.nl www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

The attractive Gechiidae micro-moth - Recurvaria costimaculella - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025.

And almost as tiny was this 'macro'-moth - Metachrostis velox - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025.

This is my favourite view from a moth-trap at CIMA (you might have guessed by now!) - this view is mid-morning when counting moths at the traps! - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025.

Part 1 - back to CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 1st of October 2025. Photos are; Recurvaria costimaculella & Metachrostes velox. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

A beautiful and large Grass Eggar - Lasiocampa trifolii - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025.

And a colourful Gold Triangle - Hypsopygia costalis - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025.

You know you are getting close to Tarifa when you are walking there and see the amazing Moorish town walls. - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025.

Part 2 - After a week in Murcia, I was back to CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025. Photos are; Grass Eggar & Gold Triangle. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

Egyptian Bollworm - Earias insularia - is a common migrant moth of autumn, but what a star with real character!? - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025.

Much scarcer is this Wainscot species - Mythimna prominens with its 'banded forehead'. - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025.

And of course, as I was freshly back here, then I had to take the beautiful coastal walk into Tarifa for the night! Here is the view across the Strait to Jebel Musa in Morocco. - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025.

Part 1 - After a week in Murcia, I was back to CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 30th of September 2025. Photos are; Egyptian Bollworm & Mythimna prominens. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

grew up round there many years ago - near Jodrell bank and lived in Wilmslow and Holmes Chapel, before leaving home to see the world!

Euphyias frustata is an attractive Geometrid moth. - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

Leucania zeae ( I never know which are Mythimna and which are Leucania, but i believe I am correct here with the genus!) - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

Here's John Girdley counting moths round the trap. - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

Part 3 - After 2 nights at the coast it was inland at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain, on the 28th September 2025. Photos are; Euphyias frustata & Leucania zeae. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

The amazing coloured large Tortrix moth - Lozotaenia cupidinana - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

And just to prove we look at macro-moths as well! Here is a beautiful colour form of Calamodes occitanaria. - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

And me sat by the trap and checking the catch! - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

Part 2 - After 2 nights at the coast it was inland at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain, on the 28th September 2025. Photos are; Lozotaenia cupidinana & Calamodes occitanaria. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

The amazing Thetidea plusiaria with its wings spread - even the hindwings have green spots! - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

Idaea filicata is not a common moth for me - I've only seen 24 before. - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

And this is the habitat for the site - dry pine woodland with understorey. - moth-trapping at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 28th of September 2025.

Part 1 - After 2 nights at the coast it was inland at Collado de les Ginovinos, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain, on the 28th September 2025. Photos are; Thetidea plusiaria & Idaea filicata. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

We have the same weather here winds from the Canaries could be good but rain continuously means we see nothing!

The photo shows my desk here at Fundación Migres · CIMA Centro Internacional de Migración de Aves, Tarifa, Cadiz province, Andalucia, Spain on the 31st October 2025. complete with reference books and my microscope for dissections.

Apologies for delay in me posting photos of moths on bluesky, whilst moth trapping in Andalucia, Spain - currently c 6 weeks late! The reason is - just too many moths to record
& photo & often from sites with no electricity/wifi etc.I hope you still enjoy seeing my photos? #teammoth #spanishmoths

Checking the moth trap - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 8th of November 2025. With staff from Fundación Migres · CIMA Centro Internacional de Migración de Aves and Masters students from Universidad Complutense in Madrid. This was me talking to the students and thanks to Alejandro Onrubia for the photos!

Here is a Crimson Speckled - Utetheisa pulchella on the perspex, while another had just flown off (people looking and pointing at it!). Checking the moth trap - moth-trapping at CIMA, Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Andalucia, Spain on the 8th of November 2025. With staff from Fundación Migres · CIMA Centro Internacional de Migración de Aves and Masters students from Universidad Complutense in Madrid. This was me talking to the students and thanks to Alejandro Onrubia for the photos!

Fundacion Migres do a lot of educational work. This week there was a group of 35 Masters Students from Universidad Complutense in Madrid staying at Tarifa.
Here, I am showing them my work with moths on November 8th 2025.. #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

So, it was difficult to pick the star moths that appear in my first 3 photos - and i just couldn't do it properly this time - as there were so many star moths for the night. But one star has to be this species - Cinglis andalusiaria! - I have now doubled my lifetime count of this species from 1 to 2!! - So it is definitely not common - or at least not where I moth trap! - moth-trapping at Calblanque, near Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 27th of September 2025.

And this weird looking micro-moth gets into my first 3 photos, even though the photo is not completely sharp! It was a new species for me and even for John as well! - It almost looks like a Nightjar for those who are into their birdwatching!? With its head cocked up and its 'knees' sticking out! And its occurrence around the Mediterranean hasn't been worked out with certainty. It is a native of SE Africa. But there are records from Morocco, south of the Atlas Mountains and also from SE Spain. So how did it get here? - Oh and the important detail that i missed out - it is called Oedilepia polygraphella! - moth-trapping at Calblanque, near Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 27th of September 2025.

And here is a great trap of John Girdley's close to the car park - as we saw it in the morning and as you can see there are loads of moths on it! And nearly all of them were Crimson Speckleds - Utetheisa pulchella!!! I can count 47 just from the photo and loads more were inside the trap. Then as we approached the trap they were flying up from surrounding vegetation in clouds. I have a total count from the site of 594 of this species - and I am sure my count is an underestimate!!!!! And on a night with big counts of everything I counted a total of 1404 moths in our traps! Because there were so many moths and species to count then i actually took less photos than I normally would have done! - moth-trapping at Calblanque, near Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 27th of September 2025.

Part 2 - We trapped the excellent Calblanque, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, on the 27th September 2025. A star site with 1400 moths & 99 species. Photos are; Cinglis andalusiaria & oedilepa polygraphella. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

What a great road-sign to see! Warning drivers not to drive over Snakes and Chameleons etc! - moth-trapping at Calblanque, near Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 27th of September 2025.

One of Murcia's star rare moths is this species Hadjina wichti - moth-trapping at Calblanque, near Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 27th of September 2025.

And a great looking tortrix moth with a big 'nose'! Platynota stultana. - moth-trapping at Calblanque, near Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 27th of September 2025.

Part 1 - We trapped the excellent Calblanque, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, on the 27th September 2025. A star site with 1400 moths & 98 species. Photos are; Hadjina wichti & Platynota stultana. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

Certainly am- & unofficially I can tell you I have trapped an erebidae moth new for Europe & a tortrix new for Iberia, but I’m not allowed to tell you that till it gets published - Its a special place, but sadly now only 3 weeks left for me. Would be nice to meet you again in Sandwich or elsewhere!?

The amazing shaped Cynaeda dentalis, - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

Aristotelia speciesare not easy to identify, but I believe this one is Aristotelia montarcella - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

And here is the sunrise over the Mediterranean Sea at 7.57 the next morning - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

Part 3 - We trapped Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, on the 26th September 2025. An interesting coastal salt marsh habitat. Photos are; Cynaeda dentalis & Aristotelia montarcella. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

That sounds fair enough - I did wonder, but its a great record!

Electricity bills increased 163 per cent since 2008 as energy price cap rises - research - Insider Media New analysis of UK energy costs showed that the average annual household electricity bill increased by 163 per cent between 2008 and 2024, reflecting a steep rise in household energy costs…

UK electricity bills up 163% since 2008. Wages haven't.

6.1m households in fuel poverty, £4.43bn debt

Profiteering: Energy sector average profit margin 23%, grid sector 38%, gas extraction 58%.

Profit last year £30bn. 128,000 a year die in fuel poverty.

No govt checks profiteering.

Great dissection and record. But this one doesnt actually need dissection for an ID. Cosmopolitan is distinctive with that characteristic diagonal shade to the apex.

Yes, I didnt know and had to google it!

Does Hypotia leucographalis have the most amazing antennae of any moth!? - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

A great looking Lasiocampa serrula out in the open - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

Some great saltmarsh/marisma habitat - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

Part 2 - We trapped Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, on the 26th September 2025. An interesting coastal salt marsh habitat. Photos are; Hypotia leucographalis & Lasiocampa serrula. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

The attractive pyralid that is Denticera divisella appears commoner further east in the south of Spain - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

I never see many of this species - Hodebertia testalis - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

A great view of the sun setting across the Mar Menor, from the moth traps! - moth-trapping at Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain on the 26th of September 2025.

Part 1 - We trapped Playa de la Llana, Mar Menor, Murcia, Spain, on the 26th September 2025. An interesting coastal salt marsh habitat. Photos are; Denticera divisella & Hodeberthia testalis. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

This was almost a brilliant photo, but I lost its legs in the egg tray! But still a great looking and scarce moth - Narraga nelvae - moth-trapping South West of Garriguella, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 25th of September 2025.

Ecpyrrhorrhoe diffusalis - moth-trapping South West of Garriguella, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 25th of September 2025.

Ecpyrrhorrhoe diffusalis - moth-trapping South West of Garriguella, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 25th of September 2025.

Part 3 - Next - We trapped SW of Garriguella, Murcia, Spain, on the 25th September 2025. A site in the Sierra de Altoana with very dry habitat. Photos are; Narraga nelvae & Ecpyrrhorrhoe diffusalis. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

Always a star for me - Thetidea plusaria - moth-trapping South West of Garriguella, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 25th of September 2025.

And much scarcer - the tiny Wave sp - Idaea sp that is Idaea deitanaria - moth-trapping South West of Garriguella, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 25th of September 2025.

Here is John checking the trap at dawn! - moth-trapping South West of Garriguella, Sierra de Altoana, Murcia, Spain on the 25th of September 2025.

Part 2 - Next - We trapped SW of Garriguella, Murcia, Spain, on the 25th September 2025. A site in the Sierra de Altoana with very dry habitat. Photos are; Thetidea plusaria & Idaea deitanaria. - see alt button for details in photos #teammoth #spanishmoths www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

Its still a Ruddy Streak to me - the name they were given in Australia! I dint know why the powers that be changed the English name!?