George Tordoff

Phyllocnistis triandricola Almond Willow Maze-miner

Just published... Phyllocnistis triandricola
(Almond Willow Maze-miner) New UK at Surlingham, Norfolk 14/08/2025 by Seb Buckton (Gen. Det. P. Hall, R. Voith) #teammoth #norfolkmoths norfolkmoths.co.uk/micros.php?b...

Larva of the tortrix moth Epinotia nisella in fallen Goat Willow catkin

Adult of the tortrix moth Epinotia nisella, reared from larvae in fallen Goat Willow catkins

Catching up with the last of the photo labelling from 2025 as the grim weather continues...

Collected several larvae of Epinotia nisella from Goat Willow catkins in Somerset in late May 2025, which produced adults at the end of June.

#TeamMoth

Many thanks Meg, yes I’ve iRecorded it 🙂

This harvestman sieved from flood debris by the River Taff in Cardiff seems to be Dicranopalpus larvatus, possibly a first for South Wales unless there are any records in the pipeline @megabunus.bsky.social?

Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella)

A moth! And one I didn't see at all last year. Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella) flying in the pet food section of The Range in Cardiff today.
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Just to check, was it definitely collected from South Wales? There is a Barry Sands near Dundee.

Thanks, will be good to get that confirmed and added to the county dataset.

Thanks Brad, very interesting! Assume the ID is legit, in which case it's an amazing record - a long way to the south of all known British records, even the historic ones.

Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga) caterpillar

Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga) caterpillar, head details

Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga) caterpillar, rear end detail

Finally got around to looking up this caterpillar, which was found next to the moth trap in Cornwall in August. A Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga), only the second time I've seen this common moth in the larval stage.

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Turns out I have seen it in December before - one at Silwood Park on 11/12/2000. But all of my other 33 adult records are January-March.

Wow that is early! What a long season it has.

Thanks, that is early! I checked the Glamorgan database and there's only one earlier, on 7 December 1988.

Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria)

Put the garden trap out for 1st time in a few weeks. Low expectations despite the mild conditions. Amazed to catch a Pale Brindled Beauty, the first time I've seen this moth before the new year.

5 species in total including my first December record of Double-striped Pug.

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Yeah olive certainly seems to like the Cardiff climate - this pic shows the same tree when we moved here in 2007, just a skinny youngster back then. Puts on a huge amount of growth every year, though nearly died in the cold winter of 2010. And yes this is the tree where I found larvae in September.

Palpita vitrealis on olive tree trunk

Palpita vitrealis on olive tree trunk

Yesterday morning, after an overnight low of -1.7C, a female Palpita vitrealis on our garden olive tree, spotted by my daughter. Not something I was expecting to see after the recent frosts! Perhaps they can survive the winter now, even in Wales?
@migrantmothuk.bsky.social
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One surprise among 7 species in the Cardiff garden trap last night - a Spiny Hook-tip (Watsonalla uncinula). Only 2nd garden record and rather late in the season.
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White-point, Mythimna albipuncta

List of the 25 new moth species recorded in the garden this year. These are: Stigmella sakhalinella Roeslerstammia erxlebella Phyllonorycter blancardella Agonopterix angelicella Depressaria radiella Gelechia muscosella Coleophora otidipennella Coleophora atriplicis Eudemis profundana Piniphila bifasciana Pyrausta purpuralis European Corn-borer Chinese Character Barred Straw Angle-barred Pug White Satin Four-spotted Footman Bordered Straw Small Mottled Willow Silky Wainscot Frosted Orange Rufous Minor Deep-brown Dart Dog's Tooth White-point

White-point new for the Cardiff garden last night, the 25th new species this year. It's been the most productive year for new species since 2018 - the Law of Diminishing Returns doesn't always apply.
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Indeed...having looked at the Glamorgan database it seems to be the latest county record by exactly a month.

Olive-tree Pearl (Palpita vitrealis)

Mother of Pearl (Patania ruralis)

9 species in the Cardiff garden moth trap this morning after an incredibly mild night for the time of year - the temperature hovered around 14.5C all night. 7 of the 9 species were micros, including an Olive-tree Pearl (Palpita vitrealis) and a super late Mother of Pearl (Patania ruralis).
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The graph shows the number of Red-green Carpet moth caught in my garden moth trap from 2007 to 2025. Up to 2016 only 5 had been trapped in total. Since then numbers have increased and the moth is now a regular visitor to the moth trap in the autumn, with double figure counts most years and a record 21 caught this year.

Red-green Carpet (Chloroclista siterata) - a species on the up in my Cardiff garden moth trap. A rarity here before 2017, it is now a regular visitor in the autumn. This fits with the national trends (667% increase in distribution, 695% increase in abundance since 1970). #MothsMatter

Thanks for sharing Pam

Ah sorry Pam, I hadn't realised, I don't think I can do this retrospectively but will do so in future. Though in this case it would just be the same text as in the main post.

Some smart leaf-mines of Ectoedemia angulifasciella on wild rose in the Malvern Hills at the weekend.
#LeafMineMonday
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The Sorcerer from Kenfig last night. Finally got up the courage to remove it from the pot (after some others had seen it). As far as I know, fourth British record and first for Wales. Thanks to everyone for moral support during my meltdown. But, what a moth! #TeamMoth

Even the underside is quite nice

Nice pics and it was great to see the moth in the flesh at the BC event today. Hope you had a good journey home.

That’s just the way it goes, well done for making the the effort to get out trapping!

Must be the rarest moth that’s ever been caught in Glamorgan

I think that’s 4th British record of Sorcerer. Third was at Sandwich in September. @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Yes indeed, only about 30 mins from here, I would’ve met up with Tim but I’m on parental duties this evening.