Footman Feeding Habits

About a dozen Scarce Footman (Eilema complana) caterpillars were observed feeding on vegetation at Whiteshell Point between Caswell and Langland in the early hours of Saturday morning. Footman caterpillars are supposed to feed on lichens and algae but these were on Gorse, Kidney Vetch and an unidentified grass. It's long been known that they'll accept dead leaves in captivity, but these had all selected dead parts of living plants including the dead Gorse spine above, a dead grass blade and dead Gorse and Kidney Vetch flowers (below).

Scorched Wing

The weather is certainly bringing the moths out; this Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria) being one of the more curiously marked species attracted to, but not in, the garden trap here in Gorseinon. A trap set at Penclacwydd WWT was far more productive, attracting 79 species, compared to just 31 in the garden trap. See the Carmarthenshire moths and butterflies blog HERE for photos and highlights from Penclacwydd).

Poplar Hawk Moths

This mating pair was in our garden in Murton yesterday.

Large Red Damselfly

Several, including this female on Barlands Common today.

Rhagium bifasciatum

Lots of this species at Sarn Helen, today. The Two-banded Longhorn Beetle (Rhagium bifasciatum) is a widely distributed across Europe and is not uncommon in Britain. This was the first time I've noticed this species, and to see them flying past me, landing close by or landing on me was quite an experience.Throughout the day there seemed to be a movement of Longhorn Beetles (mass emergence?) and about 10 settled close enough to confirm the identity, all of which were Rhagium bifasciatum. The vast majority didn't stop close by but it is likely they were also Rhagium bifasciatum, and I'd be fairly confident in claiming more than 50 over the course of the day. Mainly, if not exclusively, heading down into the valley. Also today, 2 Bee Beetles (Trichius sp)

Weasely recognised

 Laura Roberts, Rob Jones and I were treated to unforgettable views of a Weasel above Melincourt over the weekend. It was a real treat watching the hyperactive mustelid dart here, there and everywhere - just 20m or so in front of us.

I managed to take some video footage of the Weasel. As you will no doubt appreciate I've had to freeze frame or slow down the sequences to show some detail. Although it does appear that in some cases the footage has been set to fast forward, that isn't the case; they really are that fast!
Weasel video click here

Bryophyte update

As I've received a sync file from Charles and Hilary with a substantial number of records, the map below brings the bryophyte coverage right up to date. I should have added in my previous post that the vast majority records are from the last four years. I've added a red border to those squares where a nominal target of 70 species has been reached.  Hopefully we'll manage to integrate the historical records made by Roy Perry and others in due course.

click on map to see detail

Among those species noted on Stafford Common in Gorseinon last week was Fringed Bog-moss (Sphagnum fimbriatum) which was fruiting prolifically as was Dented Silk-moss (Plagiothecium denticulatum var. denticulatum), though this was much less conspicuous.

Fringed Bog-moss

Fringed Bog-moss capsule (sporophyte)

Dentated Silk-moss was typically found growing on the sides of Molinia tussocks along with Elegant Silk-moss (Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans) and the liverwort Common Pouchwort (Calypogeia fissa).

elongate capsules of Dentated Silk-moss

Mueller's Pouchwort (Calypogeia muelleriana) and Notched Pouchwort (C. arguta) were also found amongst tussocky Molinia mire on the nearby Mynydd Garn-goch last week.

Mueller's Pouchwort