- The Brecknock Moth Group is led by Dr Norman Lowe phone 01874-658453. He is an environment consultant, lectures and is the recorder for the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Brecknock.
Page updated 29/06/2020
Here are some photos taken in the Senni Valley:
Elephant Hawkmoth larva, Deilephila elpenor. Photo taken by Liz Maclean in Sennybridge 06/09/2012
Photo taken by Christine Havard 25/06/2010.
Norman Lowe's comment "It's a caterpillar of the Vapourer Moth. It’s probably wandering round looking for somewhere to pupate, such as a fence or tree trunk, though it’ll make do with some twigs on a jamjar. It’ll first spin a protective cocoon around itself then pupate. The males are reddish brown but the females are wingless. They just sit on the cocoon and wait for a male, then lay their eggs nearby, often on the cocoon itself. If a female emerges take it outside on a warm day and wait for the males to assemble to it. Only works with a virgin female of course."
Photos taken by Christine Havard on 6/6/2010.
Norman Lowe's comment "These are webs of the Bird-cherry Ermine moth, Yponomeuta evonymella, the larvae of which feed almost exclusively on Bird Cherry, although there are related species on other trees and bushes. So the Spindle Ermine has been in evidence producing similar webs on spindle a few weeks ago. Numbers of both species vary from year to year but in good years they can be very numerous and obvious. Although the damage seems serious, the Bird Cherry bush generally recovers very quickly. The larvae feed for only a few weeks in June and shortly afterwards the plant produces a lot of new growth and doesn’t seem to suffer any long-term damage. The two species (moth and bush/tree) are both native and have evolved alongside each other for thousands of years. Certainly Bird Cherry is very common."
Photo taken by Christopher Spry at Dan-y-Graig isaf, 25/01/2007. The Herald moth, Scoliopteryx libatrix, indoors. They hibernate and start flying when it is warm.
Photo taken by Christopher Spry in the upper field of the land of Dan-y-Graig isaf, 22/05/2005. Caterpillar of Drinker Moth, Euthrix (Philudoria) potatori
Photo taken by Christopher Spry in Dan-y-graig isaf, 20/05/2005. Old Lady Moth Mormo maura
Moth surveys have been done in the garden at Dan-y-graig isaf, Senni, using moth traps by Roy & Hilary Perry
| 1976 - 1980
Acentria ephemerella (Water Veneer) |
Hydrelia flammeolaria (Small Yellow Wave) Hydriomena impluviata (May Highflyer) Idaea aversata (Riband Wave) Lacanobia oleracea (Bright-line Brown-eye) Lacanobia thalassina (Pale-shouldered Brocade) Laothoe populi (Poplar Hawkmoth) Lomaspilis marginata (Clouded Border) Lomographa temerata (Clouded Silver) Lycophotia porphyrea (True Lover’s Knot) Mamestra brassicae (Cabbage Moth) Melanchra pisi (Broom Moth) Mesapamea secalis (Common Rustic) Mythimna comma (Shoulder-striped Wainscot) Mythimna impura (Smoky Wainscot) Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing) Notodonta dromedarius (Iron Prominent) Notodonta ziczac (Pebble Prominent) Nudaria mundana (Muslin Footman) Ochropleura plecta (Flame Shoulder) Odontopera bidentata (Scalloped Hazel) Oligia fasciuncula (Middle-barred Minor) Oligia strigilis (Marbled Minor) Oligia versicolor (Rufous Minor) Opisthograptis luteolata (Brimstone Moth) Orthosia gothica (Hebrew Character) Perizoma alchemillata (Small Rivulet) Phalera bucephala (Buff-tip) Pheosia gnoma (Lesser Swallow Prominent) Plusia festucae (Gold Spot) Polia nebulosa (Grey Arches) Pterostoma palpina (Pale Prominent) Ptilodon capucina (Coxcomb Prominent) Rusina ferruginea (Brown Rustic) Scoliopterix libatrix (Herald) Scoparia ambigualis (a Pyralid moth) Scopula immutata (Lesser Cream Wave) Scotopteryx luridata plumbaria (July Belle) Spilosoma lubricipeda (White Ermine) Spilosoma luteum (Buff Ermine) Tortrix viridana (a Tortrix moth) Udea olivalis (a Pyralid moth) Xanthorhoe fluctuata fluctuata (Garden Carpet) Xanthorhoe montanata montanata (Silver-ground Carpet) |
| 5/6 July 2003
Agrotis exclamationis (Heart and
Dart) |
Crambus hortuellus (a Grass moth) Graphiphora augur (Double Dart) Laothoe populi (Poplar Hawkmoth) Mythimna turca (Double Line) Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing) Nudaria mundana (Muslin Footman) Pyrausta olivalis (a Pyralid moth) |
21/22 May 2017 Abrostola tripartitia, (Spectacle), 1
|
Ochropleura plecta, (Flame shoulder), 1
|