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 #TeamMoth #CardiffMoths

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. #TeamMoth

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. #TeamMoth

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). #TeamMoth

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

Some smart leaf-mines of Ectoedemia angulifasciella on wild rose in the Malvern Hills at the weekend. #LeafMineMonday #TeamMoth

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

Earlier this year I reared two adult moths from Coleophora cases on Blackthorn on the Glamorgan coast. Both have recently been confirmed by dissection as C. prunifoliae. This moth is new for me, new for the county, and also my 1000th moth species recorded this year - so a nice hat-trick 🙂 #TeamMoth

Decent moth numbers on and around the Ivy blossom at Lavernock Point (Glamorgan coast) last night, including Pearly Underwing x4, Dark Sword-grass x11, Red-line Quaker x2, Angle Shades x5, Dark Chestnut & Acleris rhombana x2. 16 species recorded in total. #TeamMoth

After one exciting Aporophyla species on Friday night (A. australis, Feathered Brindle), there was another last night with A. lueneburgensis, Deep-brown Dart, in the Cardiff garden trap. The first time I've seen this species since I moved to Wales in 2002! 9th Glamorgan record. #TeamMoth

Feathered Brindle (Aporophyla australis) trapped in the Wye Valley last night. This coastal moth has no business turning up in an inland woodland - the nearest records are around 70 miles away on Gower and in southern Dorset. It will be new for VC35 Gwent too. #TeamMoth

Some excellent moths trapped while staying in a cottage near Welshpool (Montgomeryshire) at the weekend, including my first Dusky-lemon Sallow (Cirrhia gilvago) since 1998! #TeamMoth

A fun few hours with the traps on Caerphilly Mountain last night produced some quality moths. Heath Rustic, Autumnal Rustic, Spiny Hook-tip and Anomalous the best of the macro-moths. Also my third Clifden Nonpareil of the year. 1/2 #TeamMoth

One to look out for at the moment if you have olive, privet or jasmine growing in the garden - larvae of Palpita vitrealis feeding inside spun shoot tips. Found two on the olive tree in our Cardiff garden this week. @mikecram67.bsky.social recently reared it from privet in Bridgend too. #TeamMoth

#RecordOfTheWeek today is Oriental Fruit Moth (Grapholita molesta), found in Bridgend by Mike Cram. This is the first Glamorgan record for this non-native species, which likely hitched a ride on peaches. Thanks for the record & photo, submitted via www.sewbrecord.org.uk #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

Do you do moth trapping in the UK? We'd love your help! 💡 At @ukceh.bsky.social we're training & testing AI to detect multiple moths in a single image. Send us top-down photos of multiple moths on egg trays to support this work. More info & form: forms.gle/e3HzBPEd7RVV... #mothsmatter #TeamMoth

Trapping on the edge of upland conifer plantation near Pontypridd...Anomalous, Dark Marbled Carpet, Pempelia palumbella and an unexpected Clifden Nonpareil. It looked like some exotic bird when it swooped in, black and white underside flashing in the MV light, dwarfing all the other moths. #TeamMoth

After 18 years of waiting, finally got Chinese Character on the garden list! Also my first Palpita vitrealis of the year and a second gen Waved Umber. #CardiffMoths #TeamMoth

Trapping on the dunes at Kenfig NNR last night with @llynfian.bsky.social and warden Chris Jones. Migrants Diasemiopsis ramburialis & Small Mottled Willow (x3), also Acleris permutana (4), Agriphila latistria, lots of Archer's Darts and Notocelia incarnatana. #TeamMoth

Broad-barred White (Hecatera bicolorata) caterpillars on the Perennial Sowthistle my neighbour lets grow on his driveway. Second year running they've been present on this patch. I've only had the moth 3 times in 19 years in my garden trap across the road! #TeamMoth

Light trapping at Pembrey Burrows (Carmarthenshire) on a night that was colder and clearer than had been forecast - only 60 ish species across three traps as a result, but some nice ones. Good numbers of Garden Tiger & Dog's Tooth, also Yellow Belle and Kent Black Arches. 1/2 #TeamMoth

Olive (left) and Double Kidney trapped at Gwent Wildlife Trust's Magor Marsh last night. #TeamMoth

Sitochroa palealis the stand out moth from a busy night at Gwent Wildlife Trust's Magor Marsh reserve, with over 100 species recorded. There are only a few Welsh records of S. palealis including a couple from Gwent. #TeamMoth

I seem to have been AWOL from Bluesky for a while. Anyway, here's a European Corn-borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) from last night's moth trap, which was new for my Cardiff garden. Also a rather worn Canary-shouldered Thorn - summer is officially over! #TeamMoth

This Dark Umber (Philereme transversata) emerged today. Found as a small larva on Buckthorn at Lavernock Point on the Glamorgan coast in early May. Not a bad moth. #TeamMoth

The weather may officially have turned pants but the early moth records continue. This Scalloped Oak lurking in the Ivy-leaved Toadflax by the trap is my earliest garden record by 5 days. #TeamMoth

DID YOU KNOW? It is a little-known fact that Iggy Pop's famous hit The Passenger was inspired by a moth. Before a night out in London in 1977, Iggy switched on his garden moth trap as usual. Arriving home in the early hours, he was delighted to find this rare immigrant moth inside. #TeamMoth

Excellent caterpillar hunting session at Kenfig NNR today. Garden Tiger, Mullein, young Knot Grass, and no less than 17 Puss Moth larvae on Aspen suckers. #TeamMoth

Found as a tiny caterpillar on birch in Carmarthenshire, this Yellow Horned (Achlya flavicornis) has developed into rather a splendid beast. #TeamMoth

Currant Clearwing out in numbers already - six to the TIP lure in just a couple of minutes at the allotment this afternoon, in nice muggy weather. #TeamMoth #CardiffMoths

Clearwing lure excitement in the Wyre Forest this week with Yellow-legged (4), White-barred (lots!) and best of all Large Red-belted (2). Also some nice micros as 'bycatch'... #TeamMoth

The latest in my series entitled 'Dodgy photos of nice day-flying micro-moths'. Micropterix aureatella and Anania funebris near Caerphilly today. A new site for the Micropterix. #TeamMoth

A slightly blurry shot of a female Adela croesella at Lavernock Point NR today. It didn't hang around for a better pic. Seems to be a new site and 10km square for this localised species (unless you've seen it there recently @sconzani.bsky.social?). #TeamMoth

Good success with the UV torch in the garden last night: 4 Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides) caterpillars feeding high up on apple & willow trees. Rubbish photo of the one on willow but shows how well it stands out - it was hard to spot under conventional torchlight. #TeamMoth

An excellent micro-moth day in the Gwent sunshine. Pammene germmana (pair), Adaina microdactyla (Hemp Agrimony Plume), Alabonia geoffrella (Geoff) & Pancalia leuwenhoekella #TeamMoth

Pleased to see Aethes williana flying in the sunshine at Lavernock Point NR (Glamorgan) yesterday, in almost exactly the same spot I saw one in 2021. Plenty of the foodplant Wild Carrot nearby. This nationally scarce species has just one other Welsh record, a vague old one from Chepstow. #TeamMoth

Lozotaenia forsterana emerged today, reared from larvae found on Ivy in the garden in March. Pretty chunky for micro-moth larvae - I guess that's not surprising given this is one of our largest tortrix moths. #TeamMoth

Outstanding moth trapping at a hill farm in north-east Carmarthenshire the last two nights. Around 75 species in total including many I don't see closer to home such as Northern Drab, Barred Umber, Glaucous Shears, Ash Pug, Great Prominent and Frosted Green. #TeamMoth

And the cycle is complete. After a female Alder Kitten laid eggs in the garden moth trap on 11th May last year, today the first adult emerged from the reared offspring. The cocoons have been in the shed all winter. #TeamMoth

Marram Weevils (Philopedon plagiatum) out in force on the front dunes at Merthyr Mawr NNR yesterday. All busily munching on the foodplant. Never seen so many down there. #Coleoptera

Old Lady (Mormo maura) caterpillars really will eat anything it seems. This huge larva was feeding on the evergreen Euonymus bush (that I've been meaning to rip out!) in our Cardiff garden this evening. Photos taken by torchlight. #TeamMoth

May as well copy & paste 'earliest garden record...' into every post at the moment. After earliest ever Peppered Moth & Pyrausta aurata in the Cardiff garden on 24th, last night my earliest Spectacle. Been trapping here since 2007. Climate change really messing with moth phenology. #TeamMoth

Ah it's that time of year again is it. #TeamMoth #TeamCockchafer

Bumper catch in the actinic traps in North Cornwall last night, over a hundred moths of 32 species. First appearance of White Ermine, Foxglove Pug, Square Spot, Early Tooth-striped, May Highflyer. Late hangers on included March Moth and Dotted Border. #TeamMoth

Rare to have back-to-back nights out with generator - making most of the warm weather while it lasted. Excellent night on Welsh side of Wye Valley with 37 species, many in good nos. Some v. early records: 4 x Pauper's Pug, 2 x R. erxlebella, Barred Hook-tip & best of all Hedya atropunctana #TeamMoth

27 species at Porthkerry last night under the gaze of a huge moon. Lovely spring goodies including Mocha, Scorched Carpet, Purple Thorn, Waved Umber, Maiden's Blush, Water Carpet & a surprise Rusty-dot Pearl. The temperature dropped quickly under clear skies - home before midnight. #TeamMoth

An early Elachista rufocinerea from Hailey Park, Cardiff this evening. As usual at this site, found in the area where the grassland meets the brambles. #TeamMoth

Pine Beauty! Always a delight and I don't see them every year; this is only my 4th in the garden. Also new for the year were Least Black Arches and a bunch of micros: Alucita hexadactyla, Epinotia immundana, Elachista canapennella & Caloptilia rufipennella. #TeamMoth #CardiffMoths

Found a few Elachista cinereopunctella leaf mines with their smart red-spotted larvae at Lavernock Point Nature Reserve, only 3rd Glamorgan site for this species. Also some larvae of Elachista argentella squeezed into their mines within the narrow leaves of Red Fescue. #TeamMoth

A Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli) in the moth trap on 27th March was my earliest garden record by 10 days. #TeamMoth #CardiffMoths