SWSEIC Recording Group at Castle Loch, 20th August 2024

Our latest recording group visit was to Castle Loch, Lochmaben. We were greeted with good weather which was a welcome occurrence this year. Thirteen of us patrolled the southern and eastern parts of the Loch and all together, we recorded 189 species.

As usual we started off with our moth traps which yielded a decent catches. Highlights included: micro-moth Poplar Cosmet Batrachedra praeangusta, confirmed by Alison Robertson, which only has a about a dozen prior records in Dumfries & Galloway; Mouse Moth Amphipyra tragopoginis a species that is declining locally; Notch-winged Tortrix Acleris emargana; and Oblique Carpet Orthonama vittata.

Lorraine Hall found Skullcap Leaf Beetle Phyllobrotica quadrimaculata, a third or fourth record for the species in our area. The site was awash with dragonflies with both Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta and Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea being observed. A Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus was spotted at the Castle Car Park by Richard Mearns and Mark Pollitt.

Jim Logan did some loch dipping on the day and found Water Scorpion Nepa cinerea, Water Measurer Hydrometra stagnorum and the aquatic flatworm Polycelis nigra.

Malcolm Haddow recorded a number of locally under recorded Hemiptera which are 2nd, 3rd or 4th records for the region. These included a non-native froghopper Acericerus heydeniia, the froghopper Lamprotettix nitidulus and the mirid bug Cyrtorhinus caricis.

A special thanks to all the volunteers who came to give us a hand on the day and to Castle Loch Lochmaben Community Trust (Facebook) for hosting us.

If you are interested in joining our recording group you can do so here.