I’ve recently reignited my interest in moths, with particular focus on a couple of North Wales oddballs: Weaver’s Wave (Welsh: ton Gwynedd), Idaea contiguaria and Ashworth’s Rustic (Welsh: gwladwr Cymreig), Xestia ashworthii. At the moment this mostly involves summer trapping out in the mountains and some captive rearing, but will hopefully extend to genome sequencing and genetic analysis in the near future.

Beyond those species, I’ve also started some pilot experiments into the genetics of pigmentation patterning in riband waves (Idaea aversata) and dark arches (Apamea monoglypha) moths, both of which show some interesting intra-species colour differences.