Caeau Llety-cybi
Also within
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry
Description
Description Four herb-rich pastures on an east, south-east facing slope at an altitude of about 168m (550 feet). The vegetation here is a good example of that found in the acidic type of unimproved calcareous loam pastures, a group of grasslands which has been extensively improved for agriculture. The Llety-cybi fields have not been ploughed in recent decades, if at all, and recent management has been grazing by cattle and sheep. Sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, common bent Agrostis tenuis, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and knapweed Centaurea nigra form the basis of the sward, and common bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, cat's ear Hypochaeris radicata, heath-grass Danthonia decumbens, tormentil Potentilla erecta, burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga and pignut Conopodium majus are especially abundant. Uncommon species include greater butterfly-orchid Platanthera chlorantha, ivy-leaved bellflower Wahlenbergia hederacea and a dwarf native form of tall fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus. The four pastures vary somewhat in composition of vegetation, dependent partly on soil type and steepness of slope and are separated by mixed hedges of varying ages. The north-eastern pasture is bordered by a small disused quarry. Modern agriculture has taken full advantage of the easily worked, free draining soils to be found under this type of neutral grassland, and only small fragments are known to exist in Wales. Remarks: Owned by the West Wales Naturalists' Trust and managed as a nature reserve.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sweet vernal grass | Anthoxanthum odoratum | LC | grass | poaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| heath grass | Danthonia decumbens | NT | grass | poaceae |
| tall fescue | Schedonorus arundinaceus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| black knapweed | Centaurea nigra | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| pignut | Conopodium majus | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| cat's-ear | Hypochaeris radicata | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| birdsfoot trefoil | Lotus corniculatus | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| burnet saxifrage | Pimpinella saxifraga | NT | herb | apiaceae |
| greater butterfly orchid | Platanthera chlorantha | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| tormentil | Potentilla erecta | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| ivy-leaved bellflower | Wahlenbergia hederacea | LC | herb | campanulaceae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Black-veined moth Siona lineata |
Critically Endangered | Centaurea nigra, Lotus corniculatus |
| New forest Zygaena viciae |
Critically Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Straw belle Aspitates gilvaria |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Wood white Leptidea sinapis |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Slender scotch Zygaena loti |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Dingy skipper Erynnis tages |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Centaurea spp. |
| Morris's wainscot Photedes morrisii |
Vulnerable | Schedonorus arundinaceus |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Potentilla erecta |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Cynosurus cristatus |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Centaurea spp., Pimpinella saxifraga |
| Scarce forester Jordanita globulariae |
Near Threatened | Centaurea nigra |
| Swallowtail papilio Papilio machaon |
Near Threatened | Pimpinella saxifraga |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.