Tiddesley Wood 19th May.

Pammene trauniana

Not a bad night at Tiddesley Wood, last night, with two new micros for me.
The Pammene trauniana was tapped out of vegetation at dusk and the Nep came to MV light. The latter will be dissected but it looks good for Ectodemia argyropeza. (Now confirmed).

Patrick Clement

Ectodemia argyropeza

Micropterix at Monkwood

I was at Monkwood this afternoon in the hope of catching up with Micropterix mansuetella, one of the rarer members of its genus. Given the species' miniscule size and ability to hide deep within vegetation, I was half expecting to go home disappointed, so it was a nice surprise to find a small colony resting on leaves of Wood Avens and Hedge Woundwort in the car park. As Oliver found with Cauchas rufimitrella, it's not usually that straight forward!

Micropterix mansuetella

Drab Looper

Cream Wave

Pre-dinner mothing

I had some time to spare this evening whilst dinner cooked in the oven, and with all university related assessments now finished forever, I did what any celebrating student would do and went to look for moths on a nearby oak along the Laugherne Brook. There was a nice selection of species to be found, but Phyllonorycter numbers are still way down on this time in 2014, when I could tap an oak tree and have hundreds of Phyllonorycter muelleriella fly out!

Coleophora ibipennella 1
Coleophora flavipennella/lutipennella 15+
Phyllonorycter quercifoliella 1
Phyllonorycter harrisella 2
Clouded Drab
Dyseriocrania subpurpurella 50+
Glyphipterix simplicella 3
Cauchas rufimitrella 1

Coleophora ibipennella

Clouded Drab

Elachista kilmunella

Chartley Moss, Staffordshire.

Elachista kilmunella

                                                                                                                                                                     


A brief visit to Chartley Moss, in neighbouring Staffordshire yesterday, rewarded me with two specimens of Elachista kilmunella. I had recorded the species there before but wanted a better photograph.

Also of note were the Green Hairstreak butterflies which must have run to a few hundred individuals.

Patrick Clement

Consolation prize...

I made a quick visit to Tiddesley today with two targets in mind. I failed to find either of them but on the way back to the car, taking the path through the orchard on the Western side of the wood I passed a good number of Cuckoo Flowers in bloom and found Cauchas rufimitrella flying among the plants. In previous years I have gone to the same place looking for this moth and never found it! Perhaps it is best not to have targets and just enjoy what turns up!

Oliver Wadsworth.

Cydia strobilella

Cydia strobilella, Montgomeryshire VC

Not taken in H&W but from a recent trip to Montgomeryshire VC. I'm posting it here as there seems to be a sudden spate of recent sightings for this species so it may be one to look out for locally. Mine was the first record for Montgomeryshire VC, and apparently there are no records for all of the VCs in north Wales.
Patrick Clement

Slow start

A very slow start to the season here at Childswickham. Last night's catch was pretty mediocre considering the conditions with only 13 species and only 20 moths in total. However, one of these was a surprise. Barred Hook-Tip does not appear to have been recorded in this part of either Gloucs. or Worcs. before.

Oliver Wadsworth.