May 21st 2020

The final trapping night of an excellent week was dominated by micros. In fact I had four new for the garden:

[566] Glyphipterix simplicella

[567] Stigmella salicis

[568] Brachmia inornatella

[569] Pine Bud Moth

Glyphipterix simplicella is generally a day flying moth that I know is present not far away in Cottenham. There has been no sign of it turning up in the day so it was a pleasant surprise to trap one:

Glyphipterix simplicella

On to the first of two tricky moths - a Stigmella, which are tiny leaf mining species. This individual is a brightly marked one with a yellow head, white collar and eye caps, a wide irregular white fascia and distinct white cilia fringing at the end of the forewing:

Stigmella salicis

There are three species in a complex that have these (or most of these) features: salicis, obliquella and myrtillella. Myrtillella is pretty much extra-limital to Cambridgeshire being found in upland areas. Obliquella on the other hand could occur - differences include it being a slightly smaller moth (if you count 1mm difference!), a narrower fascia that is central on the forewing and in general is a more coarsely scaled moth. So while this won't meet the standards for an official record I'm happy this is S. salicis. It is widespread in Cambridgeshire and mines on willow.

So on to problem moth #2. Difficult Elachista have been a theme this year and here's another one!

Elachista spp.

This individual differs to a lot of other I have had in that it has just a single, broken fascia. There actually are a few Elachista with the median fascia obscured. This most closely matches E.humilis but I can't rule out alpinella or even subnigrella so I have changed my mind on trying to positively identify this unfortunately. 

Easier to work out was an excellent gelechiid that I missed when checking the trap first time around. I only spotted it when about to let all the moths go in the evening. Brachmia inornatella (AKA Fen Crest) is Nationally Scarce A which feeds on common reed:

Brachmia inornatella

Pine Bud Moth Pseudococcyx turionella is a cracking tortrix and not one I was expecting here. I actually took some time in trying to rule out the similar P. posticana:

Pine Bud Moth Pseudococcyx turionella

Otherwise both Dog's Tooth and Small Clouded Brindle were new for the year:

Dog's Tooth Lacanobia suasa

Small Clouded Brindle Apamea unanimis

As was Nephopterix angustella:

Nephopterix angustella