Saturday 23 May 2015

Best Night So Far in Oxford

Like Dave last night I too had my best night of the year so far and similarly that's not saying very much. I caught a total of 29 moths of 14 species though more may have failed to run the gauntlet of our young cat who has developed a penchant for hunting down moths at night as the are draw to the trap. Certainly she seemed exhausted this morning! Details are: Yellow-barred Brindle, Common Marbled Carpet (4), Bee Moth (4), Light-brown Apple Moth (8), Common Pug (3), Garden Carpet, White-shouldered House Moth, Tinea trinotella, Small Waved Umber (NFY), Pale Mottled Willow, Mompha subbistrigella (2), Garden Pebble (NFY), Ingrailed Clay Small Square-spot (see comments) (NFY) and Vines Rustic (NFY). 

Ingrailed Clay
Vine's Rustic
Small Waved Umber
I also found this micro in some grasses yesterday evening in Burgess Field next to Port Meadow. I'm thinking that it's Elachista argentella though I just want to check that it's not Opostega salaciella instead (I can't see any "eye caps").

presumed Elachista argentella

4 comments:

  1. The top one looks like Small square-spot to me, Adam.

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  2. There are sort-of eyecaps there, but I think you're right ; It is argentella. The eyecaps on Opostega are much bigger.
    Andy King.

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  3. Yes, the top one is Small Square-spot, Adam, but Elachista argentella is correct.

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  4. Thanks for correcting my ID. The reason why I ruled out Small Square-spot was the small dots on the outer edge of the wing near the tip which the SSS illustration doesn't have in Townsend & Waring. However when I Google it I see that they do indeed have them, so clearly the illustration is somewhat lacking. We live and learn!

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