Day-flyers

A transect walked in local woodland with very wide grassy rides this afternoon produced more day-flying moths than it did butterflies.  Micropterix calthella (on buttercups), Adela rufimitrella (on cuckooflower) and Glyphipterix simpliciella (on stitchwort and buttercups) were seen in abundance, while Adela reaumurella, Common Carpet, Small Yellow Underwing & Burnet Companion were also recorded.  The two best sightings, though, were a female Muslin Moth and a Marsh Pug.  While the dark grey male Muslin appears frequently in light traps, the white female flies only in the daytime and is thus not often seen.  Marsh Pug is a nationally scarce species but as a day-flyer it is probably under-recorded.  Unfortunately this particular example disappeared before I could get either a net or camera into action but it was a really fresh chestnut-coloured individual and was the first I've seen which actually looked like the image in the field guide!  They do tend to fade quite quickly.

Muslin Moth female, 14th May

Small Yellow Underwing, 14th May

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks