Speak of the devil...

Going back to the posts yesterday about Spuleria flavicaput, by chance last night I had my first example this year of the ash-feeding Prays ruficeps to the garden trap at Westcott.  As can be seen from the image below, despite being a similar size and having the same 'basics' (yellowish head, black wings), the wing shape is quite different from the moth in Richard's pictures so I'm sure his will turn out not to be ruficeps.  Other newcomers to the garden year-list last night were Seraphim and that lovely patchwork quilt of a micro-moth Phtheochroa rugosana.  The latter usually appears here at least once in a season even though I haven't noticed any of its food-plant (White Bryony) in local hedgerows.

Prays ruficeps, Westcott 6th May

Phtheochroa rugosana, Westcott 6th May

Today's pleasant sunshine prompted me to have a look at the daisy flowers on the lawn and, as hoped for, I found my first tiny Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella of the year.

I ran a couple of MV traps in Bernwood Forest last night but it wasn't as successful as at Finemere Wood the previous night and I chalked up just 30 species in the usual three hours.  The only newcomers for the year were Capua vulgana, Little Emerald and Barred Umber, although it was also very nice to see Birch Mocha and Peacock Moth again.  The Little Emerald was actually green!  This means that it must have been freshly emerged as they seem to be by far the quickest of the green moths to lose their colour.

Capua vulgana, Bernwood Forest 6th May

Little Emerald, Bernwood Forest 6th May

 

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks