Thursday, 22 June 2017

Heatwave moths at Westcott

Concluding the moths caught here in the garden during the 'heatwave' of the past few days, I've added the following to the year-list:

19th June
Argyresthia glaucinella, Apotomis betuletana, Rhopobota naevana, Grapholita funebrana, Acrobasis consociella, Acrobasis suavella, Pleuroptya ruralis, July Highflyer, Scalloped Oak, Yellow-tail, Southern Wainscot, Reddish Light Arches, Clouded Brindle.
20th June
Argyresthia brockeella, Crassa unitella, Carcina quercana, Limnaecia phragmitella, Oegoconia deauratella, Epinotia signatana, Eucosma obumbratana, Grapholita janthinana, Orthopygia glaucinalis, Anania coronata, Drinker, Shark, Blackneck.
21st June
Cosmopterix scribaiella, Ethmia dodeceaBlastodacna hellerella, Phtheochroa inopiana, Aethes beatricella, Lozotaeniodes formosana, Brown Scallop, Lime Hawk-moth, White Satin, Kent Black Arches, Double Dart, Olive, Double Lobed, Silver Hook.

The Argyresthia glaucinella, Cosmopterix scribaiella, Oegoconia deauratella, Aethes beatricella & Southern Wainscot are awaiting dissection but I'm happy that's what they'll prove to be.  The Southern Wainscot will actually be a new addition to the garden list but the specimen was a little battered and the obvious stripes on the front of the thorax were missing.  Another new addition to the list was the Cosmopterix.  I expected it to be zieglerella because we have hop in the garden, but the photo below, taken in very poor light only a few minutes ago, suggests that it is actually the much rarer scribaiella which would almost certainly be a first for Bucks.  Silver Hook appeared in the garden in 2015 and was then the first post-millennium record for the county.  That another should appear here this year suggests that there may be a breeding colony somewhere locally. 

Southern Wainscot, Westcott 19th June

Cosmopterix scribaiella, Westcott 21st June

Silver Hook, Westcott 21st June
Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks 

1 comment:

  1. Some great moths there Dave. I saw that a Silver Hook was seen in Wilts, VC7 on the 22nd as a VC first, link here:
    https://twitter.com/SteveNash71/status/878229544720883713
    Maybe just coincidence.
    The Cosmopterix is interesting, generally restricted to reed beds in coastal Hampshire and adjoining counties (so I read). Do you think this is a wanderer resulting from the weather conditions, or might there be a reed bed near you harbouring more?

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