I also got this very black looking elachista (I think). It seems to have a pale blotch rather than a stripe, but I was wondering if it is elachista gangabella.
A couple of Diamond-backed Moths showed that some migrants are getting through here.
A conversaria type Mottled Beauty was only about the third or fourth of this type for the garden. Do others see this variant much?
Adam Bassett
Hi Adam,
ReplyDeleteSince around 2016 there have been more and more records annually for Dark Spectacle in Bucks, especially in the south, so it is probably now a resident species. Still nice to see, though!
If from your Elachista picture you can rule out bisulcella (dark head, similar-shaped white band but with some white scales in the termen fringe - your specimen looks a bit tatty in that area and it is not easy to see clearly in the picture) then I think gangabella is safe.
I don't see f. conversaria of Mottled Beauty that often but I've had a couple already this year, one of which was in the garden. Smart when they're fresh!
Thanks Dave. As you say, the Elachista has worn cilia, so it is difficult to see whether there are any pale scales there, even though the moth looks very black. One for Peter I think.
ReplyDeleteI had 9 Mottled Beauty in the burial park trap the other night, and 1 was f. conversaria; very small sample size I know, but probably about right for what I see across the season.
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