Cydia amplana

Martin Albertini and I made another of our monthly trapping visits to Littleworth Common, Bucks last night.  There was little in the way of interest from heathland moths and the most numerous species were Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spot Rustic and White-point, both in the traps and when seen by torchlight feeding from the heather flowers.  Cypress Pug, Jersey Tiger and Oak Processionary stood out from the crowd, but perhaps the best was an example of Cydia amplana.  A rare sighting in Bucks (this is only the third record), it may have been a migrant but there have been suggestions that the moth is now established in the south-east of the UK.

Cydia amplana, Littleworth Common 23rd August

I had hoped that we might see Neglected Rustic which ought to be present on site, having had it on the much smaller area of heathland in Burnham Beeches just up the road, but this visit was perhaps a week or so too early for it.

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks