Here's a moth for which I'm not sure I have the correct ID.
To the naked eye, the white margin to the black cross-line at 1/3 is quite clear, and I could tell that there were a few other dark spots, but I didn't find an obvious match in the field guide: the closest I could see was Diurnea fagella, which I immediately rejected as the wrong size and the wrong season!
However, when I later looked at my photo, the overall pattern on this rather worn individual suggests Eudonia angustea. On the other hand, the markings are rather indistinct, and the outer cross-line in the book is at best only partially present in the photo. FW is 10mm.
What do other people think? This is not a great photo: the focus/depth of field is slightly off, and both the dark inner cross-line and its pale margin were clearer to the naked eye than they are in the photo!
Tim Arnold
Newton Longville, Bucks
Hello Tim,
ReplyDeleteYes, that is indeed a rather worn Eudonia angustea (note spelling - I've amended it in your report). It is common locally and is generally the first and last scoparid to be seen in any year. The very narrow appearance when at rest and its pointed wing-tips (a bit damaged in your example) are the first pointers to its identity before you even start looking at the markings.
Thank you, Dave, for the confirmation, the spelling corrections … and for the tips on how to ID it.
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