Separating difficult moths

Last night's garden moth collection dwindled to just five individuals but they did include my first Cnephasia of the year.  This will almost certainly be Cnephasia communana which is usually the first to appear here, but as always it will need to be inspected closely to prove the point because the five species I get in the garden (communana, stephensiana, asseclana, genitalana & incertana) can't be safely separated on wing pattern. 

Cnephasia species, Westcott 30th April

It is perhaps a good time to remind new converts to the cause, of which there has been a very welcome increase during the lockdown, that there are some moths which cannot be determined to species without inspection of their genitalia, no matter how good an image is taken of them.  This applies to a greater extent to our smaller moths but there are also a few macros which need the same examination, of which the Daggers (Grey & Dark) and Minors (Marbled, Tawny Marbled & Rufous) are already starting to appear.  They will need to be recorded as an aggregate if not inspected. 

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks