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| Ypsolopha ustella ....I think...? |
Having been inspired by Dave's post below, and taking his advice on lights etc, I put in two hours at my local woodland near Witney (V23) this evening (16.15-18.15) using a 20W actinic light. With pretty much 8/8ths cloud, little wind, and 8°C there was a fair bit of activity which I was quite surprised by given the date. Up to 25 Winter Moths, many resting on Oak trunks, rather than entering the trap. 3 Mottled Umber, a single Dark Chestnut, 4 Chestnut, and two Satellite. Just one micro, which I've identified as Ypsolopha ustella ....??
Hi Nic
ReplyDeleteYes, that is indeed Ypsolopha ustella. It is great to make the effort like this every now and again in winter, especially if you have access to local woodland, because it brings in records of common species which might otherwise get ignored. Numbers in January and February can be in the hundreds just in a few hours on a decent night although the species count might not even reach double digits. It certainly relieves the boredom of getting perhaps one or two moths in the garden trap!