It was nice to see a night with more than one micro, with Agonopterix alstroemeria, Agonopterix heracliana, Emmelina monodactyla and Diurnea fagella in various numbers, along with my first Oak Beauty and March Moths of the year.
I'm struggling with a couple micros, however. The first, well-marked, looks akin to the knot-horns, but I can't quite place it. The second, an Agonopterix?, but smaller, darker and more square-winged than the other A. heracliana types in the catch. Could it be a poorly marked purpurea?
Hi Keith,
ReplyDeleteThe first is actually a macro ... Oak Nycteoline often wraps itself up like that to confuse the unwary! I'm sure the second will just be a small heracliana which seems to be the most abundant micro at the moment (five here last night). Agonopterix purpurea is one of those "you'll know it when you see it" moths because it is much darker than this specimen and is really tiny.
Cheers Dave, I just worked out the Id of the first moth a few minutes ago. I've not come across it before, so it wasn't really on the radar. It helped me by having unfurled its wings (photo added)!
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