Nearly a week ago I swept a few specimens from the grasslands at Aston Rowant NNR. It was too breezy, so I didn't catch much. However, I kept a couple of small brown moths on the grounds I couldn't det them in the field: Either Monochroa tenebrella or Oxypterix (Eulamprotes) unicolorella:
It is possible to distinguish them by looking at the palps. Except I couldn't. Dissection threw me - the dissections just did not appear to be Gelecheids and it was a while before I realised I was looking in the wrong book. This was not just a new species for me, but a first for an entire family: Scythrididae. The moths were Scythris subcentella. The larvae feed on Rock Rose and there is plenty of that at Aston Rowant.
Hi Andy,
ReplyDeleteI think you must mean the nationally scarce Scythris subcinctella (was S.crassiuscula). What a very nice find. It seems to be known already from VC23 but your task is now to track it down in VC24 please (it should be here somewhere because there are records from all of the surrounding counties!).
Yep - poor spelling on my part. Yes, I was pleased. What's the best Bucks place for Rock Rose?
DeleteGood question - Rock Rose is fairly widespread so places not too far from Aston Rowant might be productive. Yoesden Bank or Buttler's Hangings, perhaps.
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