New for Bucks

Today a small group of us spent several hours searching the Bucks part of a private MoD site at Arncott for early stages of some of the rarer micro-moths associated with Dyer's Greenweed which is locally abundant in grassland there.  We found quite a few small larvae on the plant but almost all of them were either noctuids (Orthosia species) or those of the butterfly Green Hairstreak.  There was no sign of Mirificarma lentiginosella or Agonopterix atomella which were the caterpillars we'd hoped to track down after they'd both been found at nearby Otmoor last year.

Dyer's Greenweed, Arncott 11th June

However, the disappointment of not finding our target species was offset by making an unexpected discovery on a different uncommon plant.  We had Will Langdon with us who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of micro larval food-plants so when he saw a large stand of Viper's Bugloss (difficult to miss this ostentatious blue flower at the moment!) the sweep net went into action and, sure enough, three or four examples of Tinagma ocnerostomella were captured.  It is a moth which prior to this date had failed to trouble the scorers in Bucks so was a very good find indeed for the county.  I have to say, though, that this tiny species isn't the most exciting to look at - barely 4mm in length, it is a speckled grey colour with no distinguishing features!

Tinagma ocnerostomella, Arncott 11th June

Viper's Bugloss, Arncott 11th June

Other species found during the course of the day included larvae of Psyche casta, Yponomeuta padella, Helcystogramma rufescens, Emperor Moth & Knot Grass while adult moths included Glyphipterix simpliciella, Glyphipterix thrasonella, Tortrix viridana, Commophila aeneana, Celypha lacunana, Grapholita compositella, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Forester, Six-spot Burnet, Blood-vein, Common Heath, Cinnabar, Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion, Silver Y & Straw Dot.

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks