A nice micro

At Grangelands, Bucks on 22nd June I had an example of the tiny all-white micro Opostega salaciella whose larvae are understood to feed on sheep's sorrel.  I've seen it at various sites in the south of the county and have also had it in the garden here on five occasions (most recently in 2018) where the food-plant would appear to be absent locally.  While trapping in Yardley Chase on 28th June I thought I had another but it didn't quite look right so was brought back home to check.  This one turned out to be a close relative, the even smaller (wing length 4mm) and far less common Pseudopostega crepusculella whose larval food-plant is not known for certain but may be water mint.  I've seen it two or three times previously, including in Homefield Wood near Marlow where I got several in July 2015.  Unlike salaciella which is just plain white, crepusculella actually has a few distinguishing markings, including an obvious black dot in the terminal cilia.  There are five previous records for Bucks but this one is the first from the north of the county.

Pseudopostega crepusculella, Yardley Chase 28th June

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks