On the 4th August, this smart micro turned up in Stoke Goldington. Looks (to me at least) a candidate for Bryotropha basaltinella, but would need the chop to be sure?
Hi Keith, Nice picture. Bryotropha basaltinella would indeed need dissection to be accepted as a record. This is quite a rare moth and there are only five good records for Bucks (all dissected) plus another three dubious ones. However, I wonder if your moth might actually be the rather common Bryotropha domestica.
Hi Keith, I have had an interest in this moth since finding the occasional dark 'versions' of B. domestica in traps since 2018. In reporting these on iRecord, the comment from Steve Palmer (who is the expert verifying all Gelechiid species, and runs the Gelechiid website) was usually something like "Verified as a Bryotropha sp. and I would agree that B. basaltinella/dryadella are reasonable possibilities" (note: B. dryadella is a south-western species but also found in the Thames estuary, so a slim chance they could be this). Finally last year I sent the two dark specimens I found to Steve who dissected these and found that they were indeed B. basaltinella. It seems therefore that B. basaltinella occurs regularly here (South Oxon, but VC22).
Hi Keith,
ReplyDeleteNice picture. Bryotropha basaltinella would indeed need dissection to be accepted as a record. This is quite a rare moth and there are only five good records for Bucks (all dissected) plus another three dubious ones. However, I wonder if your moth might actually be the rather common Bryotropha domestica.
Hi Keith, I have had an interest in this moth since finding the occasional dark 'versions' of B. domestica in traps since 2018. In reporting these on iRecord, the comment from Steve Palmer (who is the expert verifying all Gelechiid species, and runs the Gelechiid website) was usually something like "Verified as a Bryotropha sp. and I would agree that B. basaltinella/dryadella are reasonable possibilities" (note: B. dryadella is a south-western species but also found in the Thames estuary, so a slim chance they could be this). Finally last year I sent the two dark specimens I found to Steve who dissected these and found that they were indeed B. basaltinella. It seems therefore that B. basaltinella occurs regularly here (South Oxon, but VC22).
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