This looks like Aethes tesserana to me Will. It is a rather variable and scarce tortrix (a sample of pictures here: https://lepiforum.org/wiki/page/Aethes_tesserana) associated with chalk grassland where it can often be flushed from the sward in numbers by day (alongside Ancylis comptana). It comes to light occasionally too.
Hi Will, I agree that this is Aethes tesserana, an uncommon species - where was it seen? It is always good to give an indication of location with posts (doesn't necessarily need to be specific, but knowing the general area can often be really helpful when trying to ascertain an ID). It would also be very useful in future if you could try cropping images before posting so that we get a decent view of the moth rather than the background.
Thanks very much, Will. Aethes tesserana is associated with calcareous grassland and all but a couple of the 15 or so Bucks records are, as you'd expect, from sites in the Chilterns. The odd ones are from Stony Stratford (in 2001) and Lavendon (2022). It is easy to forget that there are areas of limestone grassland north of Milton Keynes!
This looks like Aethes tesserana to me Will. It is a rather variable and scarce tortrix (a sample of pictures here: https://lepiforum.org/wiki/page/Aethes_tesserana) associated with chalk grassland where it can often be flushed from the sward in numbers by day (alongside Ancylis comptana). It comes to light occasionally too.
ReplyDeleteHi Will,
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is Aethes tesserana, an uncommon species - where was it seen? It is always good to give an indication of location with posts (doesn't necessarily need to be specific, but knowing the general area can often be really helpful when trying to ascertain an ID). It would also be very useful in future if you could try cropping images before posting so that we get a decent view of the moth rather than the background.
Thank you both
ReplyDeleteI will crop my photos in future Mike
Best
Will
The location of the MV trap was on the edge of rough grassland SP893 469
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, Will. Aethes tesserana is associated with calcareous grassland and all but a couple of the 15 or so Bucks records are, as you'd expect, from sites in the Chilterns. The odd ones are from Stony Stratford (in 2001) and Lavendon (2022). It is easy to forget that there are areas of limestone grassland north of Milton Keynes!
Delete