I had two new species today: what I think was a Fern in the moth trap in West Oxon, and an Oblique Striped at Hackpen Hill. Confirmation (or otherwise) would be appreciated.
David Hastings
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| Oblique Striped |
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| Fern |
A Blog for moth recorders in Bucks, Berks and Oxon
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteThe Oblique Striped is correct - a very nice record indeed. As you'll have seen from the on-line Atlas, there is a small cluster of sightings from the Devil's Punchbowl area of VC22 south-west of Wantage. However, unless there have been more in the last couple of years (Martin Harvey will know) then your individual could be the first from that area since 2006.
The other is either Fern (Horisme tersata) or Cryptic Fern (Horisme radicaria, a species only recently discovered in the UK which is spreading). Your example, with its obvious discal spot, will I'm sure be the former, but less well marked specimens would need dissection to separate.