Because I can't believe that I'm having to ask about these two as they are in good nick and quite distinctive. Please no humiliating sneers when someone confirms the IDs which I imagine are obvious.
Thanks (I think!)
A Blog for moth recorders in Bucks, Berks and Oxon
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteThe first is actually quite worn but the visible markings seem to match Ostrinia nubilalis which used to be regarded purely as a migrant, but over the past decade or so it has taken up residence and is becoming quite a common sight across our region. The second is Musotima nitidalis which is a recent invader from the Antipodes and, again, seems to be spreading fast into our area.
I would add that Ostrinia nubilalis is quite variable in the tone and intensity of its markings and males are generally more boldly marked than females (which you have). As well as looking at the field guide to the micros, for some examples of females take a look at Lepiforum (specifically https://lepiforum.org/wiki/page/Ostrinia_Nubilalis and scroll down to "Weibchen").
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the field guide to the micros, you will only find Musotima nitidalis in the second edition that was published last year: this species' arrival and spread (the first record in our region was only four years ago) is so recent that it wasn't in the first edition published a decade earlier. So no wonder that you found these two moths hard to identify!
Many thanks, Dave and Tim! At least I don't feel quite so bad about M. nitidalis - as it's not even in my book!! Thanks again!
ReplyDelete