Would you believe it – having never seen this species before I’ve now managed to find it at 2 locations in 3 days! Both a male and a female found at Shingle Street today (4th) within yards of each other. The first, a female was found easily at waist height. The male was found resting deep in the vegetation on dead nettle only a foot off the ground. Whilst accepting that this is a known scarcity even so, perhaps this hidden low position of the male is another indication of why this moth is so difficult to find.
Steve G
Hi Steve
Having read your post, I have kept my eyes open for the foodplant and if my atrocious botanising serves me correctly, it seems to be everywhere. Do your two sightings share any other similarities, i.e. aspect, foodplant height, structure of hedgerow etc. Be interested to know. Thanks.
Hi Mark,
Sorry, haven’t looked at Blog for couple of days. Aspect at Waldringfield – West, Shingle St – East, so nothing in common there. Interestingly though, vegetation structure same and foodplant height broadly same at 2ft or so. At Waldringfield, moth found within just a single clump of mixed flora adjacent to a gate. At Shingle St the hedgerow runs along something like 60ft but again quite coincidentally, each of the two moths were either side of a gate! Does this mean look for the foodplant by a gate?
Good hunting, Steve