After my last post reporting on the good night at IGC on the 22nd, I did trap 3 more times but with less traps as weather conditions were not as ideal. All nights brought in around 20sp, and low numbers of moths generally as expected given the cool temperatures. What wasn’t expected was that 2 new moths would be caught and added to the IGC list! The garden trap(s) came up trumps again with both records. The first was an Epinotia tedella on the 27th, originally identified as an Epinotia nanana but after checking it was too early for that species. I’m happy with the id as it matches the plate of the darker form in Razowski but not the pictures in Sterling. There is also a good matching image on the Northumberland moths site too. The second new moth was most unexpected – a Coleophora amethystinella (fuscicornis). This moth has been found along the Orwell river not too far from where I live, so could have wandered from there. However there is the outside chance it may have colonized as Smooth tare does grow abundantly in my garden. I’ll be checking for larval cases later in the year. Otherwise other moths seen were expected for the time of year with nothing else of note apart from a record of Elachista atricomella.
Neil