Stuart If you go to http://www.BOLDsystems.org and enter Prays in the search box you will find both ruficeps and fraxinella separately listed showing that they are different genetically. If you select one of the species you can flip through the images by moving the mouse cursor over each thumb.
In my experience Stuart here at IGC and around the county I find ruficeps by far the commoner moth, even though the foodplant is the same. I record ruficeps annually but not fraxinella. I have seen some other early records of the species on social media and it does appear that quite a few other moth species have been emerging early this year.
I must apologise for my misreading of your post. You wished to know of its frequency of occurrence in the country/county and not its status as a species. I have taken it more frequently at home than fraxinella, but so far only had fraxinella at other sites. Sorry about my initial mistake.
Thanks Neil and Raymond for your replies, it would appear that ruficeps is the more frequently encountered species. Fortunately I have a large ash in my garden so I’ll keep a more accurate comparison this year.
Stuart If you go to http://www.BOLDsystems.org and enter Prays in the search box you will find both ruficeps and fraxinella separately listed showing that they are different genetically. If you select one of the species you can flip through the images by moving the mouse cursor over each thumb.
In my experience Stuart here at IGC and around the county I find ruficeps by far the commoner moth, even though the foodplant is the same. I record ruficeps annually but not fraxinella. I have seen some other early records of the species on social media and it does appear that quite a few other moth species have been emerging early this year.
I must apologise for my misreading of your post. You wished to know of its frequency of occurrence in the country/county and not its status as a species. I have taken it more frequently at home than fraxinella, but so far only had fraxinella at other sites. Sorry about my initial mistake.
Thanks Neil and Raymond for your replies, it would appear that ruficeps is the more frequently encountered species. Fortunately I have a large ash in my garden so I’ll keep a more accurate comparison this year.
Stuart
I’ve not seen a “classic” black and white one for some years, but dark Prays are quite frequent in my Ipswich garden – whatever they are.
Paul