This story starts just under a week ago when favourable conditions delivered some of the rarer pyrals to our southern shores, including an example of the falsella look-alike Catoptria verellus.
Now, roll forward to yesterday morning when I receive a text message from Matthew to tell me that our good friends, John Chainey & Jenny Spence, had pulled the veritable rabbit out of the hat by taking what appears to be the first Hertfordshire record of verellus in their Royston garden over the weekend. It not being that far away, and with the added bonus of a twitchable Montagu’s Harrier and singing Quail nearby, plans were soon made for what turned out to be a most enjoyable post-work birding / mothing trip.
Heading home, our thoughts naturally turned to the status of verellus in Suffolk [it transpires that there are 4 (? doubtful) records from 1877-78], and the probability of this species occuring again [quite good we thought]. So, was I really all that surprised when I received a text message from Matthew at 0530hrs this morning to say “Verellus in first trap!!”? I guess not. Was I surprised when a second message came through at 0618hrs to say “Make that TWO 
“? Probably, Yes. And when the third message arrived some 15 mins later to say “Three verellus here now!“, well, I guess I just thought … Typical 
One of three verellus taken at Bawdsey Hall on 6 July 2015 by M.Deans
So, congrats to Matthew and all at Bawdsey Hall for adding yet another exciting chapter to the counties moth history, and for the loan of the specimen pictured left.
Paul
[As a postscript, I hear that three verellus were also taken at Hemsby, Norfolk last night, together with a single at Hythe, Kent. So .. time to check your crambids I think.]