Saturday 12 July 2014

Batrachedra pinicolella

This rather undistinguished, very small moth was lurking in the bottom of the trap this morning. I almost disregarded it as a worn Coleophora but then noticed the antennae were swept back rather than pointing forwards. It appears to be Batrachedra pinicolella, with the wider banding near the tips of the antennae just about visible in my poor photos (there are much better pics online). The palps look right too.



Batrachedra pinicolella

This will be a new species for VC41, in fact there might only be one previous Welsh record - from Slade Wood, Monmouthshire, back in the 1970s. It feeds on spruce.

George

5 comments:

  1. I had B pinicolella a couple of times at Dingestow vc 35: to mv in July 2000 and beaten from pine in July 2001. So yours might be 4th for Wales

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  2. Ah ok, thanks. There was no tick in your 'Recorded since Horton' box!

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  3. Ambiguity on my part I'm afraid - that should be recorded NEW since Horton. Sorry!

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  4. Thanks for clearing that up Sam - I should probably have worked that out!

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