Friday 1 July 2016

New for Wales. Prior's Meadow 23rd June

Last week at Prior's Meadow, in spite of the rain, produced a grand total of 95 species, though 2 of those were Elachista spp.
The excitement came when I got home and photographed a couple of micros I didn't recognise.
The first was a 5mm moth that I decided, from the pics in British Moths, was Mompha terminella. However, when I looked at the distribution on MapMate the only other record is for a mine, so this would be the first adult recorded in VC41.
The second was a small 5.5mm dark tortrix which I couldn't identify at all. However, George Tordoff came to my rescue as he has seen this moth in Cornwall and identified it as Celypha aurofasciana. However there was a caveat: this species would be new for Wales!
David Slade as our County Recorder has now confirmed that the Mompha is terminella and that he is happy that the Celypha aurofasciana is also correct, subject to final gen det confirmation.
So, two pretty special moths in one trap, and in the same spot as the Pammene germmana from 3 weeks earlier. (First VC41 record since 1991)

Mompha terminella. 5mm First adult record for VC41

Celypha aurofasciana. 5.5mm First record for Wales

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