Thursday 28 June 2018

A rare Torticid turns up in Blackwood

Last Saturday morning (23rd June) I was just about to start investigating the contents of my trap when I noticed a largish (approx. 12mm) Tortricid moving about under the Perspex cover of the trap, and it was quite lively. My initial thoughts were that it looked like a light greyish version of Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix but I was not convinced. So I photographed the moth through the Perspex cover, not the best photograph resulted but I didn't want to allow the moth to escape before photographing it.
On removal of the cover the moth instantly flew off never to be seen again...
Whilst checking the moths in the trap I also had a couple of the large Tortricid Lozotaenia forstorana which got me thinking again about the original escapee since it was very similar to L. forstorana but with a less broad forewing and not quite so large. A further check of the photo it revealed a basal patch which is not present on L. forstorana. Further checking in the moth guides I thought that it could have been the localised Choristoneura hebenstreitella (quite a mouthful!) and I couldn't see the moth on the list of micros for Gwent, so I got onto Sam Bosanquet for confirmation, which he did, and added that there were only 3 previous Gwent records and that they were all in the 1980's so the first record for Gwent in over 30 years!
I think that this is one to look out for and the message being that when you have L. forstorana in your trap it might be worth giving them a second glance...



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