Pauper Pug at Dingestow in October!

October 2022 was an outstanding month for migrant moths across southern Britain, and Gwent got its share of notable species. Highlight of the month at Dingestow was a species that many moth'ers used to make a pilgrimage to the Wye Valley to see: a Pauper Pug. This species feeds on Small-leaved Lime, and until recently its only British colonies were in the Wye Valley and East Anglia. In the last 20 years new colonies have been found scattered across southern Britain, and it seems that the species is increasing and perhaps colonising Common Lime. Its appearance at Dingestow, just 20 miles from its Wye Valley homeland, is perhaps not too surprising, but for one to appear on 21st October 2022 was most unexpected.

In some ways, this late appearance meant that the Pug received open-minded scrutiny. Any Pug that isn't Double-striped or Cypress would be notable in October. I checked it against three books and couldn't come to a firm identification, so I posted a photo on Twitter to ask for advice on ID. @MothIDUK suggested Pauper Pug, which I confess I had looked at but dismissed because it "wasn't a Dingestow species", and sure enough it was confirmed as a male of that species (gen. conf.) by Peter Hall a couple of weeks later. As far as I am aware there have been no other 2nd brood Pauper Pugs recorded previously in Britain, but few moth'ers would bother to trap in the classic Wye Valley Lime woods in October so perhaps they are overlooked. Alternatively, the Dingestow individual might have flown here from continental Europe, because there was a lot of moth migration going on at the time.

Now that this species has appeared at Dingestow it will be in my mind when I am checking Pugs in the peak summer season. Already I am worried that I dismissed a grey pug with rather straight cross-lines as an odd-looking Green Pug this summer. We live and learn!