The beautiful orange, black and silver micro Pancalia schwartzella was a surprise county first during an afternoon walk along The Tumble tramroad near Abergavenny yesterday. Its relative, P. leuwenhoekella has 7 Gwent records from the south-east of the county; this one has a more northern British distribution and lacks white antennal rings.
The walk was pretty productive despite limited time and two children to entertain. I also swept Ancylis myrtillana (photo) and Pleurota bicostella (photo; 2nd county record) from heathy areas, and netted a Pammene rhediella (photo; 6th county record) over Hawthorn. Two Micropterix aureatella beaten from Hawthorn were new for western Gwent (bizarrely for a species that is often associated with Bilberry), and a Pyrausta cingulata was the first record from this site for 18 years. It is now absolute peak season for diurnal Micro hunting, so please go out looking!!!!
Excellent stuff, some top finds there.
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