I nearly ignored this apparently dull, grey Micro as a Cnephasia, but then I noticed it had black scale tufts. This rang a bell, although I couldn't think why, so I looked at it a bit closer and noticed the amazing upcurved palps. The name Luquetia lobella was bubbling around in the back of my mind - one of those minor genera alongside Agonopterix and Depressaria that I never thought I would see - so I checked on UKMoths and sure enough that was my moth! There appear to be 1 or 2 Glamorgan records and perhaps one from Radnorshire, but it's mighty rare in Wales and was new for VC35.
That would have been enough, but as I packed the eggboxes back into the trap I noticed another Micro that I had missed. The distinctive hooked wingtips, bumps on the back and black, orange and buff colours made this instantly recognisable as Epermenia falciformis: only the 3rd Gwent record after one I caught at Magor Marsh in the early 2000s and one Nick Felstead caught a couple of years ago. Two new Micros for Dingestow, taking the site total to 525 Micros.
Well done Sam indeed!, how do you do it. Are you storing them up in a cupboard or something by any chance? chuckle!
ReplyDeleteI remember it well the sighting as the moth really stood out amongst the others.
I looked it up and found it was only last year at the end of August, so it should be about for a few months yet.
I meant to say I saw a grey moth yesterday but passed it by.
ReplyDeleteGoing by what you have put up here I think I will pay more attention to more non-descript ones.