It's so good to do micros - even when an MV catch is dull for macros (though Lime Hawkmoth is never dull), a good micros can save the day. Last night's 'wow' moment was a
Telechrysis tripuncta: a distinctive oecophorid that I last saw in 2002. I had just packed away the trap this morning, and had covered it with a sheet to deter birds, when I spotted this small black & white moth on the sheet. I don't know whether it had been attracted to the MV or was just flying at dawn and landed next to me by chance.
The trap also held three metallic green
Coleophora, which are always worth checking. One had the strikingly thickened antennae of
C. mayrella, whilst the other two had no thickening and were
C. alcyonipenella; a third species,
C. deauratella is also present here at Dingestow.
I'd love to see Telechrysis again; I've seen it just the once, in woodland near Dinas Powys, and that was a good few years ago.
ReplyDelete