Phiaris micana - New to VC35

This rather worn Olethreutinid was found in the Tintern garden moth trap of my mother, Hazel Mitchell last night (29/6). The only possible match seemed to be Phiaris micana, and this record has been confirmed by Sam as a new to VC35.

P. micana frequents damp and marshy habitats, so perhaps not a surprise that it turned up in Tintern. The normal flight period is after dark, but the males especially can sometimes be flushed from grass in the daytime.

The early stages are not well documented in the British Isles, though on the continent the larvae are known to feed on mosses and herbaceous plants.