Micropterix, Cauchas and Hysterophora on hot afternoon

 1st June 2021

Fedw Pool, Devauden

A warm start to this morning Tuesday 1st June. Sunshine was bright and glorious with long sunny spells continuing into the afternoon hours. Temperatures responded touching over 26c, 79f by the afternoon which is when I took out my sweep-net. Flaming June started flaming hot and efforts were quite laboured but ended up quite rewarding.

Several macro and micro were found however, the best of these were the micro's I felt, with a nice set of 6 Micropterix aruncella (White-barred Gold) minding their own business under some shaded plants, oscillating and jostling for position in a limited space around each other, low down to the ground. 

In more open spaces amongst flowers and developing plants, I disturbed a lively brownish moth that took my interest. Capturing it was difficult and it got away once. Cagily I managed get a photograph second time around fearing it would shoot off once again. I had no idea what it was so had to check the book. Cauchas fibulella (Little Long-horn) looked favourite which was one I hadn't seen before, so I was rather reserved about this assumption until Sam Bosanquet agreed, so a 1st sighting for me.

Further rummaging disturbed other macro's moths before another micro' flew out. This one tended to keep to these now 'fragrant Bluebells' which were doing overtime in the heat of the day sending out a pleasant smell in all directions. Appropriately it was at it's foodplant. This micro was also jumpy and I lost it twice whilst trying to obtain a photograph of it. Eventually it posed momentary as if to say hurry up I need to get on with my day, but that was it, I could not get any more of decent focus as it wandered around. Still one would enough to back up the sighting thankfully.