A nice surprise

On 29th May, I collected a few larval spinnings from sallows at Median Farm, Cross Hands. This morning, two individuals of Agonopterix conterminella emerged almost simultaneously. Photos of the two specimens are shown below.

Agonopterix conterminella (specimen 1)

Agonopterix conterminella (specimen 2)

I was expecting the spinnings to produce something fairly humdrum, so to find they contained a species I'd never seen before was a pleasant way to start the weekend. It's not a particularly scarce moth but we only have a handful of records in Glamorgan. I know Barry has had it at Penclacwydd WWT but I'd appreciate a bit more information on its status in Carms (thanks Sam!).

Rearing micros from spinnings can be rewarding - particularly for nocturnal species which aren't strongly attracted to light and therefore under-recorded. It is also fairly low-maintenance (compared to rearing macro-moths, which require more foodplant and more frequent mucking-out) and produces pristine specimens. Worth a try!

George