As usual there were plenty of tiny grey moths on the floor of the traps (is no-one else taking notice of these, or are they - very understandably - regarded as being in the too-difficult category?) Most of these were much the same as the ones I have already reported (presumed Elachista species and tentatively recorded as such), but there was one slightly larger and better-marked which I thought might be anotherYponomeutid, possibly Swammerdamia caesiella, but it's probably Elachista canapennella, not a bad likeness for an image of this moth in Chris Manley's book:
That's a really beautifully patterned literana. Thanks for the book plug!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Chris, I'm not the only one who finds your book an essential guide to identification, of micros in particular. My 2nd edition copy is special because it was bought as a prize for a moth I caught on NMN a few years ago, the identification of it having been made through the 1st edition of the book.
DeleteCertainly not getting 'plenty of tiny moths' on the floor of my MV trap. Are you using Actinic or MV?
ReplyDeleteBoth in conjunction, but the MV attracts most of the little grey jobs. Assuming that they are Elachista species, we are surrounded by pasture so these grass feeders are probably abundant hereabouts.
DeleteI'm getting very few micros here at the moment, large quantities of macros though. Since my two immediate neighbours started weekly ride on mowing of their small paddocks, taking off every flower and leaf, the micro catch has plummeted. Before they started the paddocks were flower rich, and lightly sheep grazed, plenty of dock, nettle, pignut. Now it looks like a golf course. I could weep every time the wretched tractors appear.
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