Wednesday 6 July 2011

Rhoose Point - 5 July

Just a single migrant last night, a solitary Silver Y. Overall numbers and species count both low too, no doubt due to the weather! However, on the positive side, this attractively marked Catoptria pinella arrived, along with a few that I have strugglesd to positively id.
Catoptria pinella

Although it doesn't come out well in the photo, this moth has antennae about 2.5 times the length of it's body, yet I can't find anything fitting that description... The body is about 9mm long, and there were 5 or so in the trap.

I thought this might be Caryocolum vicinella, but I am not entirely convinced...

Perhaps one of the Depressaria?






Any pointers gratefully appreciated!

10 comments:

  1. Hi Adam, the 'longhorn' is actually a caddis, plus you have Oegoconia sp (prob quadripuncta but can't be confirmed without dissection) and Hofmannophila pseudopratella.

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  2. In no particular order: the bottom one is Brown House moth, the black one with pale lines is an Oegoconia (probably quadripunctata but should really be dissected), and the pale grey long-horn is a Caddis - I had a lot of these last week and have kept a couple to identify them. I'll let you know how I get on (when I get around to it).

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  3. How bizarre!!!
    Glad we agree :o)

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  4. Thanks both! I'm used to much bigger Caddis flies round here (I see quite a lot) which are far easier to pick out as they aren't disguised as moths! Would be curious to know what it is if you do find out Dave.

    Let me know if you think the Oecogonia is worth dissecting, from a glance at UKMoths it looks more akin to the deauratella example than the quadripunctata, but there's not a lot in it! I'll release it later today and record as Oecogonia sp. if I don't hear. Thanks again for the quick (and consistent!) feedback!

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  5. Every one that I have dissected has been quadripunctata - Idon't bother in my garden any more. However, you are in a different area so feel free to send it to me.

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  6. I get O. quadripunctata in my garden in Roath (DJS det), indeed it is not uncommon in the Cardiff area. I believe that C. quadripunctata is the only Caryocolum spp. as yet identified to species in VC41.

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  7. Ooops - Oegoconia not Caryocolum!!

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  8. I took two specimens of the 40 or so pale grey Caddis I caught, but have two species! I think Leptocerus tineiformis is more likely to have been the commoner one (and therefore may be what you have here), but I can't rule out Ceraclea dissimilis - or indeed the other members of both genera! It is definitely in the family Leptoceridae though so best record it as such.

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  9. In keeping with all the other Oecogonia specimens I have dissected, this one proved to be quadripunctata - albeit my first female of the species.

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