Last autumn I collected some mined oak leaves from Radyr Golf Course and left them in the garden over the winter. A few
Phyllonoryter quercifoliella emerged a couple of weeks ago, but I was rather more pleased today to arrive home from an Easter break and find two
Phyllonorycter muelleriella had emerged in my absence.
This species is supposedly a moth of ancient oak woodland, but Jake and Mike trapped one at Coryton roundabout in 2009 and Dave reared some from mines collected at the same site. Radyr Golf Course is less than 2km from Coryton, so it remains to be seen whether this species occurs more widely in Glamorgan.
I'll try and get a photo tomorrow...it's a lovely moth.
And here's a pic - the little devils wouldn't keep still and this is the best I could do.
George
Well done George - it's a nice one isn't it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave. For the record, the habitat could in no way be described as ancient woodland - essentially a typical mown golf course with some rough grassland areas and tree belts. The oaks range from saplings to mature trees but none of them are ancient.
ReplyDeleteI used to catch P muelleriella occasionally at Dingestow (Mons), on middle-aged/old Oak but again not really in ancient woodland. I've also had one here in mid Carms on a not particularly ancient Oak. They're lovely moths though.
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