Friday, 26 June 2015

Help with ID, Please

Last night I trapped at Pwll Waun Cynon nature reserve, just down the valley from my home. It was a reasonably good night, with temperatures higher than forecast, but also breezier than forecast, so the species count was limited to the mid sixties.
Of particular note were my first ever Poplar Grey and the second Blackneck for the site, proving that they are breeding there. This makes the reserve the only site outside of the vale and Gower to have records of this species.
I have been puzzling all day over two micros, which look really identifiable, but have finally got me stumped.

I at first thought this was Eidophasia messingiella, but it lacked the scales on the lower parts of the antennae. Could it be that the scales had worn off?



There were two of these and they were identical, but I have been completely unable to find an exact match for it. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.



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6 comments:

  1. Barry Stewart27 June 2015 at 22:53

    Eidophasia messingiella looks good - I suspect the others are too, but not checked in book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mark Evans28 June 2015 at 10:31

    It's the banded antennae in the last one had me stumped, as much as anything, Barry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mark Evans28 June 2015 at 20:54

    I think you are right about them all being E. messingiella. Thank you Barry.

    ReplyDelete
  4. GMT28 June 2015 at 21:27

    By a strange coincidence, we caught a messingiella with reduced white markings, just like yours, in the Wye Valley last week. See:

    http://gwentmothing.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/black-cliff-last-night.html

    The only similar photo I could find online was on the German lepiforum website.

    ReplyDelete
  5. VC41Moths29 June 2015 at 14:50

    Looks fine to me too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mark Evans29 June 2015 at 17:02

    Thank you all. In that case, I had three messingiella, two of which had identically reduced white markings. Anyone know of a good hair restorer?

    ReplyDelete

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