19th June 2013

Cool weather has continued into the summer and moth numbers have remained low but yesterday things warmed up and it was a near perfect mothing night. 134 moths of 54 species was easily the best haul of the year so far and for the first time reasonable numbers of micros appeared.

What at first glance appeared to be an 'unrolled' Chrysoteuchia culmella turned out to be the fenland specialty Nascia cilialis - a garden first. I'm not too keen on the vernacular names for a lot of micros but I'll make an exception for this one - the Orange-rayed Pearl.

Another micro that wasn't immediately familiar to me became the second new garden species of the night (I can't remember the last time that happened!). A small grass moth with very dark palps Platytes cerussella is a native of coastal and sandy inland locations - so not the Fens then! A great rarity in VC31 with just 3 previous records.

                                1387 Nascia cilialis

                                1326 Platytes cerussella