June Moths - the Micros

The convention of Micro and Macro moths has emerged over a long period of time without really having a clear basis for the split. It is true that the Macros are usually bigger but that is not always the case. Micros are also considered to be more evolutionarily primitive but again that is not always true. A number of these privative moths are comparable in size with the Macros and are thus included as honorary Macros. 

In practice, it would seem that, if a moth has not been assigned to the group Macro then it is part of the larger group of all the others and is thus classified as a Micro. All very confusing but with good field guides the split should not cause any real problems.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that the Micros being smaller and thus harder to find and to identify have been less studied, leaving gaps in our knowledge and a lack of easily accessed information on them. It is only really with the publication in 2012 of The Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland that the area of study became more accessible to mere mortals like myself.

Grey Gorse Piercer - Cydia succedana

There are over 1,600 of these smaller moths that have been identified in Great Britain and Ireland. They vary in size with front wings from 3mm up to around 24mm. The longhorn below comes in at the lower end at around 5mm whilst the Bee Moth can be up to 18mm.

Meadow Longhorn - Cauchas rufimitrella

Bee Moth - Aphomia sociella

Triple-barred Argent - Argyresthia trifasciata

Cherry Bark Tortrix - Harmony formosana

 

Yellow-faced Bell - Notocelia cynosbatella 

Ringed China Mark - Parapoynx stratiotata

Garden Pebble - Evergestis forficalis

Crescent Bell - Epinotia bilunana

Olive Pearl - Udea Olivalis

Dark-boardered Pearl - Evergestis limbata

Common Birch Bell - Epinnotia immundana

Dark-barred Twist - Syndemis musculana

False Cacao - Ephestia unicolorella

 Small Grey - Eudonia mercurella

Meal Moth - Pyralis farinalis

Cinerous Pearl - Anania fuscalis

Small Magpie - Hanania hortulata

Rough-winged Conch - Phtheochroa rugosana

Codling Moth - Cydia pomonella

Codling Moth - Cydia pomonella

Grass Veneers are a small group of moths from the Crambidae family. They rest, usually on grass stems, with wings wrapped around their bodies and are difficult to spot unless you know exactly where they landed.

Little Grass-veneer - Platytes cerussella

Hook-streak Grass-veneer - Crambus lathoniellus

Inlaid Grass-veneer - Crambus pascuella

I still have a few pictures of Micros to identify but I think it is going to take me some time to complete the task. I have a similar challenge with Pugs, small moths from the Macro group, mostly around 10mm in wing length. They look easy to identify in the field guide but in practice it is a lot harder. They are a delicate moth that do not stay in pristine condition for long and with melanistic forms to contend with as well it makes them difficult to identify with certainty. I have a lot to learn.