Last of the 2024 Micro Moths

It's February and I have only just tidied up the last of my moth pictures from 2024 and updated my records and those on e-Record.

I haven't produced many Blogs lately, the main reason being that I haven't been out birding much. It suddenly started to get a bit boring, seeing the same old thing year after year and then churning out the same old blog content. It is only really the moths and the overseas birding that has kept me going.

Fortunately there were a few interesting species amongst the remaining moth pictures so it seemed worth recording them here. Most of these were new to the garden. 

This first Caloptilia semifascia did have a common name of Maple Stilt but many of these micros have had a name change and this is now known as a Maple Slender. Most of these name changes make sense and better describe the families they belong too but some of the more unusual names will be sadly missed.

Maple Slender - Caloptilia semifascia

The next a Pine Leaf-mining Moth, again new for the garden and no name change for this one.

Pine Leaf-mining Moth - Clavigesta purdeyi

The next micro I have as the Pine Shoot Moth - Rhyacionia buoliana rather than the very similar looking and more common Smooth Pine Shoot Moth - Rhyacionia pinicolana.

Pine Shoot Moth - Rhyacionia buoliana

The next a Regal Piercer - Pammene regiana

Regal Piercer - Pammene regiana

The next looks like a good possibility for Grapholita lobarzewskii the Kent Fruit Piercer and Obsidentify gives it a 99% rating. However that is a nationally scarce moth and the county recorder is unlikely to accept it without much better pictures or dissection. Too late, I had already released it...

Kent Fruit Piercer - Grapholita lobarzewskii - Possible

The next, another rarity, Tuta absoluta - Tomato Leaf-miner. This looks as though it is starting to colonising the south of England. It was in the trap back in March 24 but it took me a long time to identify it.

Tomato Leaf-miner - Tuta absoluta

A Nationally Scarce B,  Hollyhock Seed Moth - Pexicopia malvella. This one is not new to the garden, as I caught one last year with better markings on it, so I think it must be becoming established in the area.

We have had a lot of Hollyhocks in the garden for the last couple of years and do leave the seeds on overwinter as the larvae of this moth feed inside the seeds and overwintering in a cocoon constructed within the seed case.

Hollyhock Seed Moth - Pexicopia malvella

Another unusual micro that appears to be spreading in the South East of England, the Fig-leaf Skeletonizer - Choreutis nemorana

Fig-leaf Skeletonizer - Choreutis nemorana

Another name change this was the Garden Apple Slender - Callisto denticuletta it is now called the Apple Nymph.

Garden Nymph - Callisto denticuletta

Another rarity Deep-brown Piercer, now called Rose Piercer - Grapholita tenebrosana

Rose Piercer - Grapholita tenebrosana

The Dark Moss-moth is not particularly rare but it is new to the garden and it's a nice picture so it's in.

Dark Moss-moth - Bryotropha affinis

A Large Ivy Twist - Lozotaenia forsterana

Large Ivy Twist - Lozotaenia forsterana

The next a Water Veneer - Acentria ephemerella. It's not particularly rare but it is new to the garden and is probably a result of my new wildlife pond.

Water Veneer - Acentria ephemerella

And to finish a Vagrant Piercer now known as the Rust Acorn Piercer - Cydia amplana. Not particularly rare but it takes a nice picture so it's in.

Rust Acorn Piercer - Cydia amplana

That probably covers all the garden firsts and the more unusual micros for the later part of 2024. I will put the macros moths in the next blog.