MERSEA WILDLIFE: MIGRANT MOTHS

Some interesting moths were trapped in the Firs Chase garden during the last week of October. One of the most notable was the scarce migrant micro moth Yellow-underwing Pearl Uresiphita gilvata, which appears to be the first record for Essex. It was trapped on Thursday 27th during a warm night with southerly winds.

The Yellow-underwing Pearl kindly posed with its forewings open to show the yellow underwings.

A Scarce Bordered Straw was another scarce migrant to the moth trap on Thursday 27th - the first record for the garden.

Five Rusty-dot Pearls were logged on the 27th, another migrant micro-moth. Other migrant moths that night included a Silver Y, 20 Rush Veneers and four Diamond-back moths. Twenty-six species were noted that night, a reasonable garden tally here for the end of October.

The delicate looking Olive-tree Pearl, Palpita vitrealis with its translucent wings is another migrant and was trapped on Friday 28th.

The migrant micro Crocidosema plebejana was also recorded on the 28th.

Plumed-Fan-foot was seen on the 27th.

An Oak Rustic was recorded on the 28th - just the second garden record after the first one last year on 30th October. A species that is slowly spreading.