Monday 12 May 2014

A daisy comes up trumps

Species number 800 for the garden list here at Westcott, Bucks was discovered sitting on a daisy flower in our lawn this afternoon.  At just over 3mm in length, the very common Glyphipterix simpliciella is not exactly the most obvious or significant of day-flying moths but that doesn't make it any the less welcome.  I also now have a good excuse to postpone mowing the lawn for a few days for fear of destroying a colony!

Dave Wilton       

Glyphipterix simpliciella, Westcott 12th May

5 comments:

  1. Many congrats on reaching your magnificent total of 800. So, here are a couple of questions.
    Firstly, how many are macros and how many are micros?
    Secondly, is that 800 all flying adults, or are some only on the list as larvae or leaf mines?
    Finally, the toughest question of all, which one of the 800 on your list is your favourite?
    Regards, Steve Trigg

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  2. Perhaps you could forward Steve a copy of the latest Bucks Invert Bulletin. I hear it's fantastic and rumours abound that you did a breakdown in that?

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    1. I hear it is fantastic too. Remind me once again who the editor is....?

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  3. Hi Steve, thanks! Remember, though, that this is the kind of figure which many gardens ought to be able to achieve given sufficient time. There are people in the country who've passed the 1,000 mark (...well, I can think of at least one person anyway).

    Macros here stand at 390 (all adult moths) and micros at 410 (which does include some leaf-miners). I've identified 35 leaf-mining species in the garden but of those I've had 16 in their adult form as well. The micro total didn't overtake the macro total until last year.

    As to a favourite, quite probably Garden Tiger which I've had here just once in the nine years of recording at this site.


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