A relatively quiet trap the other night had me wondering whether they would be anything worth reporting. Not that there was a shortage of moths; there are always plenty at this time of year. But most were predictable and, to be honest, at the small and brown end of the spectrum. Then, turning over the very last eggbox, I saw the tiny gleam of the little chap above and below.
He - or she - is Caloptria pinella, a very handsome micro-moth albeit plentiful throughout the UK. You may disturb one when walking in long grass; but in flight, they could be any one of a dozen little micros. I like it so much that I am adding a couple more photos, the first one alongside a much larger micro, the irridescent Mother of Pearl. There are dozens of these in the trap at the moment; early risers who flutter out and away as soon as I lift the lid.
When I dismissed the rest of the trap's contents, I was a little unfair. Below, for example, is a nice green July Highflyer, following the custom among moths named after months of arriving early or, as in this case, late. Then we have a pretty little Least Carpet alongside a snail, and finally a couple of Shaded Broad-bars.
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