Micromoths

Recently, this Nettle-tap was on the outside of the house:

Common Nettle-tap

A few days later I went toward Oskaig to look for Ectoedemia argyropeza (Virgin Pigmy) on fallen aspen leaves which Seth had found on Skye. It makes a green island on the leaf:

Ectoedemia argyropeza                          Photo S. Gibson

I failed to find that one but did find leaf mines caused by moth larvae on hazel and rusty sallow leaves:

Stigmella floslactella and Parornix devoniella mines on Hazel

Caloptilia stigmatella on Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia

Thanks to Seth and Tony for help with identification.

Meanwhile, I dug out the following paper which lists 329 species of butterflies and moths including 98 micromoths, details of which I extracted to a spreadsheet and sent to Keith the County Moth Recorder:

HARRISON J W HESLOP (1937) The Lepidoptera of the Isle of Raasay and of the adjacent Islands of Scalpay, South Rona, Fladday and Longay. Proceedings of the University of Durham Philosophical Society 9  305-328

Nine of these have been accepted as new to the vice-county:

Acleris logiana	Grey Birch Button
Apotomis sauciana	Bilberry Marble
Argyroploce arbutella	Bearberry Marble
Cnephasia incertana	Light Grey Tortrix
Dichrorampha plumbagana	Silver-Lined Drill
Dichrorampha plumbana	Lead-Coloured Drill
Philedone gerningana	Cinquefoil Twist
Phyllonorycter scopariella	Broom Midget
Teleiopsis diffinis	Large Groundling

Now I am looking out this paper to see if there are more I can add:

HARRISON J W HESLOP & J K MORTON (1952) Lepidoptera in the Isles of Raasay, Rhum (vc104), Lewis and Harris (vc110) in 1951. The Entomologist 85 6-13

Tags: Moths