One of my (very) occasional themes is to highlight a moth species that I've recorded in the garden some time ago but not since. I thought I'd pick out another, although this one surprised me in a lot of ways. Hypatima rhomboidella is not rare or scarce in VC55, or so I thought. But actually looking at VC55 records it does seem to be a lot scarcer than I thought, mainly from decent woodland sites and there are some years in the last couple of decades with very few or no records at all. I don't actually recall seeing one for a long while (July 2008 August 2014 at group session that isn't in my personal records). However a squint at the excellent Gelechiid Recording Scheme website shows that it is very widespread within the UK, and feeds primarily on Silver Birch and Hazel with Alder, Hornbeam and Aspen recorded as utilised in Europe. It is also supposed to come readily to light. Really then, this should be piss common everywhere ....
I have two garden records, both in 2000 on 1st and 11th June. That is so long ago that it actually precedes even my earliest moth photography. I do have a couple of shots, one of a couple recorded at Timberwood Hill, Charnwood Lodge with Andy Mackay on 26/08/2002.
Think this is more than overdue for me anywhere, let alone for the garden, and it's one I will be trying to get a better shot of when I next encounter one!
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