A rare find in Sussex

As this dry summer has pulled the autumnal turn in early, it is a good time to reflect on the season. We have had a fair few requests for the moth service since we launched in March and announced it Atropos, from academics and enthusiasts alike. A recent highlight has been the identification of what turned out to be a very rare and unexpected species in Sussex. The specimen was found in June as a bi-catch by Paul Clark using a pheromone lure for clearwing moths, but defied identification when Mike Bailey examined it closely. While it had features characteristic of a member of the Coleophorinae, it didn’t quite fit for any particular species of Coleophora. An identification with DNA revealed Augasma aeratella (Knotgrass Gall moth) as the identity, which was a surprise. This moth had been thought extinct with no British records since 1956 until quite recently in 2023 it turned up in Wiltshire a handful of times over three closely clustered locations. Now it has been found in Sussex, the fourth location recorded in 69 years! Maybe too soon to say it’s making a comeback, but certainly a flying start for the moth service!

Augasma aeratella (Knotgrass Gall moth)