Great news for Wales!
An extremely rare moth has been discovered in Wales for the first time. The Butterfly Conservation have received two separate records of the Barred Tooth-striped moth at a woodland site in Monmouthshire earlier this month.
This moth is nationally scarce in the UK and is usually seen on the wing between March and April. This moth is usually found in open woodland or scrub. It has been found in hedgerows and on the outskirts of old wood forest.
The Butterfly Conservation officer for wales George Tordoff, said: “At first glance the moth might look unremarkable, but it’s actually very distinctive thanks to the dark brown band that can be seen across the middle of the upper wings.
“To find the Barred Tooth-striped at a new site is really encouraging, because not only is this a first for Wales, but the moth is declining in England. The fact that two have been caught on different nights also suggests that the moth is likely to be breeding in the wood it was found in.”
Nick Felstead is a member of BC’s South Wales Branch and made the exciting discovery two weeks ago.
Stating : “I remember it being a horrible night - very windy and wet – so I didn’t expect to find much and when I first saw the moth, I didn’t recognise it. So I took a photo and when I got home I started looking up what species it could be. Alarm bells went off when I realised what it was and when BC confirmed it, I just couldn’t believe it!”
The food plant for this caterpillar is Wild Privet, that was growing in both the ares where the moths were recorded. BC Wales is now working in close conjunction with Natural Resources Wales (NRW), who manage the woodland, to guaranty that the Wild Privet of the forests are protected when forest management work is done.
This is an amazing example of how records can help to find new species strongholds.
All photos are from the Butterfly Conservation website.