29 May 2014

28 May 2014 – Cocksfoot Moth

Cocksfoot Moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella)

Identifying micro-moths is not easy.  This moth is visible but is very small and without a macro lens on the camera it would be difficult to see the markings in a photograph. Consulting the excellent Guide to Micro-moths doesn’t guarantee success either.  To the untrained eye this particular specimen could be one of a number of possibilities.  Fortunately the moth settled itself next to an important word on the egg-box : ‘advice’ and that advice was forthcoming from micro-expert Charlie Fletcher who identified it as a Cocksfoot Moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella) : ‘simple notched-wing’ is the Latin translation.  I can’t find an illustration of this moth in Westwood and Humphrey’s – members of the Glyphipteryx (with a ‘y’) family are represented but not with an ‘i’.  Cocksfoot is the name of that grass stem that can be found everywhere.  Orchard or Barnyard Grass are other common names.

And this is species number 335.