Day 12: Nemophora metallica on Scabious

I thought this project might allow for some fairly geeky behaviour and it's happened sooner than I expected.  I've had a brush with the hoverfly recorder when I found my Hornet Mimic and now I've tried to identify a micro-moth.  So clueless was I at the start of the process I actually thought I'd photographed a beetle - it wasn't until I looked at my pictures that I realised it was a moth.

I've been seeing them  in cemetery for about a week but not been able to photograph them.  With their bronzy metallic  sheen and super long antennae they look more like a character from Dr Suess or "Gold Bug" from Richard Scarry's books.

After some serious googling I eventually tracked it down as being a micro-moth and based on features, location flying time and habitat I've gone for Nemophora metallica.

See http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=147


"Wingspan 15-20 mm.

One of the 'longhorn' moths, the male has antennae three times the length of the forewings, the female around half this length. The wings have a relatively plain bronzy sheen.
Like other members of the genus, the larvae feed at first on seeds and later on leaves or leaf-litter, mainly of field scabious (Knautia arvensis).
Occurring in the south of England and East Anglia, the moths fly in June and July during the day."


I think I'll write to the county recorder for moths and see if I can get confirmation...

#100DaysofNature Day 12 Micro Moth - I'm guessing a Longhorn Moth (Nemophora metallica) on Scabious @BBCSpringwatch pic.twitter.com/OibqQTDnKe
— Simon Ashley (@MilouTheBrave) August 4, 2014

Here's a better picture with my SLR Nemophora metallica on Scabious (Knautia arvensis)