A Biodiversity Information System for Cheshire, Halton, Warrington & Wirral

Hi All
By far the best moth in my garden trap for 2019 last night was this Sulphur Pearl (Sitochroa palealis) .RECORD shows no records for it,so is it new for Cheshire.
Cheers Harry Davies

Nice find Harry, sadly not the first. Graham Connolly caught one last year in his Moreton garden.
Details with photo on page 38 of the 2018 annual report.
rECOrd have the details but looks like they have not yet updated their database.
Regards
Steve

hi Steve
Is it just a coincidence that the species has not been reported in Cheshire then two in two years in close proximity.Could there be a small breeding population in the area.Vine's Rustic comes to mind.Its food plant is common enough.
Cheers Harry

Yes Harry, just a coincidence.
There has been an influx of migrants throughout the country recently and between 1st - 3rd August, a number of rare species reached Cheshire, including your Sitochroa palealis along with a couple of Loxostege sticticalis at Kingsley and Wybunbury and Bedstraw Hawk-moths at Nantwich and Alsager.
Regards
Steve

Maybe Sitochroa palealis has established itself along the North Wirral coast, as I've recently heard of another at Dove Point on 25th July 2019.

It would be worth looking among its foodplant, Wild Carrot, next June/July if anyone is in the area to see if anymore can be found.

Regards
Steve

Found a Sulphur Pearl yesterday morning on the sea defence path in Moreton, near to the cafe at the car park. Plenty of its food plant about too.