Friday night is Garden Moth Scheme night, so my trap was out as usual, and it proved to be a good night for this time of the year. 53 moths including 28 Small Quaker and a total of 11 species (6 species of macro and 5 species of micro).
As usual there is always at least one micro that causes me a problem, but last night I had two, which I think are the same. My initial thoughts were Eudonia angustea, but my literature gives a flight period of July to October, so I would appreciate comments from any micro moth-ers more experienced than myself (which doesn't need much).
The photographs are of two different moths, Photo 1 is in a 20mm plastic pot, the other moth is similar size to the first.
Yes, I am sure you are right with the ID of them both as angustea, despite the flight period suggesting otherwise. The first scoparid is traditionally ambigualis which isn't due out until May time. All the above having been said, angustea is considered bivoltine in Dorset due to small numbers of presumed Autumn broods overwintering and appearing again in spring (including March). What you seem to have confirmed is that its doing likewise much further north these days. I'm sure the other Steve H. will be very interested in these records.
One of my other micro's on Friday was in fact Diurnia fagella, which I have recorded most years.
I get both colour forms, and until I saw your post, I thought they were reasonably well distributed.
Obviously not so in all areas, which explains why I still haven't recorded many moths that are labelled
common and widespread.
Looking back through the records Eudonia angustea first started appearing in the spring in 2007 and there have been spring sightings every year since, although these are the first March records.