First night in France - 22/08/26

We had a lovely family holiday to the Herault Department of France which resides in the Occitanie region of Southern France.

We took a short flight to Carcassonne and headed North-east to our base in rural Felines Minervois, a stunning property sat on the edge of a valley that was bordered by lovely montane hills, on the furthest western edge of what would eventually turn into the Alps.

 

I had several setups with me, including two 40w Actinic vane sets, a mobile trap and a couple of led lamps that could be run off of powerbanks for several hours.

 

On the first night it was very warm and with slight humidity, the patio area where I was running two lamps was quite busy.

 

Below were some of the best species I saw on the first night on the 22nd of August.

There were several nights where I recorded some species that we are more familiar here in the UK, they were added onto the final list at the end.

 

Some identifications might be subjective and open for challenging. No specimens were retained as I was unable to bring anything home with me.

Where I am not sure of the species, I have used the Latin word confer, which means to compare or compare with.

It is placed between a genus and a species name (for example, Homoeosoma cf calcella) to signal that an insect specimen closely resembles a known species, but its exact identity has not yet been fully confirmed or verified.

 

About 90% of the moth species recorded were new to my records. 

 

Several stunning Tortrix moths were seen including the pink-flushed Propiromorpha rhodophana & one beautiful moth from the Cnephasia group, Xerocnephasia rigana.

 

Best moth of the night was the 2nd record for the Herault Department of France of the rather smart micro moth, Eteobalea dohrnii. A nationally scarce species, being only the 15th record for the whole of France!  

 

 

22/08/26 - Felines Minervois - Herault Department - 40w Actinic & 30w UV LED lamp

 

Macro Moths

Bryophila raptricula

Caradrina aspersa 

Devonshire Wainscot - Leucania putrescens

Dusky Carpet - Tephronia sepiaria 

Ecleora solieraria

Four-spotted - Tyta luctuosa 

Idaea filicata

Idaea infirmaria

Lorimer's Rustic - Caradrina flavirena

Marbled Green - Bryopsis muralis 

Odice jucunda

Portland Ribbon Wave - Idaea degeneraria 

Purple Marbled Eublemma ostrina 

Small Dusty Wave - Idaea seriata ssp canteneraria

Sorcerer - Aedia leucomelas

Spiny Hook-tip - Watsonalla uncinula

Synaphe punctalis (Another common moth, 10+)

The Passenger - Dysgonia algira 

 

Micro Moths

Aethes bilbaensis 

Ancylolomia tentaculella

Aporodes floralis 

Aproaerema cf patruella 

Bostra obsoletalis 

Cadra figulilella (Very common numbering 30+)

Denticera divisella  

Eteobalea dohrnii (2nd record for Herault Department) 

Euchromius cambridgei 

Homoeosoma cf calcella

Homoeosoma nimbella

Nemapogon nevadella

Neocochylis millierana 

Phalonidia contractana 

Propiromorpha rhodophana

Pyrausta sanguinalis

Scythris cf terrenella

Udea numeralis

Xerocnephasia rigana 

 

Ancylolomia tentaculella

Cadra figulilella

Caradrina aspersa

Denticera divisella

Devonshire Wainscot - Leucania putrescens

Ecleora solieraria

Eteobalea dohrnii

Nemapogon nevadella

Propiromorpha rhodophana

Spiny Hook-tip - Watsonalla uncinula

Xerocnephasia rigana

 

40w Actinic Travel Trap

Patio setup - 40w Actinic & 30w led