France Day 4 - 25/08/26

A really warm day followed the slightly cooler night of Monday, with highs of 31 degrees and a real humid feel to the day.

Early morning we made tracks up into a local nature reserve. There were very few moths due to the wind, but plenty of Grayling species and Browns struggling to make level flight in the gusts. 

 

By nightfall the wind had abated and the lights were busy with moths.

 

The species were absolutely incredible, and one of the most diverse species list so far during the holiday was witnessed.

 

The moths, well where do I start.

 

There were several extremely scarce moths potted up.

 

Agriphila brioniellus/paleatella was the first region for the Herault region in 11 years, last seen West of Montpellier on the 9th of September 2015.

The name is confusing and there seems to be a debate about the synonym that is currently being listed as an absolute synonym. Waaay above my pay grade I'm afraid! 

 

Hoyosia codeti, an unusual looking species much like the Festoon & Triangle moths that we get back home, to get two and both a male & female was rather spectacular.

To date, it is only found in 3 regions of France, and with just 49 records for the whole of France, it certainly was exciting to record them at our villa.

 

A rather distinct pyralid proved some initial major headaches, and sourcing help from others, we finally settled on Pseudacrobasis tergestella, another quite scarce species, an unusual moth with it's black raised scale tufts, much like Acrobasis tumidana, but in grey scale format!

 

Trichophaga bipartitella was one of my favourites of the night, initially thinking it was my first Tapestry Moth (Trichophaga tapetzella), then not realising that there was a second possible species, which it has turned out to be, so it seems like I still need to see a Tapestry Moth after all!

 

Uncinus obductellus was a moth I only recently ticked off down the road at Wicken Fen, a site first and a pyralid that seems to be spreading quite rapidly. In fact one was reported to me only yesterday from my village, Leslie popped round with said moth and it is indeed a lovely specimen of Uncinus obductellus.

In France it has a hugely scattered distribution. For the Herault department, it is only the 2nd record ever, and was last seen in 2022. 

 

All that lot and there were so many other cool moths, too many to write up individually about so I will let the list and photos do the rest of the talking. 

 

 

24/08/26 - Felines Minervois - Herault Department - 40w Actinic & 30w UV LED lamp

 

Macro Moths

Apaidia mesogona

Barrett's Marbled Coronet - Conisania andalusica

Hoyosia codeti 

Idaea eugeniata

Itame vincularia

Metachrostis velox 

Small Black Arches - Meganola strigula 

Zebeeba falsalis 

Micro Moths

Acrolepiopsis vesperella

Agdistis sp

Agriphila brioniellus/paleatella

Apodia bifractella 

Blastobasis glandulella

Chrysoteuchia culmella

Clepsis consimilana

Euzophera pinguis

Homoeosoma sinuella

Notocelia incarnatana

Pempelia palumbella

Pseudacrobasis tergestella

Pseudococcyx tessulatana 

Trichophaga bipartitella

Uncinus obductella 

 

Zebeeba falsalis

Acrolepiopsis vesperella

Agriphila brioniellus/paleatella

Hoyosia codeti

Itame vincularia

Notocelia incarnatana

Pseudacrobasis tergestella

Pseudococcyx tessulatana

Trichophaga bipartitella

Uncinus obductella