Tapping nettles

Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana)

We've been very light on moths so far this year; our cold, wet spring and (so far) cool summer hasn't been very conducive for moth-trapping, and we're seeing very few moths in the garden. But a foray last Saturday afternoon turned up this little visitor – a Nettle-tap (Anthophila fabriciana), which measures a mere 5-7mm (about 1/4-inch) long, with a 10-15mm (about 1/2-inch) wingspan. The two white marks along the edge of its forewing, and the sharp point in the white-edged band that crosses its wing help to identify it from other similar species in the same family. (It's related to the Apple Leaf Skeletoniser we recorded last year.) As its name suggests, its larvae feed on various nettles, including the Common Nettle (Urtica dioica) which is scattered in many weedy corners of our garden. We'll have to keep an eye out for their cocoons, which are conspicuous webs on the upper surface of the leaves, often with the leaf edges drawn together over them. Adults feed at many flowers, including the Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) that it's pictured on here. There are at least two broods a year, with adults flying from April through November. It's one of the most common and widespread "micro-moths", found throughout Britain. Elsewhere, it's found from Europe right across to China, including up in the Himalayas! Unlike most moths, it's active during the day, though it's reportedly also occasionally attracted to lights. We haven't previously recorded one here, so it's another new species for the property.