New Garden Species – The Moo Moth
On the 2nd of May, having taken advantage of the wonderful weather we’ve been having, we inspected the results of the previous night’s moth trap. We immediately noticed this amazing micro moth, which we have decided to call the Moo Moth.
We really shouldn’t just make up names, as it is bound to upset someone. This is really Ethmia quadrillella, and nationally speaking, it’s not all that common, as we found out while quickly checking our go-to guide on micro-moths (Sterling, P. & Parsons, M. (2012): Bloomsbury Wildlife Guides: Field Guide to the Micro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd). There seem to be a good many larval food plants listed for this species, many of which are common. The larvae feed from beneath a silken web.
It’s one of several species in the UK from this genus, but the only one we have ever recorded (as of the date below).
DC: 16.05.2025
Wildlife Garden 