Rare micro-moths seen in county for first time

A pair of tiny moths have been recorded for the first time in Hampshire.

The two moths, the chocolate-brown Gelechia scotinella and Haplotinea insectella with shimmering scales were found at Pamber Forest Nature Reserve, near Tadley north of Basingstoke.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said the "first-ever Hampshire records" of the "micro-moths, often overlooked because of their small size and difficulty of identification...had made county history".

The trust said the "remarkable discoveries" were made during survey sessions by its volunteer "moth-ers," using light traps and attracting the moths to tree trunks with sugar.

The charity said moth trapping sessions at the 214 hectare (529 acre) woodland reserve recorded a bumper 305 species in one session and had identified at least 20 new species for the site.

Graham Dennis, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust reserves officer at Pamber said the reasons for the discoveries were varied.

He added: "Many of these new arrivals are spreading from southern areas due to climate change, while others are accidental introductions finding suitable habitats in Britain.

"We won't know for certain whether some of the rarer species will be found again, which makes every sighting exciting."

The charity said due to the large numbers gathered, several moths recorded during the sessions were still awaiting identification.