Another difficult choice for moth of the month for August. I’ve chosen Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Beet Moth). This tiny little Gelechiid has arrived in Derbyshire in very good numbers during August, most probably migrant wanderers from what has likely been a large influx into Britain this summer, rather than population expansion.
There are two generations, with adult moths on the wing from May to July and again between August and October. The normal habitat for this localised species in Britian is shingle coasts and salt-marshes along the southern coast of England and Wales. As it is found on Madeira and the Canary Islands, the recent arrivals, may well have come from this area. My thanks go to Christian Heintzen for his superb image.
