A little more difficult to choose this months Moth of the Month than in August, but I’ve gone for the Scarce Bordered Straw. A rare immigrant species to our recording area, but this year there have been more reports than in previous years. It is more often encountered as an annual visitor along the south coasts of Britain, especially during the autumn, but in recent years has been found widespread across many inland counties.
It has a very variable ground colour ranging from sandy to dark purplish brown. The upper-wing markings can be almost nondescript to fairly distinct. The forewing has a darker brown cross-band near the outer edge and a dark cross-line through the middle of the wing. Some individuals show hardly any obvious markings. Kidney & oval marks have a dark central spot. The hindwing has a broad dark border. Clive Ashton’s superb photo shows one of the pale varieties, a particularly nice image.
