Moth of the Month (July 2025)

A very difficult choice this month with four new species for Derbyshire to choose from. Three micros and a macro, but my choice goes to Brian Hallam’s fantastic record of Cloaked Pug, which he recorded on 11th July 2025 from his overnight garden light trap in Findern.

A remarkable record of a species that appeared to be dying out in the early part of the 20th century. It has been re-discovered in small colonies in parts of England, Wales and Scotland, no doubt in coniferous forests as the larvae feed internally on the cones of Norway Spruce, Sitka Spruce and Noble Fir. Records of singletons often refer to the likelihood of an immigrant, so this specimen is highly likely to be a migrant, especially at a time of high migrant activity in the country.