Diurnea lipsiella (aka the November Tubic) is a micro moth in the
Chimabachidae family. It is locally, but widely distributed across the UK, with Oak (
Quercus spp.) and Bilberry (
Vaccinium myrtillus) being the preferred larval food plants. As with other members of the Chimabachid moths, the females are brachypterous and therefore flightless. The males however, have a forewing length of 10-12mm and are on the wing in October and November (hence their very imaginative vernacular name).
Whenever the weather has been suitable this semester, we have tried to run two moths traps on the UEA campus. On the night of 31st October we set two traps as usual: one with an actinic bulb and one with a mercury vapour bulb. When we checked the traps in the morning, there were quite a few moths in and around the traps, including 26 November Moth agg. (
Epirrita dilutata agg.), four December Moths (
Poecilocampa populi), two Sprawlers (
Asteroscopus sphinx), two Feathered Thorns (
Colotois pennaria) and singles of Diamond-back Moth (
Plutella xylostella) and Red-green Carpet (
Chloroclysta siterata). Also in the trap was one
Diurnea lipsiella, a new species to me, and apparently a new species for the UEA campus too!
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| Absolutely shocking iPhone photo of Diurnea lipsiella. |
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