Small Ranunculus

Click to enlarge and appreciate the attractive, but modest, Small Ranunculus

When I started moth-ing, Small Ranunculus was a mythical beast. They were a fairly common species in the south-east of England during the era of Victorian lepidopterists, but then suffered a catastrophic decline, ultimately heading towards British extinction by the start of the First World War. It was not until the 1990s that the species resurfaced, in north Kent and London. Since then it has re-established itself successfully in its old territory and spread to parts of the midlands, south Wales and north-west England. The photograph above is of the third garden record of this species for me, which, this morning, shared the MV along with the fourth record of Beautiful Hook-tip. That little so-and-so flew off just as I was about to photograph it.

Comments

Skev said…
Snap. Had a spanking Small Ranunculus this morning in my Whetstone (Leics.) garden trap - my second after one last year. I then found one today at work clinging to the outside of a flyscreen mesh over a window!
http://skevsblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/some-spanking-garden-moths.html
4 July 2011 at 20:39
Steve Gale said…
These are exciting times to be running an MV Skev. With so many species colonising the UK and spreading north, it seems that each year opens up further trapping opportunities. I'm awaiting my first Tree-lichen Beauty and Langmaid's Yellow Underwings here.
4 July 2011 at 21:04
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