Brassy Longhorn

Day #27 of #30dayswild - an evening walk in John Clare Countryside produced a host of botanical and entomological treasures, though I was too late to catch the Liquorice Piercer moth, whose males fly on sunny afternoons. 

It was my first encounter with the Brassy Longhorn, a very local species of moth associated with Field Scabious, primarily in the Chilterns. Peterborough is towards the northern edge of its range. It was accompanied by its parasitoid wasp Stilbops ruficornis. Other moths seen included the Crescent Plume which is associated with Restharrow.

Botanical highlights included a strong colony of Dodder growing on Lady's Bedstraw and sweeps of the dramatically coloured Crested Cow-wheat.