| 73.010 .... B&F 2436 | ||
Dewick's Plusia
Macdunnoughia confusa
(Stephens, 1850)  |
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A very rare migrant moth to Nottinghamshire before the
unprecedented influx of 2023, with the first county
record coming from Martin Gray's Broadholme garden in July 2022. What came in 2023 was forseen or forcasted by no one and multiple records as part of a huge national influx/range expansion, producing a number of records from West Bridgeford from July 28th to October 6th. Other sites producing records included Elkesley August 8th, Stanton-on-the-Wolds August 27th, Linby/Papplewick September 13th, Retford, Bestwood and Keyworth September 16th, Broadholme on September 17th, Rampton September 22nd, High Marnham September 25th, Market Warsop on October 1st and October 6th, plus three attracted to a Ni Moth lure at another Market Warsop site on the same date. The county's most recent (and somewhat unexpected) records, again came from Market Warsop, when singles were attracted to a Ni Moth lure on July 25th 2024 and August 2nd, with another to the Ni Moth lure on July 31st and to MV light at Stanton-on-the Wolds on August 7th and Nuthall on August 18th, suggesting that this species has possibly become established following the influx of 2023. There was something of an unexpectedly couploe of late records coming from Kirkby-in-Ashfield on October 25th (Davison, P.) and Toton on November 2nd 2024 (Bryce, M.). Two to the Ni Moth lure at Market Warsop on May 11th 2025 (Morton, D.), were thought to be the first of more records to come, but they weren't followed until another at Broadholme on June 26th (Gray, M.), then yet another from Market Warsop on July 2nd 2025 (Morton, D.) and to the Ni Moth lure at Market Warsop again on July 12th,15th and 19th (Pendleton, T.A.) and at Lound Wood on August 10th (Pendleton, T.A.). Trent Valley records of singles at Langford Lowfields on August 24th (Morton, D. and Ashley, A.) and Besthorpe NR on August 26th (Pendleton, T.A.), could well have been genuine migrants, as could one at South Muskham on August 28th (Kennewell, M.) and Nuthall on August 29th (Hill, M.). |
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| Photographed at Market Warsop, July 2024 | ||
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| Photographed at Market Warsop (various dates) 2023. | ||
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Early stages |
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| Newly hatched larva (from eggs laid by female trapped on 01/10/23) on Nettle Urtica dioica. Photographed at Market Warsop October 2023. | ||
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| 3rd-instar larva on Nettle Urtica dioica. Photographed at Market Warsop October 2023. | ||
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| 4th-instar larva on Nettle Urtica dioica. Photographed at Market Warsop October 2023. | ||
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| Final-instar larva on Nettle Urtica dioica. Photographed at Market Warsop October 2023. | ||
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| Nottinghamshire (VC56) distribution of Dewick's Plusia |
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| copyright © Trevor and Dilys Pendleton (www.eakringbirds.com) | . | . |