Two exceptionally small and rarely observed moth species have been documented in Hampshire for the first time.
The discoveries — the deep brown Gelechia scotinella and the iridescent Haplotinea insectella — were made at Pamber Forest Nature Reserve, near Tadley, just north of Basingstoke.
According to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, the sightings mark the “first-ever Hampshire records” of the micro-moths, which often go unnoticed due to their size and the difficulty of identifying them. The trust described the finds as a milestone moment for the county.
The moths were detected during specialist survey sessions carried out by the trust’s volunteer “moth-ers,” who employed light traps and sugar-baited tree trunks to draw species out of the woodland.
Pamber Forest, a 214-hectare (529-acre) reserve, produced an impressive haul during one survey, with 305 species logged in a single session. At least 20 species were confirmed as new records for the site.
Graham Dennis, reserves officer for the trust, said the appearance of these species could be attributed to several factors.
“Many of these new arrivals are moving north from southern Europe as the climate warms, while others may be accidental introductions that have found suitable habitats in Britain,” he explained.
“With some of the rarer species, we simply don’t know whether they’ll ever be seen again — which makes each record particularly exciting.”
Given the large number of moths collected, the trust added that several specimens from the sessions still await full identification.
