Two walks near Butterknowle, County Durham on the 6th and 13th June 2021 to look for moorland insects produced a new moth for me. Looking closely at the beautiful Gorse bushes in flower, I spotted some very small moths. The sun was beating down and the heat radiated from the Gorse , so it was difficult to catch the moths with the camera as they were moving quickly around the flowers and spikes.
Below are photographs of Grapholita internana (49.349) with a wingspan 9-10 mm.
Distributed widely but locally throughout Britain, this moth is generally more frequent in the southern counties. The foodplant is Gorse (Ulex europeaus), and the larvae live inside the seedpods feeding on the seeds. Flying between April and June, the males are can be seen around Gorse bushes during the day, where their white dorsal bars are quite noticeable.
I was pleased to be told by the county recorder for VC66 - County Durham that there has been only 6 records of this moth in the last 50 years.
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