Catoptria pinella (Linn.) Res., 1860-1980. Gramineae, Cyperaceae. Wdspd but at rather low
density. 48 *Wanstead (Took, 1860).
C. falsella ([D. & S.]) Res., (1889)4980. Moss. V. loc and r.
VC 18. 88 *Old Leigh, c. (Vauhan, 1889); formerly f.c. (HCH); Westcliff-on-Sea, at m.v. light
in 1958 and 1962 (HCH); 80 Hazeleigh (VCH); 00 Bradwell-on-Sea, abdt on disused airstrip
(AME). VC 19. 53 Saffron Walden, 8 August 1979 (AME); 02 Colchester, r. (VCH); 12
Beaumont-cum-Moze (JBF); 23 Dovercourt, on a paling in 1894 and on his wife's dress at a
garden party in 1905 (GFM).
C. verellus (Zinck.) NRR., 1927. Moss. V. loc. and r.
VC 19. 64 Haverhill, five by A.F.Griffiths, originally recorded from Cambridge. Huggins
(1954) writes:- "The 'Cambridge' locality is misleading, as the late Sir John Fryer told me when
we were motoring near Haverhill in Suffolk. The actual locality was just outside Haverhill and
in the county of Suffolk, where A.F.Griffiths was spending the summer vacation in a country
cottage. The four [?] specimens he took all came to his light whilst he was reading at night. Fryer
had looked at the place and said there were old fruit-treesand mossy roofs near (the larva is said
to feed on moss on fruit-trees)..." Until nearly the end of the nineteenth century Haverhill and
the neighbouring village of Kedington were in Essex and they still belong to VC 19 for the
purpose of biological recording. (See Jermyn, 1974: map 'The Recording Area' facing p. 42).
Having been taken almost at their point of juncture, the moth, if resident, probably occurred in
all three counties. There are orchards just west of Haverhill. Three of Griffith's specimens are
in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, and two in BM(NH). According to Huggins (loc.
cit.), there are only four other confirmed British records.
Thisanotia chrysonuchella (Scop.) Res., (1903)-1976. Gramineae. Loc. and r.
VC 18.49 *Loughton; 40 *Epping (VCH); 70 Little Baddow, 1976 (GAP); 88 Leigh-on-Sea, c.
on waste ground until it was ploughed up in 1940 and persisting nearby until 1973 (HCH). VC
19. 53 Near Audley End, 21 May 1927 (WSG).
Pediasia fascelinella (Hubn.) NRR., (1903)-1902. Gramineae. Two records only from the north
-east, perhaps vagrant from the Suffolk coast, where it is resident.
VC 19.23 *Dovercourt, once by WHH (VCH); one at light on sandhills (Mathew, 1902).
P. contaminella (Hubn.)Res., 1900, ?1886-1979. Gramineae. Loc. and r., but less so than formerly
supposed, on the evidence of recent light-trap records. Records made prior to 1900 are
unreliable, since it was confused with P. aridella.
VC 18.39 Chingford, 1977 (PH); 49 Chigwell Row, 1977-1979 (IS); 58 Rainham, 1977 (GSR);
Romford, f. stichali Constantine (KRT); 69 Ingrave (IM); 88 between Hadleigh and Leigh-on-
Sea, including f. stichali; 80 Woodham Walter Common (HCH); 98 *Shoebury, 1900 (FGW).
Early unconfirmed records include 88 Leigh-on-Sea (Vaughan, 1889) and 98 Shoeburyness,
prior to 1886 (GC). VC 19. 60 Writtle A C, two 1977.
P. aridella (Thunb.) Res., 1881-1980. Gramineae. Wdspd and f.c. on the higher parts of saltings; r.
inland. *Essex salt-marshes (Machin, 1881).
VC 18. 68 Mucking by CRNB (coll. Whittle); 78 Benfleet (Whittle, 1892); Thundersley
(DGD); 79 Battlesbridge (HCH); 88 Westcliff-on-Sea (FGW; DGD; Huggins, 1958b); 89
Hullbridge; Bridgemarsh; Canewdon (HCH); 80 Maldon (Mrs CH); 99 Creeksea (LTF; HCH;
Whalley, 1960). VC 19. 60 Writtle A.C. August 1978, teste M.Schaffer; 91 Virley (WSG;
HCH); 11 Colne Point NR (DGD; MH); 22 Beaumont-cum-Moze (JBF); 23 Dovercourt;
Harwich (GFM; LTF).
Platytes alpinella (Hubn.) NRR., 1957. Moss. Recorded once only.
VC 18. 88 Westcliff-on-Sea, one at m.v. light, 9 July 1957; probably a wanderer from Kent
(Huggins, 1958b).
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