Following on from the bagworm post below one of the adults emerged overnight and was not the anticipated Narycia duplicella - instead I got the very unexpected and very rarely recorded Lichen Case-bearer (Dahlica lichenella).
Harry Beaumont seems happy with the identification; there is just one previous Yorkshire record I'm aware of.
As the cases were originally attached to stone I had to cut them off and carefully glue them in the correct orientation to some card when I got them back home. The female - all 2.8mm of her is parthenogenetic which means she emerges with fertile eggs so no need for attracting a mate.
As soon as she emerges she begins laying in side the old case. After a few hours she will die - job done.
She rarely stayed still and flash was used as it was still semi-light outside but some of the pics came out okay.
I thought she was just laying eggs around the inner edge of the case so I cut it half to have a look when she had finished. Little did I know the case was almost full from back to front!
My identification is largely based on the empty pupal case, in particular the head capsule (see UK Moths for details).
Just a few eggs to rear through now, hopefully I can release plenty back at the site were I found the cases.
I wonder what will pop out of the other case now as my confidence at ID-ing them is none existent.
