A Hardy Micro

I found the above Tortricodes alternella last night on a white sheet I suspend above the trap at this time of year. One of the earlier micro moths to appear, T. alternella is fairly common in Surrey, with the bulk of records coming from the North and West of the county according to the provisional distribution maps (2009).

Hanging a white sheet behind the trap seems to be a particularly effective way of maximising the catch during late winter and early spring, with many early Geometers prefering to land around the trap, as opposed to inside it.