'Special surprise' as rare moth found in nature reserve for first time
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A rare species of moth has been found in north Wales.
The Bog Grass Moth was found at Cors Geirch National Nature Reserve on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, as conservationists were surveying the area's species.
Experts called it a "special surprise" to find the "incredibly sparse moth" in the habitat.
An exact population figure in the UK for the Bog Grass Moth is not known, but they have only been recorded in a small number of English counties, such as Dorset.
The fen, which is an area of low, flat, wet land, is monitored by Natur am Byth's Llŷn and Ynys Môn project, which aims to protect some of north Wales' most at risk species.
As experts from the conservation project gathered at Cors Geirch they set up moth traps and in one night 446 moths made up of 91 different species were collected, with 19 of these being Bog Grass Moths - the first time they had been recorded in this area.
Natural Resources Wales said the habitat allowed wet sedges to grow - which is the only food source for the Bog Grass Moth's larvae.
Sedges are one of the largest plant families in the world and are most common in wet habitats.
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