RARE moths have been found in a Stroud cemetery, including one small specimen that has never been recorded in the town.

Only 28 of the little batia lunaris have even been spotted in Gloucestershire in the past 15 years, until last month when one was seen in Bisley Road cemetery.

Another species, which is normally found near the south and south-east coasts, was also unearthed spotted, making it only the seventh sitochroa palealis to be recorded in the county since 2000.

The moths creatures were discovered during a moth survey and workshop held by the Gloucestershire Butterfly Conservation group in conjunction with the town council. It was organised by the Stroud Valleys Project.

Bob Smith, from the group, said he netted some of the moths while looking for butterflies. Others were carefully caught in moth traps, including what is another tiny variety which is believed to be a cochylis flaviciliana.

“Only seven of these have previously been recorded in Gloucestershire, one of them was in my garden,” he said. “We also found a platyptilia pallidactyla, of which we’ve only seen one other in the Stroud area since 2000.”

The council’s green spaces manager, Jim Mathison, said: “A lot more moths were found than we previously had listed. It has been really great to do some activities which reinforce the nature reserve status of the cemetery.”