Went to Sutton heath today for 2 reasons, firstly to see the very showy Wood warbler present there, but also to have a look for Birch stumps trying to find Large red belted clearwing. Not far from where the Wood warbler was singing was an open area with stumps a year or so old so I had a look. On the second stump I checked I found a freshly emerged moth, its wings still not expanded fully. Checking other stumps revealed 11 other pupal exuviae protruding from them. I also found over 30 pupal exuviae of the clearwing in Birch stumps on Tunstall common, as well as some capped tunnels of moths that had yet to emerge so it looks like the moth has only started to come out recently in this warm spell we have been having. A check of Lower Hollesley common, Blaxhall common, Tunstall forest and Bromeswell green reserve revealed nothing.
Neil
The stumps did look good when I was there last weekend. Just needed a week’s worth of hot, sunny weather to do the rest.