SMG meeting Orfordness 27th/28th July 2013.

With heavy rain forecast for the first part of the night, this meeting was almost cancelled but it was decided that as we were only putting traps out and leaving them running all night that we would go ahead. It was forecast to remain mild too and with the cloud cover we hoped it would be OK. Target moth for the night was again White-mantled wainscot having failed on previous attempts to record it here.
Thunder was rumbling around as we started to put out the traps, and heavy rain soon started so some traps were getting wet before we turned them on! We put out 2 traps (30w twin actinic and a 125w MV) at the main reedbed area, 2 more traps at another area of reeds near the Quay plus 2 more Skinner traps in the shelter of the doorways of some of the buildings so they wouldn’t get too wet. The static trap that is run regularly on site was also used.
After going back to the accommodation block to have a beer and a chat, we went back round the traps at around 10pm to top up the generators and to have a quick look to see what had come in. The 2 traps at the main reedbed were swarming with loads of midges so they were pretty much left! The other traps had moths coming in so we were hopeful we would see something in the morning. Walking between the lights revealed loads of mainly Smoky wainscots and Shaded broad bars feeding at grass flower-heads so again this made us hopeful for some reasonable results.
Checking the traps next morning revealed some nice species that included the following. Ground lackey (c.20 seen, some at most traps, both males and females), Crescent striped (1, first for year for the site), Dog’s tooth, Matthew’s wainscot (a worn one), Tawny shears (a few), Kent black arches, Garden tiger (quite a few, this is probably the best site in the county for this moth), Starwort (a few at most traps), Saltern ear (a few), Crescent (1), Mouse (first for year), Straw underwing (again first for year for all of us) and Marbled green (3). Micros seen were possibly of more interest with the following noted. Willow ermine (c.30), Cochylis roseana, Celypha roseaceana, Pediasia aridella (a few), Acleris comariana (a few at each trap), Udea lutealis (1), Scoparia subfusca (1), Eucosma tripoliana, Epiblema costipunctana (a slightly worn one), Chionodes fumatella and 2 probable Biselachista scirpi (still need to be confirmed to be certain).
Unfortunately no White-mantled wainscot were seen again, but this year with the season running a bit behind we may have been slightly too early for it. Certainly there wasn’t the diversity of wainscot species trapped in the reedbed areas that we would have normally expected at this site.

Neil

The walk to the reedbed traps - P. E. Bryant

Checking trap contents near the Quay - P. E. Bryant

One of the doorway traps, a good place to try in inclement weather! P. E. Bryant

Possible Biselachista scirpi

Chionodes fumatella

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