SMG event 09/08/2013 – Oulton marshes.

There were 2 target moths for this meeting – White-mantled wainscot and Double kidney. With the spate of recent records for the wainscot, hopes were high of finding it given that one of the habitats on the site is reedbed.
Unfortunately with no key to the gate we had to carry the kit a bit further than we intended and this meant some of the traps were not turned on until it was actually dark. In all 10 traps were put out, a few being actinic, covering the woodland and wetland areas on the site. I also hung up my wine ropes for the first time this season for a bit more variety.
Moths soon started flying into the sheet light, with it being still very mild with some cloud cover we were kept busy. First check of the wine ropes revealed a few moths on each, including Heralds and an Old lady. Later on they attracted quite a few more Old lady (about 6 I reckon), a fresh Red underwing, Dingy shears (not seen at light) and plenty of Dark arches and Common rustic aggs.
Our first check round of the traps recorded both of the target species, with a slightly worn Double kidney in one of my MV traps and a White-mantled wainscot was seen flying around one of Brian’s traps by Keith. This was potted up for checking and was a nice fresh specimen with the white ’mantle’ very obvious. We didn’t catch any more of these moths but we did see lots of other nice species, starting with the macros: Crescent (common), Double lobed (also common), Kent black arches, Olive, Dark sword grass (1), Chevron, Flame carpet, Balsam carpet (1 second brood type), Fenn’s wainscot (2), Bulrush wainscot (a few), Yarrow pug, Brown-veined wainscot (1), Gold spot (1) and Small wainscot. Canary-shouldered thorn, Rosy rustic and Six-striped rustic were all seen, a sign that the end of the summer is upon us. As it was one of the ‘Moth night’ recording dates, we also noted good numbers of both Ruby and Garden tigers.
The micro moths were almost certainly of more interest on this night, with 2 very good records: Agonopterix angelicella (few Suffolk records, last seen at Minsmere in 2004) and Ancylis paludana (even rarer with only one Suffolk record from Market Weston fen in 1990). The latter species was not initially picked up, as it was thought to be the commoner Ancylis badiana. Careful checking by Brian revealed the moth’s true identity, so all of us who took specimens away had a look to see what species we had actually got. The one I had turned out to be badiana, but Tony’s moth was in fact another paludana! The differences are very subtle – paludana has a series of small black dots at the base of the cilia and a creamier band along the costa. Both these micros were new to all present. Other notables included: Orthotelia sparganella, Brachima inornatella, Acleris shepherdana, Platytes alpinella, Endothenia ericetana and Donacaula forficella.
My list at the end of the night was just over 170 species. Certainly this will go down in my book as one of the best moth events this year for the number of moths present in the traps as well as the quality of the species seen. We’ll be back again!

Neil

Balsam carpet

Acleris shepherdana

Agonopterix angelicella

Ancylis badiana - note lack of small black dots in the cilia

Ancylis paludana - series of small black dots in the cilia

 

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