27th June 2014 – A soggy search for Sand dart.

As there was no scheduled official Suffolk group meeting on this evening (the Africa alive meet was supposed to be on the 21st June but was cancelled as most of the group were away for the weekend) I decided to give the dunes at Southwold a go for Sand dart, a moth I haven’t got any photos of. Been trying this site for the last 2 years around this time for the moth but with no luck. Bill Last decided to join me and as there had been no rain at all during the day we went for it. Unfortunately, it became evident as we traveled north that from Woodbridge northwards there had been a lot of rain – the road was wet with some large puddles around. On arrival at the site, a large dark cloud could be seen approaching so after a quick check round the site to sort out trap positions it was back to the car for twenty minutes while the heavy rain shower passed over us. After it left, we decided to carry on with trapping, after all, we were on site and would have been a waste of a drive up there. 4 traps were put out along the dune ridge, 3 mv plus my twin 30w actinic. A lot of moths could be seen flying around whilst setting up so hopes were up we would get something! First moth in was a Shore wainscot, in fact quite a number came in and was the commonest moth on the night. After around 45 minutes another heavy shower passed over so it was back to the car to sit it out again. It did stop and checking the traps revealed moths still coming in so we kept going. Packed up in the end around midnight as the rain started again! In the end total number of species caught was 54, probably about what I would expect on this restricted habitat. Highlights included the following. Bordered sallow (common), Plutella xylostella (a good number, commonest micro), Lyme grass (about 10), Crescent (2 first for year), Archer’s dart (again quite a few), Common rustic agg. (a single, first for year, seems an early record to me), Dotted fan-foot (a few, including a pair in cop on grass stem), Southern wainscot, Rosy wave (about 4), Eucosma campoliliana, Shark (1, not of the marine type even though we were beside the sea!), White colon (3), White satin (1), Leopard (1), Corn borer (1) and Anerastia lotella (only1, this is normally a common species at the site). Unfortunately no Sand dart were caught, although a pale looking Heart and club got us excited as it buzzed round one of the traps for a short while! This is now the third year running the moth hasn’t been caught at the site on what should be a peak time for it, have the recent tidal surges we have been getting the last few winters wiped the colony out by removing its foreshore habitat?
On arrival back in Ipswich, the roads were dry and there had been no rain at all!

Neil

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3 Responses to 27th June 2014 – A soggy search for Sand dart.

  1. Raymond Watson says:

    Interesting note on Anerastia lotella. I have found it has become very scarce compared to two years ago too.

  2. keith says:

    Hi Neil,
    If you have an accurate events list can you please forward it to Brian and I as clearly the list we have is of no use. Alternatively a posting of the weeks event, early in the week on the blog would be useful. Thanks, Keith.

  3. Neil says:

    I have the same list that you have Keith, there hasn’t been another list produced. Next week is down for Staverton on 4th July, best to check with Tony really to find out what events are going on.

    Neil

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