Please watch the blog and the group’s social media platforms to see if meetings will be going ahead given the Coronavirus outbreak.
Neil Sherman (Suffolk County Recorder)
]]>I spent some time on the text for the smaller micros on the new web site this summer which restricted my trips away from home and reduced the amount of dissections I carried out. This was one of the reasons why my annual species total for the year at home was only 741. This considerably lower than the last 3 years. I also only gained a further 22 species new to my home site. However apart from this the year as a whole was not one of the best. Whilst it started quite well for moths and was OK during July, August was not a great month for moths and the rest of the year did not see spells of regular migrants. Species expanding their range in the UK played a prominent part in catches across the county and I was one of those who caught the spectacular Clifden Nonpareil. Some of my site other additions were also pleasing, some of which were new for the vice county. These included Caloptilia honoratella, Lyonetia prunifoliella, Iana incanana, Grapholita lobarzewskii, Sciota hostilis, Three Humped Prominent and Dusky Marbled Brown.
I had a target of the White-mantled Wainscot for the RSPB site at Abbey Farm Snape last year. Really wanting to find it there for the new wetland reserve. As the season progressed it came down to the 25th July as my only real opportunity. However this was also the night when the weather broke with a massive thunderstorm. I took the opportunity. I was successful for the target moth and also picked up a number of other species that I would not have done so without the weather event. It was worth while but especially memorable for the spectacular weather.
]]>Also we can now see from the maps a pattern of how some of the new invaders such as Olive Crescent are gradually moving up through the county.
Many thanks to all involved with bringing things up-to-date and best wishes for the New Year which I’m sure will produce some good moths and a few surprises.
Brian
]]>With the moth trapping season drawing to an early close this year with disappointing weather and a lack of opportunities to get out into the field, my attention has turned to leaf mines. I am out and about most days and it’s relatively easy to pick up several species of mine on the school run or walking to the shops.
Today I convinced my wife to have a trip to Africa Alive Zoo because there is a line of mature Willows and I was on the hunt for a moth only added to the British list in 2014.
I found several mines within a few minutes; Phyllonorycter viminiella and Phyllocnistis unipunctella were the most interesting. By the 3rd tree along I began to find some early stage mines which seemed to match Phyllonorycter pastorella but they could’ve been one of several species.
After half an hour of searching I found something very interesting and quickly snapped a photo to get a second opinion… Dr John Langmaid and a few others suggested that the mine was a perfect match for Phyllonorycter pastorella.
Antony
]]>Thoughts on Climate Change: This is something that we are all aware of these days. The expected change to our climate, particularly in the east here has been evident this year. Dry warm summers (I have lost two trees in my garden this year from the drought). Mild wet winters. Once the hurricane season started in the Caribbean then the Atlantic storms have brought the rain to us. How will, or is it now, affecting our moth species. We are clearly seeing an increase in immigrants from more southerly and European climes and some of them are settling and breeding. How many of our established residents are on the decline due to climate change versus loss of habitat? The Monarch Butterfly has been turning up in the south west recently. Will American moth species turn up with the increased storm activity?
]]>On the local species I had two Butterbur early in the month which is a good sign for the local population. A Rest Harrow on 8th suggesting they are resident now. A Brick on 29th was my first of what I call the true autumn species to start the autumn off. I had an unusual number of Eucosma tripoliana around the middle of the month. It is quite late for them. I was out on a PoMs trip on the Butley Estuary around then and was paddling the high tide over the salt-marsh so that made me think that perhaps they wander inland when high tides force them off the salt-marsh. Moths of interest included a Hellinsia carphodactyla on 18th which was not my first at home as I caught one several years ago. A dark form of Elophila nymphaeata that had me struggling for an identity for a while and a very small dark Caryocolum which dissected as alsinella but lacked any clear white patches quite unlike others I have seen. A few second broods have turned up. White Ermine on 27th, Chrysoteuchia culmella on 27th and the first of a number of Evergestis limbata on 24th.
Immigrants have been regular at a low level. There have been four highlights from my point of view. A Three-humped Prominent on 1st was a new species for me. I have taken three Beautiful Marbled this year and whilst it has been having a very good year as an immigrant Matthew is of the opinion that it is also resident locally. I took a Tuta absoluta on 7th. I did not take one last year and on 31st I had an Apomyelois bistriatella in perfect condition. I have seen this species in the Tangham Forest in mid-June. Sterling, Parsons and Lewington express the view that late examples of this species may be immigrants and I support this view for my specimen as the suitable habitat is not local to my home and it was caught in the front garden trap that faces the coast. In this Painted Lady year I have also had two Painted Ladys and one Red Admiral in the traps.
]]>And don’t forget to check out: http://www.mothnight.info/home
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Mark
]]>In general the usual moths for July were caught except for an absence of Brimstone and Nutmeg though they did appear at the end of the month. The Bordered Pug continued to be caught throughout. My first two Lackey moths for my home site were caught on the 13th and 22nd, a second Goat on 25th and the Svensson’s Copper Underwing on 22nd and 24th with one also at Abbey Farm Snape on 25th. I was pleased to catch Merrifieldia baliodactylus on 24th confirming the species is hanging on and also the return of Carycolum viscariella and Gelechia scotinella, 8th and 16th. Endothenia marginana has also appeared in the garden and E. gentianaeana also turned up so along with the regular E. oblongana these need very careful examination now when they appear. The most exceptional find during July however was a specimen of Caryocolum blandulella. It had damaged wing tips but was clearly one of the pale Caryocolum species so I carried out a dissection expecting to confirm C. blandella so the ID was a surprise. It last occurred in Kent in 1983 but has since been found in Carmarthenshire. There are no confirmed records elsewhere. The larvae feed on the Little Mouse-ear in sandy locations. That plant occurs in the Sandlings and Breckland so the species is probably resident.
For the immigrants; however some of these species are also resident so it cannot be clear that for example the Four-spotted Footman, Oncocera semirubella and Catoptria verellus that have turned up through the month are either. The Blackneck was captured on 13th and 16th as elsewhere on the coast and were suggested as possible immigrants. I got a third Sciota hostilis on 24th. The hot weather began to breakdown here on at dusk on 25th with a spectacular thunderstorm, it and subsequent air streams promoted immigrant moths. A large number of Tree-lichen Beauty appeared that night with the variant photographed being common among them. Silver Y, Bordered Straw and Cydalima perspectalis at Snape. From that date to the end of the month at home I have taken, Plutella xylostella (lots), Udea ferrugalis, Nomophila noctuella, Silver Y, Dark Swordgrass and my first Beautiful Marbled.
My trip out to Abbey Farm, Snape was primarily aimed at finding the White-mantled Wainscot there, otherwise I would not have set up with the storm that was forecasted. It was spectacular setting up with ground strikes all around but the downpour did not start in ernest until I left the site. It was a good catch. In addition to those already mentioned I had a Metalampra italica, Acrobasis marmorea, Lesser Common Rustic and Burnet Companion in the trap. I got two possible White-mantled that were too weather worn for confirmation from the moth so dissection became necessary. That proved surprisingly difficult with only one on the web site and no Brown-veined and my dissections conflicting with Pierce. To make matters worse, when I went to my collection for a Brown-veined that also turned out to be White-mantled. Eventual conclusion was all were indeed White-mantled. Have I ever seen a Brown-veined?
Finally but not a moth, a spectacular Longhorned Beetle, male Prionus coriarius arrived on 29th.
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Matthew & Neil have made me aware that John Chainey took prunifoliella at Westleton last summer so I guess the moral of this story is – don’t assume all your Lyonetia are clerkella’s !!
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