Suffolk Moths Blog

It was nice and calm, so I ran two traps last night (Thursday) on the extensive tree-less sand dunes nearby at the back of the beach with good results. Some of the highlights were Lyme Grass, Bordered Sallow (10), Archer’s Dart, Rosy Wave, Brown-tail, Dwarf Cream Wave and micros Nyctegretis lineana (many), Eulamprotes wilkella, Anerastia lotella, Eucosma campoliliana and a number of (little brown job) gelechids still to receive a positive ID. All these were typical of the dunes. Some not so typical that must have been wanderers some way from their usual habitat were Pine Hawk-moth, Garden Tiger, Lozotaeniodes formosanus , Donacaula forficella and Piniphila bifasciana.
Trapping on the beach often produces interesting moths you don’t expect to be there.

Brian

Nick Mason took an example of Dotted Rustic at Hollesley on 17 July. The first Bawdsey Peninsula record and presumably of immigrant origin.

The night of the 17th, as reported by others was a very good night for moth trapping, certainly my best night for the year so far. The 2 traps operated recorded 140sp, with large numbers of moths caught (especially micros). Best and most surprising species was a Many-lined, a species I’ve only ever seen once before and that was at Covehithe in 2006. Only other migrants in the trap were 2 Plutella xylostella.
Other species of interest for this site included: Thiodia citrana (5 a good count for me as this hasn’t been seen many times at my site),  Gypsonoma minutana, Eana incanana, Thiotricha subocellea,  Epiblema foenella, Sophronia semicostella, Festoon, White satin and Shaded fan foot.
After hearing others caught quite a few Large yellow underwing I count myself lucky that I only caught one. This species can be quite a pest in the trap if large numbers are caught as they walk all over and disturb the other moths.

Neil

Grey Carpet is usually associated with the Norfolk & Suffolk Brecks in the west of the 2 counties, so it’s nice to find it in the east and I think there is a good chance that it is resident on the site because I’m sure I saw one outside the trap when we did the first inspection of the field trap, but was unable to net it. The one we potted was deep in the woods. Here is a pic I took when I released it today.

It was certainly a mothing night like it should be at this time of the year, it was very difficult to cope with them all.

Brian

Herringfleet Hills was the venue for Brian and I on 17 July. The same five traps set out as before covered all the habitats. A breeze in the tree tops bordering the marsh strengthened during the night. Yet the marsh trap was placed in calm conditions ending slightly breezy. A very warm night and on the high ground, dead calm to start, gentle breeze to finish. The trap here producing by far the most species. Packing up on the second trap round concluded around 3.30am. Thousands of moths taken including what must have been over 1,000 culmella, A squadron of Poplar Hawks were joined by good numbers of Elephant Hawk-moths. Pine and a single Privet also put in an appearance. Suspected, Shaded and Dotted Fan-foot, European Corn-borer (4), E. extimalis, Dark Spectacle, Garden Tiger, Leopard Moth, Miller, several Peach Blossom and Swallow-tail all helped make up the numbers. Large Yellow Underwing seen in number for the first time this season. I was interested to see Short-cloaked moth as I don’t think I’ve seen it before. Brian saw his first Oak Eggar, a regular moth for me at home. Singles of Silver Y and Diamond-back the migrants. Highlight though had to be the Grey Carpet found in the sheet trap at the end of the night, the only trap we hadn’t checked due to pressing time on the first round. A fitting end to a great nights mothing. Thanks for Brians commitment and time spent doing all the micros, making it to 161 species.

I finally got round to taking up the invitation of setting my trap in the grounds of a large private estate in the village last night. I only had the actinic and a 15m cable to run from mains so it didn’t stretch far! The weather didn’t really do what it said it would and only 56 moths of 23 species (19 macros) put in an appearance. A village tick for me was a Buff Footman. Two Leopards near the trap were good to see – does anyone else notice that they don’t seem keen on going in? My micro book enabled me to id Rhyacionia pinicolona – very smart.

Two traps with a total species list of 152 identified to date. I generally have a roughly 50:50 macro:micro split. Large Yellow Underwing has seriously taken over the number one spot with about 140 specimens. Quite a few Broad-bordered too. New to my site list on the macros were, Maple Pug, Engrailed, Varied Coronet, Miller, Fen Wainscot and Dark Spectacle. Some attractive and also interesting micros included: Batia lunaris, Anarsia spartella, Caloptilia semifascia, Eulamprotes wilkella, Acleris holmiana, Acleris hastiana and Pammene fasciana.

31 macros last night in the garden, all trumped by another Evergistis limbata. Wonder if they have anything to do with the garlic mustard I planted in the front garden last year? Amongst the macros was a Garden Tiger, Small Emerald, Festoon and Rosy Footman. Large Yellow Underwings are starting. A small noctua flew off before I could check it for Langmaid’s.