Suffolk Moths Blog

And an apology. In my last post I incorrectly identified the Elachista as E. utonella. It has now been correctly identified as E. scirpi. I have edited that post. Back to the start of summer. I thought it appropriate to post on this as we have a spell of weather unlikely to be good for mothing on the way. I picked up some firsts for the year in the first few days of June. Common Footman, Evergestis limbata and Aethes beatricella on the 1st and Riband Wave, Pandemis corylana and P. cerasana on the 3rd. Emphasising the early year.

Immigrants have continued with additions to my list by way of Tuta absoluta, Udea ferrugalis and a Bordered Straw.

To finish with; Pugs. For those of you who struggle with those ‘non-descript’ little moths, a piece of advice. I would strongly recommend the print of all the pugs produced by the superb wildlife artist Richard Lewington. There is also a new Facebook site Pugs in flight tonight that can be useful. It has all helped me, so one of those I would have failed on in the past is now an addition to my site list. Valerian Pug.

On Saturday afternoon, I walked into my greenhouse in my garden to find a Yellow-legged clearwing female buzzing around the roof. Not the first time I’ve seen this moth on the site and also not the first time I’ve found one in a greenhouse. As it was warm thought I’d put the pheromone lure out and yes, within 2 minutes a male Yellow-legged clearwing came in.
But this wasn’t the end of my clearwing sightings. On Sunday afternoon did the same thing and found another clearwing in the greenhouse, this time a Currant! Not too surprising I suppose as it does breed in my currant bushes in the garden.

Neil

Yellow-legged clearwing female

Yellow-legged clearwing male

Currant clearwing

The first week of the month was poor with little seen. I was them away on holiday, retuning mid-month to find conditions had improved. In fact the good weather continued right through until the month’s end, keeping me very busy with recording the good catches! What a difference to last year.
It has been notable that early summer species have been starting even earlier this year, but, before moving on to that it is worth noting that here spring stuff was still about mid month. I recorded Hebrew character, Clouded drab and Early grey then and Pine beauty has been seen right up until the last day of May.
Highlights here this month have included the following, in no particular order:
Pammene rhediella – netted in garden on 24th, new to site. Sadly quite worn so no photo.
Coleophora amethystinella – 2 on 23rd are the 2nd site records. Probably breeding locally.
Phyllonorycter scopariella – 23rd, 2nd site record.
Elachista atricomella – 27th
Glyphipterix fuscoviridella – at light, 23rd. Normally seen in the daytime.
Bucculatrix maritima – a wanderer from the saltmarsh on the 16th.
Agdistis bennetii – another saltmarsh wanderer on the 29th.
Incurvaria oehlmanniella – 27th + 28th.
Pammene albuginana – 28th.
Puss moth – 2 seen.
Matilella fusca – 16th.
Large nutmeg – 24th, quite rare here only a handful of records.
Buttoned snout – a worn one on the 28th.
Beautiful golden Y – Also 28th.
Toadflax brocade – 31st.

Some species are having a good season here: Seraphim, Alder moth, Poplar lutestring, Figure of Eighty, Light brocade, Heart and Dart, Common swift. Eyed hawk has unusually been the most common hawk, normally it is the Pine or the Poplar. All the other common hawks have now been recorded in the month too.
No rare migrants for me in my traps here, just the standard Silver Y and Plutella xylostella in low numbers.
I’ve also seen a lot of larvae of Mullein moth on my plants this year, as well as good numbers of Common quaker larvae dropping off Oak trees when fully grown. Not many Winter moth larvae however.
Finally, I found an Amphotis marginata beetle in the trap too, the 2nd time it has been found here. It is a rare species associated with ant nests.
Hopefully this good start to the main recording season will continue through the rest of summer, we can only hope!

Bucculatrix maritima

Puss moth

Matilella fusca

Beautiful golden Y

Amphotis marginata beetle

Yes, that was Spring. We now move on to Summer. It has a lot to live up to.

I went out to Havergate Island on 24th so there was no trapping at home in Hollesley that night. I also visited the local Patch on 28th and at home on that day, but after losing my best catch of the year so far I had to take time out and didn’t trap at the end of the month. We are now into June with a waxing moon. I think most of us know this year has been good mothing and is very early. At the end of the month I had taken Marbled, Tawny Marbled, Middle-barred and Rufous Minors. It already feels like summer.

Havergate Island has a low diversity of moths (excepting the salt-marsh species) so those that occur tend to be numerous.  Cream-spot Tiger, Lime-speck Pug, Bright-line Brown-Eye and Yellow Belle were common on this trip. Cream-spot Tiger has been arriving regularly at home too. A male and female Fox moth turned up and I got a first Caryocolum vicinella for the island. I went hoping to record four species not yet caught by me. I managed an Aristotelia brizella by netting and Gynnidomorpha vectisana and Coleophora albicosta at light but no Netted Pug, despite all the Sea Campion. It must feed on some other Campion in my garden.

The Patch turned up a lot of May Highfliers, Coleophora laricella and Pinion-streaked Snouts plus a pristine Grapholita tenebrosana and a couple of Silver Barred. There were also a lot of Aristotelia brizella of which I was almost unbelieving but then had even more at home. This was the evening when the thunderstorms came up from the south and trapped the Agrotera nemoralis at The Patch. there was a Pearly Underwing at home along with Silver Y, Nomophila noctuella and Plutella xylostella. I am of the opinion that the A. brizella were mostly immigrants. Agrotera nemoralis has also been recorded as an immigrant elsewhere in the UK recently.

At home for those interesting in catching one, Cydia inquinatana is doing very well this year, so it should be spreading. I would be surprised if it were not breeding elsewhere in Suffolk. I have taken 6 so far during May. Last year it first appeared in June. I finally caught an Argyresthia conjugella at home. Not in a very good condition. Quite a lot of Pima boisduvaliella this year. Think they may be making use of my Lathyrus latifolius.

There could be a lot more to say but that is it for now. Wishing everyone good mothing for the rest of the year.

After 15 years of recording my Bawdsey list has hit 500 species of macro moth (or larger moths per the Skinner guide). The list includes both Bawdsey Manor and the hall.

The 500th species was the exquisite Purple Cloud trapped last week. Then followed Concolorous, Shore Wainscot and Grass Rivulet so the list is now on 503!

Species not yet recorded include Water Carpet, Cream Wave, Broken-barred Carpet, Blair’s Mocha, Sloe Pug, Netted Pug, Larch Pug, Valerian Pug, Fox Moth, Pale-shouldered Brocade, Pale-lemon Sallow, Black-spotted Chestnut and dare I mention it Death’s-head Hawk-moth!

The list of immigrants is pretty impressive with Dusky Hook-tip, Rest Harrow, Sub-angled Wave, Bright Wave, Many-lined, White-banded Carpet, Waved Carpet, Rannoch Looper, Lunar Thorn, Feathered Beauty, Bedstraw Hawk-moth, Striped Hawk-moth, Three-humped Prominent, Gypsy Moth, Small Dotted Footman, Speckled Footman, Crimson Speckled, Scarce Black Arches, Purple Cloud, Northern Rustic, Great Brocade, Splendid Brocade, Blossom Underwing, White-speck, Cosmopolitan, Red-headed Chestnut, Clancy’s Rustic, Porter’s Rustic, Small Marbled, Beautiful Marbled, Golden Twin-spot, Ni Moth, Dewick’s Plusia, Scarce Silver Y and Bloxworth Snout noted over the years.

If anyone would like a copy of the macro-moth list I am happy to email one to you.

I will now work on updating the micro-moth checklist.

Three of the best moths from my garden in july 2016 have been repeated in the last two weeks! , with a Pediasia fascelinella on 27/5, Elegia similella on 30/5 and 4 Pima boisovaliella since 16/5. New for the garden since the 16th have been Reed dagger, Alder moth, Haworths pug, Bordered sallow, Beautiful golden Y, argyresthia cupressella and star of the spring Dewicks plusia on the 29th. Allan