Suffolk Moths Blog

One of my lights from the recent Burgh Castle night attracted this House Cricket. Has anyone encountered them before? I believe they are available from pet shops as live food for exotic pets but have also been established in this country for centuries. There are known colonies in Norfolk as close to Burgh Castle as Strumpshaw and Acle at rubbish dumps where they are more likely to be encountered than in housing in the modern age.

For the familiar it is the same length as a Long Winged Cone-head but much fatter and scuttles along rather than jumps. I plan to revisit the site to try and establish if there is a colony or if it is a stray in the next few days when the weather settles again. With a view shared with Brian that they might breed among the walls of the ruined Roman Fort. I have certainly never seen one before, at least unless, in a vivarium, pet shop or zoo.

Thought I might have something special in the moth-trap until I looked closely at it. A centre-barred sallow (isn’t it?), but not as we know it… A bit worn and probably not worth a photograph, but it’s the first plain example I’ve ever seen. Anyone else caught one of these?

Like others, I’ve been making the most of these warm nights in the hope of catching something exciting. Still no Vestal or Convolvulus to brag about but last night did turn up yet another new mirco for the site – an autumn generation Caloptilia semifascia. Also in the trap was a Metalampra italica. This is the third year on the trott I have recorded this species in Woolpit so as good a sign as any that there must be a resident population nearby.

The view from the site of the Roman ruins at Burgh Castle that overlooks where the rivers Waveney and Yare flow into Breydon Water is one of the best in the Suffolk/Norfolk Broads area. This opinion is shared by most people who visit it. Keith and I recorded on this site in June 2 years ago with very good results, so it was good to return on a very warm & muggy night in September (6th) with the hope that there might be some migrants as well as the local moths.
Setting up can be a slow process as the site is open to visitors and some of these are curious as to what is happening. But once underway a steady trickle of moths came to the sheet light. The first round of inspection produced a moth that is a rare site for us in the Waveney Valley area although common in the rest of Suffolk and Norfolk, Toadflax Pug. This was in Keith’s 60w actinic which produced the best results of the 8 traps spread out away from the sheet trap on the field edge and near the large reed beds. Equal best moth of the night was the micro Nephopterix angustella, a new one for both of us that now looks to have spread to our area. A very fresh Large Wainscot was a sign of autumn moths to come.
A few migrants turned up. The usual Diamond-backs, a couple of Silver Y and Rusty-dot Pearl and just as we were packing up around 1 am, a Dark Sword Grass. So around 80 species on what must have been the warmest evening of the year with the temperature staying around 20.5 degrees.

Brian

The last two nights have been the warmest of the summer: cloudy and with little wind. Moth numbers at my garden trap a little higher. I agree with Neil that there are a few ‘winners’ this year – light emerald is now numerous, as is brimstone and dusky thorn. Best ‘stay-at-home’ resident moths this week have been gold spot and peach blossom – I only catch one or two of these every couple of years. Migrants have starting to appear: apart from vestal, my best catch has been Oncocera semirubella on the 6th.

Tony H.

Only 55 species recorded on the night. Making up most of the numbers were Large Yellow Under-wing and almost equal numbers of Square-spot Rustic. Two traps had Old Lady and a Centre-barred Sallow was also recorded.  Five migrant species; Rusty-dot Pearl, Rush Veneer, Diamond-back, Silver Y and the highlight of  the night, my second home record of Dewick’s Plusia.

With more ideal migrant weather just around the corner I am looking forward to what might turn up in the next few weeks.

Metrological summer is now over so here is my review on August at IGC. A very dry month with little rain and quite a lot of sunshine. Season still appeared to be running late following the trend in July. Some good nights for moths, but others truly awful with clear skies and a bright moon, particularly in the third week. Average of 30 species noted then!  Best night the 5th, 131sp noted in the garden with some interest. Cydia amplana (2), Tree-lichen beauty (8 seen), Acrobasis tumidana, Marbled green, Caloptilia semifascia, Leucoptera laburnella (second site record) and Scrobipalpa atriplicella (2nd site record) all found that night of note for here. Another good night later in the month on the 25th, when warm winds from the south made for a great catch of 119 species. Almost the first moth seen on the side of the trap at daybreak was a Rest harrow, a rare migrant in Suffolk with only a few records. Moth of the month for me as it was a UK tick and a first site record. Seen next sitting close by on the sheet under the trap was a Vestal, what a combination! Also present in the very full traps was a Nephopterix angustella (3rd site record, almost certainly a migrant with no foodplant close by).

Other notables seen during the month include: Caloptilia cuculipennella (already reported in an earlier blog, a new site record), Bulrush wainscot (6th), Beautiful yellow underwing (2 records), Dark spinach (11th), Cydia amplana (in addition to the record above also noted on 12th, 14th and 24th – with few others reported at the time is it breeding locally?), Grass emerald (24th), Crambus hamella (24th, 25th (2) and 31st, first records for a few years), Celypha rosaceana (2nd site record 24th), Vestal (another on the 27th following the first on the 25th), Birch mocha (31st), Streak (31st, an early-ish sighting here).

Signs of the season moving on towards the end of the month with Hedge rustic first noted on the 23rd, Feathered gothic on the 31st (2) and Heath rustic also on the 31st (2).

What of the winners and losers? Winners this month included Tree-lichen beauty, Dusky thorn, Antler, Maiden’s blush but especially Light emerald and Brimstone. Losers included most of the underwings, Black arches, Square-spot rustic, Common wainscot (only 2 seen) but especially Lesser yellow underwing with less than 10 seen all month. Wetland moths seemed low too, maybe because they didn’t wander away from the habitat as it wasn’t warm enough. Generally despite a few good nights I would agree with Tony, feels a poor summer for moths. Will have to see if the data bears this out once all my records are entered.

Neil

Rest harrow (female)

Crambus hamella

Celypha rosaceana

Heath rustic