Suffolk Moths Blog

After an excellent holiday enjoying the lepidopteran delights of Bulgaria (far too many to list here), it was back to normality this week running traps a home a couple of times. Had things improved from the poor start to June? Thankfully yes, with the first catch on the 25th exceeding 100sp for the first time this year (132 in 2 mvs) followed by 95sp in one trap the following night.
Great to see reasonable numbers of moths at last. Nothing really exceptional noted, but nice to see plenty of different hawks, Shaded fan-foot, Festoon, Blotched emerald, Poplar kitten, Small clouded brindle, Alder moth, Sophronia semicostella and Scallop shell.
With the heat set to build up next week, how will moth numbers fare?

Neil

Hopes we high for this night with warm cloudy conditions on arrival. 7 traps were operated (5 mv plus 2 actinic), covering the area of Oak pollards as well as the more mixed woodland. A bit of a breeze was evident while setting up which unfortunately didn’t ease off after dusk. Moths were slow to come in to begin with but soon there were good numbers of the various Oak feeding tortix buzzing round the light. The traps were similar. However, if you took away all the tortrix the actual number of other moths was quite low, more so than would be expected with the time of year, again a reflection I feel on the poor year we are having. Still, around 100sp wasn’t too bad, much better than our last visit to the site. Notable species were few but included good numbers of Blotched emerald, a Red-necked footman, O. nubilalis, Beautiful hook tip, Pretty chalk carpet and Beautiful golden Y. A few species were notable by their late appearance – Pale tussock and Least black arches. Things had quietened down considerably by 1.30am so we decided to pack up under a clear sky and a bright moon, probably why the evening had died off.

Neil

I have had very different fortunes to Raymond with my species counts for the time of year. However like Matthew down in Bawdsey I too have been lucky enough to get a new kitten. Alder Kitten is the most regular up here at this time of year but for years I have been out and about near Poplar plantations hoping to one day see Poplar Kitten. Out of the blue it turned up at home on the 18th, one of 70 species recorded along with Luquetia lobella and Anerastia lotella on the only night so far that I have run traps at home. On the 16th I went in search of Pauper Pug in the oldest of two Lime Avenues  at Somerleyton Hall. I had expected to find it despite no area records as there could be no better place than an avenue first planted around 1650. Another rubbish night as generally experienced this June. No cloud and a dip in temperature lead to me packing up my three traps at midnight with 31 species seen. However one Pug moth seen, photo below, and it would appear to be the target species. Nothing else of note on the night except my first Alder Moth of this year.   On the 20th I was at Fritton Church field. The attraction was 20+ acres of flower meadow dominated by ox eye daisy. A spectacular sight and they spread the light from my traps well. Unfortunately it had rained a little early in the afternoon and was wet and again it proved disappointing. 58 species recorded with nothing unusual seen. Plus I and everything got soaked in a short lived thundery deluge as I packed up. Fortunately for any passers by the rain drowned out my mutterings as I was well and truly fed up with the hobby at the time.

A considerable improvement on the year so far. Also a lot of migrants around, but no Striped Hawk-moth here yet, despite every routine Hawk-moth so far. Have had a few Small Mottled Willows though. 5 on 21st and 4 on 17th, singles on other days. We shall have to see how the rest of the year goes on migrants.

Species totals have generally been 100+ with 17th as the best night with 153. This was a warm humid night with a cold front coming through producing a sprinkling of rain just before dawn. There was also a significant breeze which with the other climatic conditions appears to have brought me species from the heathland to add to my list. The catch included Festoon, Lobster, the first Rosy Footman, Water Ermine, Dark Sword-grass, Bordered White, Maiden’s Blush, Fern, Cochylis molliculana, Carpatolechia proximella, 6 species of Coleophora and 3 species of Bucculatrix. I picked up five species new to my site on 17th. A Grass Wave, Cydia inquinatana, Gypsonoma oppressana, Ancylis mitterbacheriana and a Tineola bisselliella. Pleasingly the T. bisselliella was in the trap and not like the Tinea pellionella (Case-bearing Clothes Moth) that I pick up at low density indoors!

On the 16th there was the first Uncertain of the year along with a Tinagma ocnerostoma and a species new to my site that put my heart rate up when I spotted it: a Goat Moth. One other species new to my site that probably came off the heath was Neofaculta ericetella on 19th along with a first Taleporia tubulosa of the year.

Some micro’s are just better than others and Commophila aeneana (the Orange Conch) ranks highly on my list of personal favourites. This one was swept from its foodplant, ragwort, a couple of days ago at a local SWT Nature Reserve.

Commophila aeneana

Back at the ranch, still no Striped Hawk or Bordered Straw to report on but who can complain when you add species no. 603 to the garden list, the equally stunning …not … Platytes cerussella.

Apologies, I’ve been far too busy to post anything so far this year.

Short note to report two new macros to Bawdsey, in what has been the worst season since I began recording in 2002. Alder Kitten was new a few weeks ago.

Last night my traps were graced by the presence of a Ni Moth which was also a site ‘first’. I have previously recorded occasional Dewick’s Plusia, Scarce Silver Y and much more frequently the Golden Twin-spot but never the Ni Moth here before. There was a very warm, almost tropical warm breeze when I ventured down to the Hall this morning.

Other immigrants last night included an example of bankiana and 16 exigua with a rubricollis more likely a local wanderer.

A few Bordered Straw have appeared at Bawdsey in recent weeks with Diamond-backed Moths, Rush Veneers and Silver Ys. I have yet to take any livornica this year despite a nationwide influx of this lovely insect.

Some of the more interesting residents here recently have included Ethmia bipunctella, Rosy Wave, Water Ermine, Poplar Kitten, Puss Moth, Large Nutmeg, Ingrailed Clay, Bird’s Wing, Scalloped Hazel, Cream-bordered Green Pea and Buff Arches.

Sorry to read of the Chalk Lane washout. That night I avoided most of the rain. Storms passed out to sea and inland, by dusk it was dry, humid, warm and relatively calm so the two traps went out. Similar conditions last night too just a little cooler. Got more moths on 12th but micros made the species count higher on 13th 122, 116 on 12th.

Just one species new to my site; a Silver Barred on 12th but quite a few nice catches. Cream Spot Tiger regular recently, Orange, Common and Red-necked Footman, a Middle-barred Minor on 13th, lots of Clouded Silver and Pugs; Common, Grey, Sloe, Netted, Green and Mottled. Pleased to see a few Anerastia lotella as I didn’t get one last year. Picking up Rush Veneer and one Ostrinia nubilalis also an Evergestis limbata on 13th. Coleophora have picked up with albicosta, lineolea, laricella, alticolella, caesipititella and glaucicolella. Also have Monopis crocicapitella as a regular again, interestingly seems to correlate with when swallows nest in my garage. Looks to be colder for a day or two before it warms up again. Not been out and about lately as annoyingly sitting waiting for a date for a funeral I need to attend (not mine!).

After getting soaked loading the car with moth gear in Ipswich with thunder rumbling overhead, I did get the thought that it wasn’t worth heading out. But, having heard nothing from the west Suffolk contingent of the group, I guessed the weather was OK that side of the county so headed out into the deluge. The rain then got much worse over the Orwell bridge with a huge puddle at the far end, totally swamping the car with water! Thought it was going to stall the car but somehow it got through! Temperature had dropped at this point from a humid 22 degrees down to 15. However, once out beyond Stowmarket it was bone dry and the temperature shot back up to 21!
Arriving at the site with the other moth guys from the west, I related what had happened on the way and there was a risk the rain was coming. Sure enough, thunder could be heard shortly afterwards, then followed by some light rain. We decided to huddle under an Oak tree and wait for a while to see if the rain would pass by but alas, it did not, just got worse so we had to call it a night with no moth trapping undertaken at all.
This year is turning out to be a disaster with good nights rarer than Hen’s teeth and even when conditions look promising we then get rain! I did run 2 traps at home overnight that evening and also the night before and recorded around 55sp both times with nothing really of note recorded and only a handful of new species for the year seen. Even common species of moths generally seen in low numbers as seems to be the norm this year.
That’s it for recording in Suffolk until later in the month for me now, jetting off to (hopefully) sunny Bulgaria for 11 days of moth and butterfly recording. I hope when I get back things will have improved!

Neil