Suffolk Moths Blog

Been out and about this weekend doing a bit of recording during the brief mild spell before the rain. Started on Friday night with 3 traps deployed at IGC (30w twin actinic in the garden plus 2 MV up at the worksheds) early evening before heading off to Milden Hall Farm again in the south-west of Suffolk with some of the rest of the moth group to try for Sloe carpet on a warmer night than last time we were there. Blackthorn now flowering well too compared to our last visit when it was in bud. 7 traps put out there along the hedgerows. Moths were slow coming in but we did get to 23sp before packing up at 11.30pm. No Sloe carpet (is it extinct as a breeding moth in Suffolk now?) but pick of the bunch of moths seen included: Waved umber, Scorched carpet, Pale prominent, White-spotted pug, Purple thorn, Water carpet, Plutella xylostella and Nut-tree tussock.
Next morning a check of the IGC traps showed there to be a good catch. Year firsts for the site included Esperia sulphurella, Elachista canapennella, Elachista rufocinerea, Epinotia immundana, Coleophora albicosta, Plutella xylostella, Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, Oak-tree pug, Muslin moth, Lesser swallow prominent and Ocnerostoma friesei. Good numbers of Nut-tree tussock (12), Eriocrania subpurpurella (175) and Lunar marbled brown (13). Others: Water carpet, Swallow prominent. Orthosia numbers now dropping off here.
In the sunny weather during the afternoon, went for a walk along the old railway line at the North warren reserve and managed to spot my first Adela cuprellas for the season flying over the first bush we passed (a female tree), this being a new site for the moth. Then went on to Minsmere where yet again didn’t find the species – I’ve tried here many times in the past and have failed to locate it.
Was hoping to put at least 2 traps out over the Saturday night as it was still warm, but, with heavy rain forecast to start around 8pm just put out the one MV (my most rain-proof trap). Rain did arrive here around 8.30pm, stopped for a short while but did start again so it was a pretty wet trap that greeted me this morning. Not much in it really with just 8sp recorded, with Pale prominent (first for year at this site) the only moth of note.
Not sure when I’ll be trapping again as forecast looking poor for a while – what a frustrating Spring this has been!

Neil

Keith joined me last night on one of my woodland sites. We were a bit uncertain as to how things would turn out as one weather forecast predicted rain to arrive at 8pm, another said 12 midnight. As it turned out, the rain started about 10.45 as we were doing our final check of the traps, so by the time everything was packed away the equipment was a bit wet (first time this year). By then we had recorded 20 species in no great numbers. Brindled Pug was the most abundant (12) but many were in just ones or twos. Firsts for the year for me were Red Twin-spot Carpet, Coxcomb Prominent & Pebble Prominent.
As moth recorders, we rely quite a bit on the weather forecast especially if trapping away from home. After last night’s experience, perhaps its best to listen to 2 forecasts and split the difference!

Brian

Looking for decent moth nights I put my two traps out at home in Hollesley last night with my fingers crossed.

What turned up? Wasps! But only 28 moth species. They did move the season on but the catch was nothing exiting. New for the years were; Caloptilia semifascia, Endrosis sarcitrella, Agonopterix arenella, A. purpurea, Epiphyas postvittana, Frosted Green, Brimstone, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Nutmeg, Poplar Grey and Silver Y.

Also got my first caddis for the year, Linmephilus affinis. It has been a poor start for them too.

How have others fared?

With some warmer nights in the last week I’ve been running various combinations of light traps alternating between the garden and up on the golf course. The better temperatures have brought out some more year first moths with Lunar marbled brown, Swallow prominent, Spectacle, Caloptilia populetorum, Acleris cristana and Herald appearing – some of these of course are moths that have emerged from hibernation. Numbers of Frosted green and Eriocrania subpurpurella are increasing, with 28 of the former and 108 of the latter caught on the 15th. Orthosia numbers still ticking along at a low level although a better count of Common quaker seen on the 14th when 61 were obtained. Only 5 Small seen the same night continuing its poor run here. Other bits and bobs noted: Water carpet, Agonopterix scopariella, Oak beauty (seen on 13th, 14th (2) and 15th – all different individuals), Red chestnut, Early tooth-striped and Pine beauty.
Best moth however, as stated in the title of this post was a female Emperor trapped on the 15th up on the golf course. Even though this is a heathland site this is my first light-trapped record of this species in 20 years of recording here! Of course I have many records of the species either as larvae, males seen flying in the daytime plus the odd record of females found resting around security lights at the clubhouse. This species was one of 3 macros that I’ve not found in the traps on my site list, so I’m now down to 2. These being Triple-spotted pug (larval records only of caterpillars on Angelica flowerheads) and would you believe Mullein moth (larvae common here even on plants growing in my garden right next to where I run traps, also one record of an adult found at rest on a fence-post in the daytime).The weather forecasters are happily stating that we are in for some more warm sunny days into next week, but for us moth trappers this is not good with cold clear nights predicted. So it could be a short while before I have anything else of note to report!

Neil

Following my first ever Red Chestnut on Friday night with Brian, last night, 15th, I was trapping on my own at Herringfleet Hills, although Brian popped along at packing up time. A cool clear night as it turns out, I had been hopeful of some cloud cover and a bit of a moth fest after the two warm days but it wasn’t to be. Two of the four traps made no contribution to the species count of 17. These were placed low down. The best trap accounted for 14 species and was up a bank. Powdered Quaker and Frosted Green singles recorded but the highlight in the busiest trap checked last, naturally, was a Dotted Chestnut. New for us both. Does anyone know how many have now been recorded in Suffolk? Lights were run from 20.20 to 23.00 and it turned out to be another satisfying night after all!

Looking to the warm days bringing moths out I have trapped regularly and whilst for example the 13th turned cold at night and only produced 9 species the 14th was much warmer and showed a marked improvement on this disappointing Spring with 29 species to my two traps in my garden at Hollesley. They were mostly expected commoner Spring species but with a few new for the year and one new for my garden. The Oecophoridae made an excellent showing with Agonopterix alstromeriana, A. heracliana, A. scopariella, A. propinquella, A. subpropinquella (NFY), A. ocellana (new to garden) and Depressaria chaeophylli (NFY) adding considerably to the species total. Also new for the year at my garden site were Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Ocnerostoma friesei, Plutella xylostella, Brindled Pug, Scorched Carpet, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Herald and Oak Nycteoline. Contrary to Neil’s reporting but in line with Brian, I have been getting good numbers of Small Quaker this year, equaling Common, Clouded Drab or Hebrew Character. No Powdered, Lead-coloured or Northern yet though.

I have scanned the sallows recent years for Adela cuprella on the Suffolk Wildlife Trust site at Lound Lakes without success. But today I found some in the warm spring sunshine, 6 flying above one clump and 10 over another. Through binoculars, the long white antenna of the males was clearly visible in the bright sunshine. The last record for this part of VC25 was 1937.

Brian

Following on from the last post on the disappointing results from Milden last night, I was pleased to find more moths in the IGC traps than what we saw at that meeting.20sp, with a few more expected year firsts – Nut-tree tussock, Frosted green (3), Early thorn and Dyseriocrania subpurpurella (10). Smaller numbers of Orthosias compared to last time I trapped. I’m finding Small quaker to be still quite scarce this year, with only 19 caught. Last year my highest total in one night was 44 and that was very poor for this site then, is this year going to be even worse? Hebrew character is another in poor numbers so far this year with only 2 seen last night. Be interesting to see the final totals for these species compared to previous years once their flight period is over.
There was one more hanger-on too, a single Yellow horned, not my latest ever as that was on the 17th April 2013 but still the second latest.

Neil