Suffolk Moths Blog

One of the woodland areas I am recording for the first time this year has a substantial plantation of mature and very large aspens. I have been hoping for an opportunity to find out if Lead-coloured Drab is present. This came last night and the results were positive. Only 4 Lead-coloured Drab found in the traps but at least it is present and the other traps placed in adjacent areas produced plenty of moths on a calm, mild evening. Others new for the year for me were Engrailed, Agonopterix alstromeriana & ocellana. Still large numbers of March Moth up here on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and the species with the highest numbers was again Small Quaker. Over 150 moths in the traps of 19 species, so it turned out to be a rewarding and pleasant evening (spoilt somewhat when I hit a muntjac on the way home).
Also had the first 2 Great Silver Water Beetles of the year come to the lights.

Brian

Saw my first Orange underwing for the year this afternoon at IGC, flying high around Birch. This is about when they normally first appear according to my records.

Neil

I thought the weather forecast looked quite good for Friday night so I took my opportunity to visit Staverton Park for the first time this year. Picked up 22 species including one of the site’s specialties. Also the first pug of the year was a Brindled Pug.

The physical bulk was made up of Oak Beauty, Yellow Horned and Small Quaker. Dotted Border and Chestnut still around. Four Acleris species; ferrugana, notana, cristana and literana. Other micros were Ypsolopha ustella, Agonopterix alstromeriana, Diurnea fagella and Tortricodes alternella. Four further Orthosias were; Hebrew Character, Common, Clouded Drab and Twin-spotted (now Anorthoa).

To finish off the total were Grey Shoulder-knot, Satellite, March Moth and Small Brindled Beauty.

Like Brian my traps have also been unused for a while so with the forecast of just slightly better conditions last night I gave it a go with 3 (1 at home and 2 in the woods).
14sp trapped, with one species new for the year turning up, Diurnea fagella. Good number of Oak beauty seen with 12 caught including a melanic one. Yellow horned now out in good numbers with 8 caught. Small brindled beauty still going but numbers low for this site with 3 caught. March moth numbers down with just the 2. Orthosias only just ticking along with 24 Common quaker, 10 Small quaker, 7 Hebrew character, 2 Clouded drab and a single Twin-spotted quaker. I’m sure if a warmer night comes along the numbers of these moths will rise as these are very low counts for this site at this time of year. Not looking like there are going to be any for a while though checking the forecast
At least there is the annual indoor meeting to look forward to next weekend.

Neil

This persistent cool NE breeze off the sea has kept the moth traps in the shed for a week. Last night with the thick cloud and a slight fall in its strength I thought it worth a try, choosing a well sheltered area further inland facing south west. It proved worthwhile with about 70 moths recorded of 12 species. Nothing out of the ordinary, just 2 new for the year for me (Early Grey & Diurnea fagella). The bulk of the catch was Orthosias, with Small Quaker by far the most abundant moth of the evening. One Dotted Border was a very dark and beautifully marked individual. It had me puzzled at first until I took a closer look at it.

Not much sign in the forecast of any warm nights just yet.

Brian

Thursday evening produced a good number of moths in spite of the cool breeze. With Yellow Horned in mind, I concentrated on an area of woodland containing a lot of birch. Several came to each trap with a total of 12, all nice fresh individuals.
Orthosias are now appearing in good numbers and by the amount of Small Quaker that came to the lights, it looks like their numbers this year could be recovering towards the high numbers of 2012. Still getting a few Pale Brindled Beauty and the species count for last night was 11 (T. alternella the only micro).

Brian

Spring usually arrived late here on Halesworth clay. But I’ve recorded my earliest ever clouded drab (25/2), oak beauty (6/3) and shoulder stripe (8/3). It doesn’t seem to me to have been an especially mild winter (a lot of frosts) or an early year for sallow, so I don’t know what the moths know that I don’t.

Tony Hopkins

Although not quite in the same league as the moth numbers being recorded by Neil at IGC I ran my actinic trap last night and, despite clear skies, managed to record four each of Common Quaker & Hebrew Character plus singles of Small Quaker, Dotted Border and Shoulder Stripe.

Another mothing window last night, so 2 traps out again in the woods. Surprised to find the contents pretty similar to last time with the catch dominated by March moth (88) and not a lot else. Numbers of Small brindled beauty were higher with 8 seen. No Pale brindled beauty or Spring usher so they are probably over at this site now. Strange that no Orthosias appeared or any other new species for the year, should be more springtime species coming out now surely? Maybe we need a few sequential warm nights to get things going?

Neil

Last night with the mild conditions it was too good a chance to miss in what has been a pretty mediocre early spring for moths. Still 8 degrees at dusk so ran 3 traps, 2 mvs in the woods plus a twin actinic at home. Turned off the actinic at 10pm, with 4sp caught including 2 Common quaker the first for the year. Other 2 traps full of March moth in the morning, 117 caught my 3rd highest total ever (best 140 in 2000 followed by 121 in 2011, no other counts over 100 in my database). 10 other species caught with new for year Grey shoulder knot, Agonopterix umbellana and Hebrew character. Another Common quaker also caught along with 6 Small brindled beauty and 10 Dotted border. Looks like spring could be just around the corner with those first sightings of the Orthosias.

Hope others were successful too if trapping was attempted.

Neil