Suffolk Moths Blog

Following visits out and about this month I have two further records to add to those published which will hopefully be of interest. On April 1st, I found a small number of long-horns high above a water-side sallow at Loompit Lake, Levington. Having in mind the theme of early records but with this still seeming rather early for A cuprella, I asked Neil for his views. From my observations, he confirmed that this could be the only species. Then on April 9th, I found two separate colonies at Boyton Hall Farm. Hopefully, this species is enjoying a good year with this remarkable weather.

Many recent reports clearly reflect the sunny, warm and mild start to the year and some field observations of my own would appear to support this. Walking on Martlesham Heath these last two days, I found a single Pyrausta despicata on April 10 and a small number of Adela reaumurella on April 11. Both records are by a long way, the earliest dates since I started recording here in 2002.

Like everyone else I am finding that many of the spring moths are appearing at an early date. On the 9th was an Iron Prominent and last night a Garden Carpet and Waved Umber. A Pine Beauty on the 9th was my second record (they seem well-distributed this year from reading other postings) and last night the commonest moths were Lunar Marbled Brown and Nut-tree Tussock.

Mark

Over the ten years I’ve lived in the clay heart of Suffolk I’ve noticed that my garden gets off to a slow start for both flowers and moths. This season is probably the same compared with other moth bloggers’ first dates, but for me it is still a remarkably early year – most species at MV have been a week to two weeks earlier than my previous earliest. But season usually even themselves out, and I’m now seeing things only a day or two after everyone else! Over the last couple of nights I’ve recorded emperor, tawny pinion, swallow and pebble prominent, streamer, purple thorn, frosted green. Nothing new for my garden, but enough to keep things interesting.

Tony H.

I refer to Depressaria chaerophylli of which I have taken a further 5 in the last 2 days. Surely others must be finding them in light traps not just me and Paul K. Apart from that my catches have followed the early trend with Frosted Green, Brindled beauty, Nut-tree Tussock, Chocolate-tip, Pebble prominent, Great Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, V-pug and Streamer all firsts for the year. A trip out to Bromeswell Green on 9th added Frosted Green for the site and Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Eriocrania sangii, E. semipurpurella, Epinotia immundana and Scrobipalpa acuminatella also many hundreds of gall wasps.

With thick cloud, calm conditions and temperature of 10.5 deg, Keith and myself set up our traps on the edge of Roundhouse woods at Fritton. After a slow start all the traps produced well, particularly the actinics. From dusk to 11.30, by which time we had done the final check and switched off, 30 species had been recorded. Orthosias were well outnumbered with relatively few seen. Early Tooth-striped was most abundant species, around 15 counted with Purple Thorn not far behind. Several firsts for the year for both of us included Acleris cristana, Ochreous Pug, Pebble Prominent, Sallow Kitten, Tawny-barred Angle, Spruce Carpet, Spectacle and a few strikingly fresh Streamers.
Altogether a very satisfying evening.

Brian

I, like Paul, took advantage of the slightly better conditions last night and ran some traps in the garden. Checked them just before turning in for the night around 10pm and was surprised to find a Foxglove pug on the outside of the actinic, a very early record. My previous earliest was on 16th May 1997. Other moths of interest seen included Early-tooth striped, Purple thorn and Grey pine carpet (all new for the year). Numbers of Orthosias now dropping off here.

Neil

Ran the actinic last night as conditions looked better than of late and was pleased to see both Ypsolopha mucronella and Brindled Beauty in the trap. Both have only been recorded here once before, on the 29th March 2011 and 22nd April 2008 respectively. Also new in the garden for the year were Frosted Green, Muslin Moth and Purple Thorn.

At Dunwich Heath on the night of Sunday 6 April Clive Moore caught the rather splendid and exquisite ‘conifer moth’ Gravitarmata margarotana. 

Photo by M. J. Deans

Known as the Pine Cone Tortrix and new to Britain from Kent as recently as 2011, I have only traced one other record since, from Leicestershire in 2013.  This record is therefore, most probably, the third for Britain. 

It will be interesting to see if further individuals turn up in the Dunwich area.  It may, of course, have been a migrant.  There are pine trees near to Clive’s trap on the heath.