Suffolk Moths Blog

Didn’t trap the early part of the last week of August as here on the Heathland soil the temperature really dropped away overnight with few moths seen flying at dusk. However both Thursday and Friday nights were much warmer with a bit of cloud cover so the traps were out. Both nights brought in around 95sp, with Friday certainly the better of the two with my 1 MV trap put out in the garden stuffed full of moths. Brown was the predominant colour of species caught, but there was a bit of colour with the first sallow of the year, a Centre-barred on Friday. Pleased to get this as I know for most recorders this is a common species but here it is quite rare with normally only 1 or 2 observations a year (Ash trees are scarce in this area on the dry soils). Also colourful was the Frosted orange on the 30th. Other observations of note have included the following. Light emerald has been abundant, almost the commonest macro trapped on the 29th. Hedge rustic now out in numbers, plus Feathered gothic starting with 8 seen so far. 1 Tree-lichen beauty on 29th. Underwing numbers now building up a bit but still not in what I would call ‘normal’ numbers. First Lunar yellow for the year has now appeared, strange it hasn’t been caught sooner as it breeds on site! Nice to be seeing some second brood Common wainscot and Small square-spot, these 2 have been struggling for a few years now. 2 Satin wave caught on 29th. Platytes alpinella caught the same night, first for the year. All the following caught on the 30th: Stenolechia gemmella, Coronet, Flame carpet, Pyralis farinalis, Cochylidia implicitana, Epermenia falciformis (2), Agonopterix ocellana, Bucculatrix maritima (2nd site record, first only a short time ago) and Depressaria badiella (new site record).

Neil

Brian and I set out 7 lights on the high ground on the 29th. This involved lugging the gear up the very steep hillside, so steep it was difficult to just walk down. No mishaps and approaching 110 species. A very warm night with little cloud cover, we began the final trap/packing up round at 11.15 but it was gone 1.15 time we left. Again the actinic Skinner did just as well as many of the mv’s. Quite early on at the sheet trap we had a very interesting moth neither of us had seen before, and identification took a long while as we were looking in the wrong books. The moth in question being Wax moth. We were also pleased to see half a dozen Hedge Rustic as we saw our first one up this way last year at Ashby. Other moths worth a mention; White-spotted Pug, a good number of Centre-barred Sallow and the frequently encountered White-point, Scorched Carpet, a few Dusky Thorn, a single Feathered Gothic and another Agonopterix exactly like the one from Wicker Well 10 days earlier which has still to be sent off for determination. Migrants were Dark Sword-grass which is still the best migrant I’ve managed to catch this year and I’ve been getting them most nights! Silver Y and Diamond-back. Great Silver Water Beetle also noted. Still waiting for some excellent migrant conditions with something good usually turning up at home September/early October.

Things quietening down; a lot of very worn moths in the garden MV. New last night was clouded buff and a very pretty Ethmia bipunctella – which vindicates having planted lots of bugloss over the past few years.

It’s been a very good month. Reading people’s moth blogs has been exciting and encouraging, but it seems not very many people are contributing (less than last year?). Anyway, special thanks and commendation to all those who have taken the trouble and shared their experiences – especially to Matthew, Neil and Keith. I’ve really enjoyed their enthusiastic and instructive blogs over the summer.

Highlight of last night (29th) was an Oblique Carpet – a rare find inland I think. Also of note were Bulrush Wainscot, Dusky Thorn, Currant Pug and Maiden’s Blush. I am now getting plenty of Hedge Rustic, Feathered Gothic and Centre-barred Sallow.

I finally added Old Lady to the garden list on the 27th.

Unseasonal moths in August and throughout the autumn seem to have been a regular feature of recent years with our strange weather.

The season had been running approximately three weeks late at Bawdsey, although more recently things have caught up. This week amongst vast hordes of Turnips, Cabbages and c-nigrum; I have been catching good numbers of Feathered Gothic along with Centre-barred Sallows, Large Wainscots, Hedge Rustics and Red Underwings which I would normally expect at the end of August.

A single Heart & Dart was perhaps not too unexpected a few days ago as was a Bird’s Wing which can have a partial second generation.

I was however quite astonished to discover in one of my MV traps; a specimen of Pyla fusca on the night of 27 August.   This is not only a new pyralid for Bawdsey; but all the literature says single brooded, flying in June and July.  A most odd record.  I have had a good look at the moth and I am familiar with it’s close congeners.

I would be most interested to hear of any other unseasonal captures recently.

Following the second Convolvulus of the year (on the night of 24 August); a fine Bedstraw Hawk-moth arrived last night (25th) which becomes the tenth species of hawk recorded this year at Bawdsey Hall!

Still time for a Death’s-head………

Like Paul, I too have saved a few Phyllonorycter mines to try and breed out the adults. Collected a mine from Crack willow last week and was pleased to find a moth hatched out of it this morning (they can be heavily parasitized, so is very hit and miss trying to get adults out). This moth keys out as Phyllonorycter salictella, a new species for me and for the golf course.

Neil

Phyllonorycter salictella