This was the first ever Suffolk Moth Group ‘away’ trip where we left the county to try and see some different moths in another part of the country. This year we chose Dungeness in Kent, with its speciality moths on the shingle habitat there.
A few members of the group met in the early afternoon at Hamstreet woods to have a bit of a search for White-banded carpet, a moth that can be disturbed from its food-plant, Rosebay willowherb during the day. Despite tapping lots of plants, the only geometrid moths seen were Clouded borders. Some White admiral butterflies provided a bit of a pleasant distraction.
On then to Dungeness, where a short visit to the Bird Observatory was arranged so we could see some of the special moths of the area that had been caught on recent nights which were waiting for us in the fridge! There was also the added bonus of a few recent migrants trapped in the area to look at too, so we were all soon enjoying looking at the following nice moths: Splendid brocade, Tree-lichen beauty, Plumed fan-foot, Langmaid’s yellow underwing, Loxostege sticticalis, Ethmia bipunctella and Pigmy footman.
Ethmia bipunctella
The Long pits, Dungeness, Kent
As dusk was approaching we headed to the trap site at the Long pits, an area of vegetated shingle with some stands of Sallow scrub offering shelter. Some other moth trappers were already on site setting up traps close to the road so we had to place our lights a bit further out across the habitat on the sheltered side of the Sallow scrub. One of them had trapped that area the night before and informed us he had caught 2 Scarce chocolate-tip moths, one of which he allowed us to see and photograph.
Scarce chocolate-tip
Lights running at the Long pits - Paul Bryant
With 7 members of the group present at the meeting we soon had 12 traps out and running and with the breeze dropping all the time hopes were high we would see some moth activity. While we waited for darkness, another of the region’s special moth put in an appearance. A Cynaeda dentaliswas seen in flight and landed on the tarmac road. It evaded the first attempt at capture and with a car approaching we had to get out of the way, only to watch the moth fly up and be carried away into the distance as the car shot past!
Cynaeda dentalis
White-spot larva on Nottingham catchfly seedhead
Once it was dark, we searched the dried up flower-heads of Nottingham catchfly for the larvae of the White spot moth, another of the target species for the night. To be honest we didn’t rate our chances seeing all the dried out food-plant but we were soon proven wrong as larvae were located feeding on the seed-heads. Quite a good number in fact. We also found some geometrid larvae as well and these have been identified as Yellow belle.
Yellow belle larva
A quick check of the traps and a top –up of the generators before retiring to our cars for some sleep revealed a few moths coming in including some Pale grass eggars, another of the speciality moths.
Checking the traps very early in the morning!
5am soon came round and we were up checking the catch. Most traps including the actinics did reasonably well, although the lights placed closer to the Long pit were quieter.
We were soon checking every Chocolate-tip moth to see if we had caught any Scarce chocolate-tip ourselves. Despite getting at least 12 Chocolate-tip moths, we didn’t get the rarer one. The other moth trappers caught 2 but they had already left the site before we got up so we didn’t see their ones.
Other moths of note for us, starting with the macros included: Pale grass eggar (males and females), Pigmy footman (a few in each trap), Magpie, Lackey (a few at each trap, seems to be a rare moth up here in Suffolk now), Dark tussock (one worn one at actinic), Grass emerald, Langmaid’s yellow underwing and Double kidney (1).
Pigmy footman
Pale grass eggar
Chocolate-tip
Gelechia nigra
Micros: Epinotia cruciana (common), Argyresthia pygmaeella (common), Agonopterix assimilella, Oncocera semirubella, Cynaeda dentalis, Ancylis laetana, Gelechia muscosella (a few), Ethmia bipunctella (only one), Acleris aspersana, Acleris permutana (a few), Crombrugghia distans, Gelechia nigra, Coleophora galbulipennella (probable, needs confirmation but common, especially around the foodplant Nottingham catchfly) and Neofriseria peliella (abundant, this dark gelechid is very rare nationally and only found in this region!).
Neofriseria peliella
Acleris permutana
The members of the group that had visited this site before commented on the low numbers of moths at this trapping session in comparison to previous years at the site, in line with the general thought that the countryside doesn’t have the number of insects that it once did.
Whilst clearing up Steve Whitehouse, who had trapped the night before in Hamstreet woods visited us bringing along his prize capture from the night, a Small chocolate-tip. So we all managed to see the 3 varieties of chocolate tip found in this country over the weekend!
Small chocolate-tip
A short visit to the bird observatory didn’t result in seeing many new moths caught in their traps but we did see a Hummingbird hawk nectaring in the garden there. The group then split up, with some going to the RSPB reserve on Dungeness for their ‘moth morning’, where they saw a few extra things like Muslin footman and Lunar thorn that we didn’t catch ourselves. The other part of the group drove to Folkestone warren to try for Sub-angled wave and Moitrella obductella.
Sub-angled wave
A single Sub-angled wave was tapped from Ivy after much searching, but the obductella was not located unfortunately. With most people now running out of energy it was time to head for home after an enjoyable and pretty successful weekend. Certainly the idea of the ‘away day’ will be continued next year.
Neil
