Reports
from Recorders around the county
Records reported in
this section have not been checked by the Suffolk Moth Panel. Many
thanks go to the recorders who provide write-ups and records for this
section.
Eye Moths, July to November 2007 - Paul
Kitchener
July
I guess comparisons with last July are inevitable, but really whatever
the weather was going to throw at us this month it couldn’t possibly
produce anything to compare with the exciting mothing that we all
enjoyed last year. With mean temperatures below average and rainfall
well above average virtually every species appeared in lower numbers.
Only on two nights did the night-time temperature remain at or above
15° C and the night of the 30th was probably the coldest I’ve known
for July, here in Eye, when the minimum was 6°C!
A poor total of two hundred and eight species was seen. Last July
produced three hundred and fifty-four with the average over the
previous five years being two hundred and sixty-six. The night of the
7th was probably a record-breaker when only twenty-eight species came
to the MV!
Having trapped this site for only six years it would be an
exceptionally bad July if no new site records were recorded. As it was
there were five, all micros:
Rhopobota
naevana (four in one week, with a fifth record to come in
August),
Eucosma hohenwartiana,
Donacaula forficella,
Coleophora serratella and
Coleophora therinella. The last
two, thankfully, determined by Jon Clifton, otherwise I would have been
none the wiser.
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Donacaula
forficella © Paul Kitchener
|
Continuing on the positive theme for as long as possible, a few other
micros of local interest were seen and these included
Ectoedemia decentella (the seventh
record),
Ypsolopha scabrella
(only the third site record and the first since 2003),
Epermenia chaerophyllella (the
third and fourth of the year),
Elachista
maculicerusella (two; the first record was in April of this
year),
Mompha epilobiella
(seventh record and now seen in every month from April to September,
except June),
Limnaecia phragmitella
(the fifth and sixth records; first seen here only last year),
Phtheochroa inopiana (four this
month and seen for the first time last year but already there are
thirteen records),
Apotomis lineana
(the sixth record, all the others were last year),
Enarmonia formosana (three this
month and now seen for five consecutive years),
Nomophila noctuella (seven
individuals with five on the 19th) and
Homoeosoma sinuella (the third
record, the second only last month).
It’s difficult to find anything positive to say about the macros this
month but I’ll try: a single Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet was the first
I’ve recognised here since 2004, four Sharp-angled Peacock was better
than last July (it has been the best year for this species with eleven
records), a Maple Prominent was the fifth of the year (it has also been
the best year for this species as it has been for Coxcomb Prominent),
two Brown-tail were the first since 2004, a White-point was my first
July record (albeit only just, on the 1st), a Slender Brindle was the
second record, two Double Lobed was about average and a Small Dotted
Buff was the eighth record.
|
Maple Prominent © Paul Kitchener
|
Mention must be made of some particular species in order to illustrate
the differences with last July and the affects the very wet May and
June must have had on moth numbers this month. Although May 2006 was
also exceptionally wet, June 2006 was very warm and dry unlike this
year.
For the following species the first figure given is the number of
individuals recorded this July and the second is for July 2006. Of
course, last summer was exceptional and in a few cases this year’s
figure was not much lower than that for 2005.
Clepsis consimilana (30/149),
Ditula angustiorana (9/216),
Celypha lacunana (13/111),
Pammene aurita (7/131),
Pammene regiana (2/194),
Agriphila straminella (1/317),
Phlyctaenia perlucidalis (1/20),
Pleuroptya ruralis (62/625), Riband
Wave (117/424), Clouded Border (28/269), Common Footman (104/514),
Heart and Dart (32/150), Flame (13/127), Broad-bordered Yellow
Underwing (3/49), Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (10/201),
Cabbage (1/43), Dark Arches (16/188), Mottled Rustic (46/209) and Straw
Dot (2/61).
|
Pammene
aurita © Paul Kitchener
|
For only the second year in five no
Sciota
adelphella were seen. Last summer eight individuals were trapped
and there have been nine records in total. Perhaps the poor weather has
brought an end to a small temporary resident population.
August
Still waiting for summer. Another very disappointing, cool month that
nationally was the coldest August since 1993. Generally though
night-time temperatures held up pretty well and with a period of east
to north-east winds later in the month some interesting migrants were
recorded.
This month the species total not only well exceeded that of August
2006, but also proved to be the best for August over the seven years at
this site. The one hundred and ninety-nine species included eight new
site records, four of which were macros.
A mild, drizzly night with a light north-easterly wind on the 23rd
produced one of the most exciting catches of the month. This included
five
Plutella xylostella,
Acrolepiopsis assectella (Leek
moth, a first site record), two
Nomophila
noctuella, three
Dioryctria
abietella (only the fourth site record), Yellow-barred Brindle,
Black Arches (third site record), over one hundred Large Yellow
Underwing, a Dotted Clay (the first site record and the first I’ve seen
in Eye in eleven years), ten White-point, two Silver Y, a moribund
Scarce Silver Y (the first I’ve ever recorded, but unfortunately not
very photogenic) and two Dark Spectacle.
|
|
Acrolepiopsis
assectella © Paul Kitchener
|
Great Brocade © Paul Kitchener |
A second
Acrolepiopsis assectella
was seen on the 27th and other apparent migrants this month were
Udea ferrugalis (four), one other
Nomophila noctuella, a single
Humming-bird Hawk-moth (the only one of the year - a five second view
from the living room window), a total of forty-nine White-point (half
last August’s total, but most probably local) and best of all, a Great
Brocade on the 30th. Having missed out on last year’s influx I thought
I’d have a long wait for my next chance so I was both very pleased and
surprised to see one so soon.
The other moths seen for the first time here were
Cameraria ohridella (Horse-chestnut
Leaf-miner), perhaps a new arrival around here, but more likely to have
been overlooked in recent years (a total of twenty-five between the 1st
and 30th, with a maximum of nine on the 12th),
Bactra furfurana (a second one in
September),
Grapholita funebrana
(this was actually a second record, the identification of it and one
caught in June was recently confirmed by Jon Clifton),
Dichrorampha acuminatana and
Juniper Pug.
|
Bactra
furfurana © Paul Kitchener
|
There was plenty of other interest provided by
Ectoedemia decentella (eighth
record),
Morophaga choragella
(second site record),
Ypsolopha
scabrella (the second of the year, having not been seen for the
previous three years),
Depressaria
heraclei (only the third record in six years and the second in
August; at my previous trap site only half a mile away it was seen
twenty-four times in four years, all the records during January to
April),
Limnaecia phragmitella
(the third of the year),
Cacoecimorpha
pronubana (only the fourth trap record and first since 2003),
Bactra lancealana (two),
Rhopobota naevana (the fifth of the
year),
Enarmonia formosana
(the fifth and sixth of the year),
Aglossa
pinguinalis (only the third site record),
Euzophera pinguis (the only one of
the year and only the fifth in three years - it used to be much more
frequent),
Ephestia parasitella
(the first August site record),
Phycitodes
maritima (ninth record and the only one of the year),
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla (the
tenth and eleventh records but was first seen as recently as 2004), one
Oak Hook-tip (the only one of the year), Least Carpet (the only one of
the year but it has now been seen in four consecutive years), Flame
Carpet (the second and third of the year, the first site record was in
April), Dark Spinach (the third site record), Treble-bar (only the
fifth record), Sharp-angled Peacock (seven), True Lover’s Knot (fourth
site record), Butterbur (the second site record, the first was in
2001), Dark Spectacle (five) and Red Underwing.
|
Butterbur © Paul Kitchener
|
A few species were more numerous this August than last, namely
Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Common Carpet, Green Carpet, Light
Emerald and Burnished Brass and the final year tally for the last four
mentioned was the best in six years. As in July however, most species
were in much lower numbers, these being a few examples, (figures are
August ‘07/August ‘06):
Agriphila
tristella (32/116),
Pleuroptya
ruralis (130/570), Flame Shoulder (402/1187), Six-striped Rustic
(20/132), Cabbage (47/284), Common Wainscot (26/233) and Vine’s Rustic
(81/338). The final year tallies suggest differing fortunes though,
with only Common Wainscot having the worst year out of seven and Vine’s
Rustic appearing in well above average numbers. Cabbage Moth numbers
have been very erratic, from a maximum of three hundred and eighty in
2003 to a minimum of just seven a year later.
September
There’s not a great deal to comment on this month. The trap was out on
only thirteen nights and I was away on holiday from the 21st. The
period was quite dry, certainly compared with the previous four months
and temperatures were about average, nothing like the glorious warm
weather of last September.
There was one first site record, a Clay Triple-lines on the 7th and
this was also the first time I had recorded it in Eye. Other noteworthy
species were
Prays fraxinella
(the eighth of the year),
Pseudargyrotoza
conwagana (the first September site record, but not the latest -
in 2004 one was recorded on the 20th October), the second
Bactra furfurana of the year, the
third
Eudonia pallida of the
year (but only the sixth site record; the first five have all been in
June), a single
Pyrausta aurata
(the first and only one of the year!), two Bordered Beauty (the only
ones of the year), Large Thorn (the fifth site record and first since
2003), six White-point, a Cream-bordered Green Pea (only the fifth
record of the year and the first time in September. The average number
of records over the previous five years is twenty-two), two Dark
Spectacle (eighth and ninth of the year) and two Red Underwing.
Two Crambids were seen on their latest ever dates,
Chrysoteuchia culmella (two this
month with the latest on the 10th) and
Crambus pascuella on the 1st. The
latter species was a good month later than the previous latest. There
were also first September site records for Wormwood Pug and Clouded
Border (which has had the worst year at this site since 2002, the
yearly totals for the six years being 50/203/162/167/308/60). A
Pink-barred Sallow on the 3rd was my earliest record by ten days.
|
Pink-barred Sallow © Paul Kitchener
|
Both Canary-shouldered and Dusky Thorn were seen in their lowest ever
numbers with only three of each. Last year I rather hopefully reported
that Dusky Thorn may be recovering from a steep decline in numbers
since 1999, but I may have been premature in my comments. Maybe there
was a large emergence whilst I was on holiday, who knows?
October
Another relatively dry month but with cool nights and several ground
frosts, only on three nights after the 5th did the temperature remain
in double figures. Last October had seventeen nights with a minimum in
double figures.
There were no new site records this month but the species total of
fifty- six was the third best for the last six years and several
species were seen later than they had before. These were
Tinea trinotella (12th , a first
record for October),
Anthophila
fabriciana (two, 16th, a first October record),
Pleuroptya ruralis (two, the
latest, 14th), Single-dotted Wave (5th, a first record for October),
Willow Beauty (12th, a first record for October), Flame (two, the
latest, 14th), Cabbage (6th, a first record for October) and Burnished
Brass (15th). There were five records of Straw Dot, the fifth year in
the last seven that it’s been seen in October.
A single
Epiphyas postvittana
was the ninth record of the year. This moth was not seen here until
last year, so it’s probably safe to assume there will be even more next
year.
Of the October regulars Red-line Quaker, Brown-spot Pinion, Beaded
Chestnut and Barred Sallow all appeared in below average numbers (for
the five years ‘02 to ‘06), whilst Sallow was the only species that was
more numerous. Three species that are usually recorded this month were
not seen at all. These were Feathered Thorn (the first year in ten it
hasn’t shown), Blair’s Shoulder-knot (the only other blank year was
2002) and Brick (also the first time in ten years it’s not been seen).
Other bits and pieces of note were two White-point, the first Sprawler
of the year (on the 25th), only two records of Merveille du Jour (there
were fifteen last October), four Brindled Green (the best yearly total
since 2001!), only seven records of Large Wainscot (forty-two last
October) and the tenth Dark Spectacle of the year.
|
Sprawler
© Paul Kitchener
|
November
Nine species were seen in the first week before a series of quite heavy
ground frosts arrived. These included the first November site records
for
Acleris variegana,
Shuttle-shaped Dart and Sallow. The only Feathered Thorn of the year
finally put in an appearance and four Sprawler was a good showing.
So, that’s probably it for 2007, thank goodness it’s over many might
say, but I doubt whether it’s been a disastrous year, only time will
tell. The wet weather may have caused a few local, temporary
extinctions but I guess we’ll just have to expect weather extremes to
become more frequent these days. At least in this part of the country
we were luckier than some who had a lot more than the odd empty moth
trap to worry about.
Moths at Ipswich Golf Course - August to
December 2007 - Neil
Sherman
August
Summer just did not seem to arrive in August. There were a few warm
days, but most of the time it seemed to be cool and wet, especially in
the middle of the month. The end of August was dominated by northerly
winds, dropping the numbers of moths in the traps. There were a few
migrant northerly moths around like Great Brocade and Scarce Silver Y
(same as last year) but none made it to my light traps. Only on the
night of the 5th did I find the traps full of moths. In fact it was the
best night of the year for the site, with 166 species being recorded in
3 traps. Lights were operated on 13 other nights, producing a total of
280 species (155 micros, 125 macros). On comparison with last August,
this total is in fact much better - I only recorded 213 species in
2006, but then it was a much wetter month. One insect that did seem to
be around in large numbers was the wasp - there were always quite a few
to contend with in the traps each morning!
One new macro for the site was recorded - a Tree-lichen Beauty, found
in one of the traps on that warm night of the 5th. Other sightings of
possible note included the following. Oak Eggar (female) only found
once on the 5th, unfortunately killed by the hornets present in the
trap. Grass Emerald was noted twice (5th and 13th). The Large Emerald
has been notable by its low numbers; only one more was seen on the 7th,
the total for 2007 being 5. Birch Mocha was also in low numbers, with
one record on the 18th. Tawny Wave however did well, with the one on
the 5th being the fifth record for the year. Another good record for
here was the Mullein Wave seen on the 7th - this is only the second
record. Also seen on the 7th was a Dark Spinach. Least Carpet was seen
virtually every night, with a total of 21 noted during the month. The
Small Phoenix did not do well - after just the one sighting in July
only 2 more made it to the traps. The Small Waved Umber noted on the
7th was only the third site record, the first since 2004. Second brood
Sharp-angled Peacock were noted only on one date (24th), with five
seen. The second White Satin for 2007 was seen on the 12th, this is the
5th record for the site. The last Kent Black Arches for the year was
noted on the 5th. Other species that have been in low numbers have
included the Lunar yellow Underwing (one 29th), Six-striped Rustic (one
on 27th) and Mouse Moth (one on 21st). 9 Hedge rustic have been
recorded so far, more should be seen in September. A Saltern Ear
trapped on the warm night of the 5th was the first since 2005. A single
Shaded Fan-foot also trapped on the same night was the last sighting of
the year for that species. A moth that does seem to be increasing is
the Dark Spectacle. The one seen on the 19th was the 4th for 2007.
|
|
Mullein Wave © Neil Sherman
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Tree-lichen Beauty © Neil Sherman
|
Micros of possible note included the following. Again on the warm night
of the 5th, a new species was recorded -
Lobesia littoralis. Other notables
included
Morophaga choragella
(5th),
Caloptilia syringella
(27th),
Aspilapterix tringipennella
(on the 2nd, following on from the 2 seen in July),
Cameraria ohridella (14 adults
noted plus loads of mines),
Yponomeuta
rorrella (2nd, following on from last year’s sightings),
Epermenia chaerophyllella (second
site record on the 21st),
Stenolechia
gemmella (27th),
Bryotropha
domestica (2 records),
Gelechia
senticetella (2nd, third site record),
Adoxophyes orana (5th, second site
record),
Platytes alpinella
(5th),
Eudonia angustea
(26th, first for the year) and
Achroia
grisella (the Lesser Wax Moth, seen on the 5th and 12th, first
records since 2004). A complete surprise was the sighting of a
Cydia amplana in the garden trap on
the 12th, the second site record. A few more
Vitula biviella were recorded
following on from the 64 seen last month. Four were noted on the 4th,
followed by two on the 5th - these were the last ones for the year.
|
|
Cydia
amplana © Neil Sherman
|
Lobesia
littoralis © Neil Sherman
|
There were two notable daytime observations - a
Recurvaria nanella was found at the
house on the 4th, followed by the discovery of mines of
Caloptilia falconipennella on alder
on the 31st (these were bred through with an adult hatching in
September to confirm the identification). These were both new moths for
the site.
September
The start of September was quite warm and dry, with some warm nights in
the first week producing on average over 50 species of moths in the
traps. Clear skies and lower night temperatures from the second week
dropped numbers however, with an average of only 30 species in the
traps. It became even worse during the last week, with wind and rain
causing a crash in moths - only 14 species were noted on the night of
the 27th.
The best count came during the first part of the month, when 72 species
were recorded on the night of the 6th. Lights were operated on 11
nights. This produced a total of 148 species (75 micros, 73 macros), a
better count than 2006 when only 137 species were recorded. This may
sound surprising as September 2006 was very mild, but I was away for 2
weeks on holiday during that time so less trapping was undertaken.
Generally the trend of low moth numbers in the traps in 2007 continued,
with some species normally noted in September not even appearing at all
including moths like Deep-brown Dart and the Sallow.
Large numbers of wasps continued to hamper checking the trap contents,
with the additional hazard of a few hornets as well!
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Orange Sallow © Neil Sherman
|
There were no new macro moth species noted. Of possible interest were
the following. Birch Mocha (6th, only the second
record for 2007), Flame Carpet (8th), Lunar Yellow Underwing (8 records
following on from the first last month), Heath Rustic (7 records),
Hedge Rustic (22 records to add to the 9 seen last month), L-album
Wainscot (16th, 5th site record, all recorded in the garden trap so
far), Brindled Green (7 only so far), Orange Sallow (4), Poplar Grey
(2nd, a second brood individual), Frosted orange (19th) and Red
underwing (8th). Feathered Gothic continues to be poorly represented in
the traps, with only a total of 7 seen - only 4 were noted in 2006, the
last time double figures were noted was in 2005 (19). Two other species
not seen in their usual high numbers were Lunar Underwing (6 so far -
88 were noted in 2006) and Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (only 8 so
far, 97 noted in 2006).
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Heath Rustic © Neil Sherman
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L-album Wainscot © Neil Sherman
|
Some of the common micros showed a similar trend. Most obvious was
Agriphila tristella - there have been 56 so far in 2007, last
year
there were 123.
Micros of possible noted included
Ectoedemia
decentella (1st),
Roeslerstammia erxlebella (8th
in garden trap),
Ypsolopha sylvella
(4
records),
Aristotelia ericinella
(6th, only the third record for 2007,
this species is normally abundant near Heather here),
Acleris rhombana
(6th),
Bactra furfurana (5th,
second site record),
Crambus hamella
(2
noted on the 6th were the only records) and
Apomyelois bistriatella
(2nd).
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Crambus
hamella © Neil Sherman
|
Poplar Hawk-moth larva © Neil Sherman
|
There was very little evidence of unusual strong second broods of some
species unlike previous years. The only moths noted doing this were
Pandemis cerasana (3 records)
and
Archips podana (2
records).
There were only 2 daytime observations of note. A Pink-barred Sallow
was disturbed while cutting sedge on the 17th, this being the only
record so far for 2007. The next day, a caterpillar of a Poplar
Hawk-moth
was found, fully grown, feeding on willow.
October
October continued the mild autumn season, with some warm sunny days and
mild nights in the first part of the month. Mid-month brought frosts
however, this seemingly finishing off the moths at the site as after
this, mild nights at the end of the month only produced single figure
species totals. Trapping was attempted on ten nights, mostly in the
garden due to re-development work at the work-sheds. The best night was
the 2nd, when 27 species were seen. Final total for the month was 56
(18 micros, 38 macros), worse than 2006 when 70 species were noted.
Macros records of possible interest included the following. Red-green
Carpet (4 records), November Moth agg. (8 only, 118 in 2006),
Streak (9 only, 22 last year), Feathered Thorn (3 - 26 last year),
Mottled Umber (again 1 only, 13 last year), Square-spot Rustic (latest
ever on the 15th October - this species has been seen this year from
July!), L-album Wainscot (1st, third record for 2007), Deep-brown Dart
(6 noted after none at all last month), Black Rustic (1st, 2nd (2) and
12th), Blair’s Shoulder-knot (22 seen, a good count here), Merveille du
Jour (1 on the 2nd is the only record so far), Chestnut (1 only - 341
noted last year!), Yellow-line Quaker (4 - 67 last year), Lunar
Underwing (highest count for the year on one date was 30 on the 2nd),
Barred Sallow (5 - 25 last year), Pink-barred Sallow (4), Sallow (the
only one seen on the 2nd) and Large Wainscot (only one on the 15th).
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Black Rustic © Neil Sherman
|
Micros seen included
Monopis obviella
(12th),
Cedestis subfasciella
(11th, latest ever),
Archips podana
(2nd again latest ever),
Cydia
splendana (2nd, not surprisingly another latest ever record!)
and
Eudonia angustea (11th).
All the late records are undoubtedly due to the poor summer weather
slowing development/emergence. It will be interesting to see what
effect, if any, this year has had on numbers for 2008.
There was only one daytime observation of note, and that was the
sighting of 2 caterpillars of the Festoon on the 25th, found underneath
oak trees preparing to pupate.
November
A trap was operated on the night of the 1st, producing 19 moths of 9
species, with 2 Streak, Red-green Carpet and a Spruce Carpet being of
possible note for the site. I basically lost interest in trapping after
then, thinking was it worth putting the light out to catch such poor
numbers!
However, at the end of the month there was a brief spell of warm
nights. Checking the clubhouse wall by the security lights on the 28th
(often more profitable than running a trap during the winter) produced
10 Mottled Umber, 10 Scarce Umber, 2 Winter Moth and a Feathered Thorn.
That
night I had another go with the trap, and was surprised to find a few
moths in the morning. Most common was the December Moth, one of my
favourite late season species with 10 present. There were also a few
Winter and Northern Winter Moths, Red-green Carpet and a Scarce Umber
to name a few of the 8 species present.
The total for the month was 15 species, better than last November when
only 7 were seen so it wasn’t all bad in the end!
December
Trapping was attempted on the night of the 4th, when mild conditions
tempted me to try the trap. Bit of a waste of time - only caught 4
moths, with nothing of note. The usual winter species were seen around
the clubhouse security lights, the only moth of note for the month
being the Pale-brindled Beauty at the clubhouse on the 4th, this being
the earliest before the year’s end that I have seen the species.
The summary for the year at the site is as follows. 699 species were
recorded, more than 2006 when 696 were noted. This may come as a
surprise, but I did survey the leaf-miners in 2007. There were 59 of
these, so to compare the years I have removed them from the result.
Therefore the total for 2007 was 640 species (318 macros, 322 micros),
much lower than 2006, all due to the poor weather in the summer months.
24 new moths were noted (4 macros, 20 micros), the total number of
Lepidoptera recorded at the site now standing at 1064 (1034 moths).
Mendlesham Green Records 2007 -
Steve Woolnough
The trap ran on three nights in March. Numbers were low, without any
double-digit species counts but there were two new garden records, with
Agonopterix alstromeriana on
10th and Grey Shoulder-knot on 24th.
April was a very warm month, allowing the trap to be run on eight
nights, giving the highest April count recorded, with 36 species. Only
once before had a double-digit species count occurred during the month,
but this was achieved on three nights this year, peaking at 15 on 22nd.
Again, there were two new species;
Esperia
sulphurella on 13th and Treble Bar on 25th.
In May the trap was run on only four nights, as the wet weather began
to take hold, but a respectable total of 76 species was recorded,
although most of these occurred on just the one night of 24th, when 63
were identified. This beat by some margin the previous best May count
of 46 on 27th 2005. Four new garden records also appeared on that
night;
Agonopterix assimilella,
Clay Triple-lines, Brown Silver-line and Purple Clay. The remaining new
garden moth was Dark Brocade on 22nd. The first migrants of the year
appeared on the same night, with three Diamond-backs. There was also a
very early Large Emerald on this date. A Puss Moth on 5th was found,
typically, not in the trap but some three metres away on the shed door.
A total of 147 species were recorded from seven nights in June, with a
record monthly count of 86 on 29th. Four new garden records occurred on
that night;
Epermenia chaerophyllella,
Coleophora adspersella,
Acleris bergmanniana and Holly
Tortrix. Other new garden records were
Mompha subbistrigella and Clouded
Brindle on 7th, Brown Oak Tortrix,
Dioryctria
abietella, Juniper Webber and Light Brocade on 9th, and
Donacaula forficella, Delicate and
Dark Spectacle on 22nd. Also notable were two Orange Moth on 23rd and
the high numbers of Buff Ermine throughout the month, which peaked with
26 on 9th.
July was almost a complete wash-out; what is usually the busiest month
of the year saw the trap run on only four nights. For a month that
usually sees counts of over 100 spp., the maximum recorded was only 81
on 18th July, with the second highest being only 64 on 28th. A new
macro for the garden was recorded on 13th July with a single Fen
Wainscot. New micros appearing on the same night were singles of
Swammerdamia caesiella,
Bryotropha terrella and
Epagoge grotiana. An unusual warm
and dry night on the 18th produced several new micros, namely
Stigmella hybnerella,
Tischeria ekebladella, Brown-dotted
Clothes Moth and Brown Oak Tortrix. On 21st, a first
Helcystogramma rufescens was
recorded and the last new moth of the month was seen on 28th, with
Elachista maculicerusella, giving a
monthly total of 133 spp., by far the lowest July number recorded,
being 37 down on the previous low score of 170 from 2004.
There was little improvement in August, with the trap run on only 6
nights. A total of 150 spp. were recorded, with a maximum count of 84
seen on 1st when a first Sallow Kitten,
Yponomeuta plumbella and
Scrobipalpa costella were recorded.
The following night saw another three new species, with
Epiblema trimaculana, Oak Eggar and
Dark Umber. Another notable record occurred on 23rd, a night when the
trap was not run, when my wife drew my attention to a large hawk-moth
buzzing around the security light. This turned out to be a Bedstraw
Hawk-moth, again a new garden record. It was held for two days before
being released, during which time two eggs were laid, but they
collapsed shortly afterwards.
Numbers and species were also well down in September. The trap was run
on five nights with only 59 spp. recorded. The only new record was on
13th, when two
Aethes rubigana
appeared. However, whilst the trap was only used on three nights in
October, a total of 47 spp. was recorded, which is the highest for this
month in the 5 years I have trapped. Whilst no new species were noted,
Merveille du Jour was seen for the first time since 2003 and a high
count of 8 Barred Sallow was recorded on 12th October. A Mallow was
notable on 3rd. The trap was run for the last time on 2nd November,
when 8 spp. were recorded, including a Merveille du Jour, two Feathered
Thorn and a very fresh Buff Arches.
The total spp for the year was 314 from 41 trapping nights; not the
worst on record (which was 305 in 2006), but still well down on
average, and total numbers were very low. Here’s hoping for a better
2008.
Do
we really know what is happening to populations of common moths in
our gardens? Yes we know that species like Large Yellow Underwing are
common, but does that mean that we see 10 per night or 100 or 1000? Are
those numbers going up or down? How can we measure these population
changes of common moths over time? How can you make a difference to all
this and contribute to help create valuable scientific statistics to
measure these changes? 
When
faced with the question ‘what books does one take for a European
mothing holiday’ the answer usually boils down to space, either by
plane or car, space is of paramount importance especially if you
already have moth traps and pots in suitcases instead of clothes. One
cannot be expected to take Noctuidae
Europaeae or other such heavy books such as some of the European
literature on the Geometridae. 
