MONMOUTHSHIRE MOTH & BUTTERFLY GROUP
NEWSLETTER No 71 September 2010.
A monthly newsletter covering Gwent and Monmouthshire Vice County 35
Editor: Martin Anthoney
Large, Feathered and Small Ranunculus
Large Ranunculus, Feathered Ranunculus and Small Ranunculus are all noctuid moths, but apart from the second part of their names what do they have in common? Well, all three have a similar grey/green mottled appearance and in Gwent, for some reason not readily apparent, records of all three species are concentrated around Newport.
Large Ranunculus Feathered Ranunculus Small Ranunculus (Polymixis flavicincta) (Polymixis lichenea) (Hecatera dysodea)
Large Ranunculus and Feathered Ranunculus are close relatives and fly at the same time of year (Sept / Oct). Large Ranunculus has broader wings, mottled grey usually with distinctive orange freckling, whereas Feathered Ranunculus is slightly smaller and narrower with most examples showing a distinct green tinge rarely present in Large Ranunculus. Also, male Feathered Ranunculus, as the name suggests, has feathered antennae not present in Large Ranunculus. In both species hindwings are white or grey, sometimes with a central band. Small Ranunculus belongs to a different family, is much smaller than the other two and flies earlier in the year. It also has a very distinctive, broad, dark grey, outer band on the hindwings not present in the others.
Large Ranunculus and Feathered Ranunculus are both local species, but as the maps on the next page show, Feathered Ranunculus has a much more coastal distribution. In Gwent, of the 23 separate Large Ranunculus records, 19 are from the Newport / Risca area and 18 have occurred since 2000, suggesting the species may be on the increase. For Feathered Ranunculus there are 12 records, 8 from Newport / Risca, but only 7 are post 2000. The reason for the concentration on the Newport area is not obvious. There may be more recorders in the Newport area, but there are many recorders in other areas that have not had either species. Both larvae feed on a range of herbaceous plants and habitat is not an obvious factor.
1
Large Ranunculus Feathered Ranunculus Small Ranunculus
Small Ranunculus has been discussed in detail in earlier Silurian issues (see issues 3, 33, 34 and 48). Apparently extinct in Britain by 1938, it reappeared in Kent in 1997 and in Newport in 1999. The larvae in the Newport area feed on prickly lettuce, a plant of ruderal habitats which tend to be transient as suitable habitat scrubs over or is developed. Of 60 separate records around Newport since 1999, only 17 are for adults attracted to light, confirming that adults come very sparingly to light and that it is much easier to find the larvae. Of the 17 adult records, 16 are for singletons and 13 are concentrated in the period 19th June to 26th July, suggesting that the species is single-brooded. A mere two records in August and one in September show that second brood Small Ranunculus is a rarity in Gwent. Martin Anthoney
Mike Sayce We were sorry to hear in September of the death, aged 63, of one of our members, Mike Sayce. I first got to know Mike in 1985-1990 when he was a trustee, and latterly Vice-Chairman, of the Gwent Wildlife Trust. After a short break , Mike resumed on GWT Council and was Chairman of the Conservation Committee for six years to 1998.
Having done a degree at Hatfield Polytechnic, Mike worked for many years with the Home Office Forensic Science Service, rising to senior posts at the Chepstow laboratories and subsequently on a UK-wide basis. After taking early retirement Mike became a magistrate but devoted much of his time to his beloved Shirenewton meadows. He was instrumental in forming the Shirenewton & Mynyddbach Fields Association Limited in 2006 which raised money to purchase (2009) and manage the meadows near to his home. Only a month before his death he accompanied Roger James and me on an evening’s moth trapping to add to the list of fauna for the site, and on 10th July SEWBReC had held a biodiversity blitz day at the site.
Mike had a very dry, self-depreciating sense of humour. He claimed to have the largest moth trap in the country, though it was actually his local pub the Tredegar Arms, where he had carefully trained the staff to catch and retain any moths which flew into the pub in the evenings so that he could get them identified!
Our condolences go to Mike’s family and friends. Martin Anthoney.
2
Newport Report
Butterflies
The last numbers of any significance on the Uskmouth butterfly transect were recorded on the last day of August, with 141 individuals of ten species. Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown numbers diminished significantly with just 16 and 13 individuals respectively. Common Blue was still flying with 19 recorded and Small Copper produced 11 individuals.
Only 45 individuals were recorded on 16th September with 25 Small Copper topping the list. As the weather deteriorated towards the end of the month, 41 individuals were recorded on 21st Sept and 18 on the 30th.
The transect has now come to an end for 2010 and Sheila Dupé must be congratulated for a Herculean effort in covering most of the long, 25 week period. I have done some rough calculations to see how butterfly numbers have held up. We are well down on total numbers compared to last year, but increases were noted for Common Blue, Small Copper, Orange-tip and Large Skipper. The biggest declines were for Green-veined White and Meadow Brown.
Moths
First Newport records for 2010 seen during September were
29th Aug Black Rustic (Haisboro Avenue)
3rd Sept Centre-barred Sallow (Melbourne Way)
6th Sept Bulrush Wainscot, Large Wainscot (Newport Wetlands Reserve, Uskmouth)
Frosted Orange, Feathered Gothic (first Newport record since 2001) (Newport Wetlands Reserve, Goldcliff)
10th Sept Autumnal Rustic, Sallow, Large Ranunculus (Melbourne Way)
15th Sept Beaded Chestnut (Goldcliff)
16th Sept Lunar Underwing (Melbourne Way)
18th Sept Blair’s Shoulder-knot (Melbourne Way)
24th Sept Barred Sallow (Melbourne Way)
27th Sept Figure of Eight (first Newport record since 2007) (Goldcliff)
Recorders: Haisbro Avenue – Sheila Dupé Melbourne Way – Roger James Goldcliff & Uskmouth – Kevin Dupé Roger James
3
Recent Highlights
September seems to have continued in the same vein as August, with very few insects on the wing and correspondingly few records.
29th/30th Aug. Two late Silver-washed Fritillaries at Llandogo. (Simon Phipps)
1st Sept. Pinion-streaked Snout at Llandogo, the first of nine September records for this species at the site. (Simon Phipps)
Devon Carpet to light at Rassau. (Rodney Morris)
2nd Sept Marsh Fritillary larval web count at Aberbargoed. In one field which had 9 last year, 201 were found this year. The total web count for the site was 217. (Dave Beveridge)
Leaf mines recorded around Raglan Castle SO4108: Stigmella continuella mines on birch, Stigmella suberivora (several) on holm oak, and a Phyllonorycter corylifoliella mine on hawthorn- all three very uncommon VC35 species, though the last two species have previously been recorded nearby at Dingestow. (Andy & Melissa Banthorpe, Macro-moth recorders VC30 Bedfordshire)
3rd Sept. 12 Feathered Gothic to light at Penallt. A high catch for this species which from this and other records seems to have had a good year. (Stephanie Tyler)
4th Sept Grey Chi to light at Pentrepiod, Pontypool. A first site record. (Rupert Perkins)
Grey Chi (Ray Armstrong)
4
5th Sept. Oak Lutestring to light at Llandogo. (Simon Phipps)
8th Sept. White-point at Ebbw Vale Education Resource Centre SO176 086. (Rodney Morris)
10th Sept Large Ranunculus to light at Melbourne Way, Newport. (Roger James)
11th Sept. Brown-spot Pinion at Penallt. (Stephanie Tyler)
Brown-spot Pinion (Ray Armstrong)
15th Sept. Brown-spot Pinion and Grey Chi at Beacon Hill, Trellech. (Ray Armstrong)
20th Sept. Small Emerald at Beacon Hill, Trellech. The latest date recorded for this species in Gwent, where second generations are very rare. (Ray Armstrong)
21st Sept. Merveille du Jour (sadly deceased) found just outside Dingestow. Grid ref SO451107. (Lee Johnson)
22nd Sept. Pinion-streaked Snout to light at Risca. (Martin Anthoney)
27th Sept Figure of Eight at Newport Wetlands Reserve, Goldcliff. Of the 13 records for this moth since 2000, nine have been at Newport Wetlands Reserve, the only location where a once- common species is still obtained regularly. (Kevin Dupé)
28th Sept. Barred Chestnut to light at Ebbw Vale Education Resource Centre SO176 086. (Rodney Morris)
29th Sept. Large Ranunculus to light at Risca. (Martin Anthoney)
[Stop press: 3rd Oct Four-spotted Footman to light at Melbourne Way, Newport. Only the third county record. (Roger James)]
5
Dates for your Diary 2010
Saturday 16th October Butterfly Conservation (South Wales Branch) Members’ Day and AGM. Despite the title, non-members are also welcome to a day of talks at Kenfig NNR Visitors’ Centre 10.30am to 3.45 pm. Speakers include: Les Hill on results from the National Moth Recording Scheme Ian Middlebrook on Wales Butterfly Indicators Clare Williams on woodland management.
MMBG – Contact Names and Addresses. Secretary: Kevin Dupé Chairman: Roger James 44 Gaer Park Lane 44 Melbourne Way Newport Newport NP20 3NE NP20 3RF
Phone 01633 216599 Phone 01633 263374 e-mail [email protected] e-mail [email protected] or in case of problems [email protected]
Treasurer: Sheila Dupé 18 Haisbro Avenue Newport NP19 7HY Phone 01633 256475
Newsletter Editor & Recorder for Recorder for Micro Moths Butterflies & Macro Moths Martin Anthoney Sam Bosanquet 23 Malvern Close Dingestow Court Risca Monmouth Newport Monmouthshire NP11 6QY NP25 4DY Phone 01633 612272 e-mail [email protected] e-mail [email protected]
6