15

September1995

Butterflysummer r especially peacocks!

After several relatively poor butterfly years, tortoiseshellsand commas are still relatively 1995 seems to have made up for previous low in numbers. That other inveteratemigrant, years'failings.Certainly in my gardenthe hot the painted lady (Cynthiacardui) has started to summer has encouragedbutterflies just when show an appearancewith the highestnumber all the nectarplants are in flowerespecially the that l've heard of so far being three in a buddleiaand marjoram. neighbouringBanruell garden. Small coppers, at leastto me, seem to be on the wing a little Noticeablehas been the rapid increase in earlierthan usualbut there has been no sign of numbersof peacock butterflies(lnachis io) at hollyand common blues or evensmall heath in the end of July into the first week of August. my garden as yet. The occasionalred admiral This sudden increase has been reported puts in an appearanceand both largeand small elsewherein the country and, through the skippersoften pop up. EarlShilton seems to be internet,it seems it has also been happeningin a new county site for purple hairstreakwhilst other parts of Europe. In particularin the ringlets have been widely reported from Netherlands, peacocks on buddleia have suitablegrassy habitats. reached astonishing numbers as they apparently migrated southwards down the Perhapsit's time for some wishfulthinking - dutchcoast. how aboutclouded yellows or even Camberwell beautythis summer- and how are the county's Large whites are having an excellent season marbledwhites faring? Keep your eyes open and alreadythere is evidenceof secondbrood and send in your reports! green-veinedwhites on the wing. Gatekeepers are hogging the marjoram whilst small Ray Monis

Your contributionswanted !

Anyarticles, letters, observations, drawings, photographs, questions, criticisms etc etc etc? - then pleasesend them to: RayMorris, 142 Hinckley Road, Barwell LEg 8DN without delayl Gloucestershi re delights ! !

Plantswere not the only lure of the Lit & Phil's trip to the Forestof Dean,Gloucestershire on June 4th 1995. Lepidopterawere also present and dexteroussweeping of the LES travellingnet satisfiedthe entomologistsin the party.

Foresters in the Forest!

Smafl whites (Plers rapae)were on the wing while common blue (Polyomattustbarus) were flyingover a patch of low-growingteasel-headed clover and found restingon gorse. The micro- , Cydrasuccedana, was abundantaround other bushesof gorse while Crambus lathionellus Alabonia geofrella was readilydisturbed from grassesin the more open areas. Many Forester (Adscrta statices),flash ing their newly-emergedbrill iance, ?robustana(genitalia check needed)were also were evidentover the rush and reed bed (the noted. However,best catch of the day was the v moth accordingto MBGBI vol 2 is not that startling micro Alabonra geofrella, small but common in Gloucestershire)and Anthophila boldlymarked with distinctivelong labialpalps fabriciana,the nettle-tapmoth, was commonly and featheryantennae. seen near its larval foodplant. Yellowshell, Camptogramma bilineata, and silver ground Gallsgalore carpet,Xanthorhoe montanata, were among the trees and hedgerows Other insectswere recordedby the galls they had induced. The gall midge Didymomyia reamuriana,had caused significantpustules protrudingon both sides of the leaf bladesof lime. The galls,stained red in theirearly stages, were already in their greenish-yellowform blendingwell with the hostplant's normal colour.

Hazel was found to be infesied by the big-bud causer Eriophyes avellanae, while the leaf marginsof spindlewere tightly rolled and densely hairy indicating the presence of the mite Eriophyesconvolvens.

Two galls were found on sycamore. The mite Aceria pseudoplatanihad caused dense mats of hairs on the undersidesof many leavesand the red nail gall caused by Eriophyes macro- rhynchuswas obvious projectingfrom the leaf surface.

The striking,red-veined, downward-rolled and thickenedleaves caused by the jumping plant louse Psyl/opsisfraxinii, were easily seen on ash. Adscita sfafices Further investigationof the same ash tree revealedthe presenceof the midge Dasyneura fraxinea which had caused sausage-like Hedya pruniana was disturbed by beatlng swellingsalong the mid-ribsof individualleaflets. hawthorn and Nemophora degeerella were The swelling was most prominent on the performingtheir usual beautiful ballet in the oak- undersidesof the leaves. filteredsunshine. The micros Nematopogon schwaniella,Adela rufimitrellaand Bactra contd p15 Recordcomputerisation - Blair'sshoulder knots a thought from the USA! at Rutland... And the Lord said to Adam "Adam, go ye forth and data model the classificationof my critters". And then the Lord walked away, chuckling to This moth specieswas recordedat Great Easton himself,knowing that this command certainly (Rutland)actinic light traps (one only on each would keepAdam out of troublefor eternity! occasion)on the followingdates: 1.x.89; 13.x.90; 11.x.90: 25.ix.92: 30.ix.94: 1.x.94 lnternetlep newsgrouP1995 None were recordedin 1993 probablydue to no trappingbeing carried out in late Septemberand Earlymoths earlyOctober. Jean Harvey These mild nightsseem to be causingconfusion to moths and moth trappersalike. Myself and a friend have been trappingregularly throughout Januaryand February. Duringmid-January we caught mottled umber (Menophraabruptaria) in and Wigston good condition,which were late,and springusher whichwere a month early. To top this, one night in earlyFebruary, in BurbageWoods (Hinckley), Blair'sshoulder knot has been recordedover the we caught a brindledpug which was six weeks lastfew yearsat Wigston. early. Surprisedby our find we had it confirmed by JaneMcPhail and NonaFinch at the Ecology 1991 CroftDrive, Wigston (SP 597998) Unit. lf this trend continues,they will have to 1991 ClarkesRoad, Wigston (SP 597999) '1992 rewritethe referencebooks! ClarkesRoad, Wigston 1993 CroftDrive, Wigston Alan Main 1994 ClarkesRoad, Wigston

A Poole. S Poole. HN Ball

Unusualcranefly

On 28.v.94,whilst on a visitto GreatMerrible WoodNature Reserve, a maleof the nationally notabfecranefly (Ctenophora pectinicornis) was seenon hawthornflowers along one of the main Menophraabruptaria (Mottled umber) rides.This species has a yellowand black body and,like the othermembers of the genus,it has longfeathery antennae.

Goldenrod pug Since1960, this species has been recorded from aboutthirty sites nationwide. lt livesin oldbroad- After readingthe article"No net required' (LES leavedwoodland and requiresdead wood or old NewsletterNo. 14) regardingthe occurrenceof anddiseased trees, the larvaedeveloping in this the goldenrod pug (Eupitheciavirgaureata), Dad decayingwood. (Typically in the stumpsleft by andI recordedthis moth in ourgarden at Wigston brokenoff branchesor underthe bark). at lightin 1990. The identitywas verifiedby HarryBall. NeilFrankum Adam Poole gntOmOlOgiCal Roadverges impoftant butter'ftv habitats FfOm thg I A report in the Journal of Applied Ecology (1992 press(past and present) vol 29 pp316-329)confirmed that roadside vergesin Dorsetand Hampshirewere significant for butterflyconservation efforts. Verges were Eeefleseat up s/r.rgs/ also importantfor the flourishingof burnetmoth colonies. One site examinedhad about 4O% o'f The polyphagous carabid beetle Abax the Britishbutterfly list (23 species). Most were parallelepipedushas been shown to be capableof common species but rarities also occurred. controllingslugs in lettucecrops. A reportin Usingmark-recapture methods, the abundanceof Annalsof AppliedBiology (1993, vol 123pp449- the meadowbrown on roadverges was estimated 457)found that female, rather than male, beetles as being as high as 2,774 adults per hectare. werevery effective in the controlof the fieldslug Populationsizes for marbledwhite, small white Derocerasreticulatu m. and common blue were consideredlarge or medium-sizedin such a habitat. The amount of passingtraffic seemedto have no apparenteffect on butterflypopulations. Road fatalaties were consideredto be substantiallyless important than naturalfactors. t? Pheasanfsare good for butterflies!

From Biological Conservation ('1988, vol 45 pp159-167)a surveyof butterfliesin a southern Englishwoodland showed that areas managed for pheasant rearing were the best for the numbersand range of species Unmanaged derelicthazel coppiceand commercialforestry were relativelypoor for butterflies

Abax parallelepipedus The more light the better the fauna

Britain now a major stronghold for the marsh A total of 83 species of Heteropteraand 89 fritillary butterfly species of Coleoptera(3'1 chrysomelids,58 weevils) were recorded in rides of coniferised During 1990 a full review of all known UK ancientwoodlands. The more shade then the colonies of the marsh fritillary butterfly lower the diversityof speciessupporting the (Eurodryas aurinia) was conducted. Since conclusionfrom butterflystudies that rides must tL recordsbegan, the butterflyhas declinedfrom be activelymanaged to keep light levels high if 663 10km squaresto 253 squaresin 1990, a species richness and abundance are to be reduction of 62%l A total ot 432 separate maintained. (Biological Conservationvol 67 colonieswere identifiedin 1990 (228 in England, pp255-273). 111 in Wales.58 in Northernlreland and 35 in Scotland)confirming that the UK is a major Europeanstronghold of the species. However, Leaf minesat least50 million yearsold! currentloss of Britishcolonies is estimatedto be nearly 12o/oeach year and is, worryingly,as high Insectmines have been reportedin severalfossil in protected sites as in those receiving no leaf specimens. These fossils representuseful protection. Almost half the colonies occupied recordsfor the study of insecFhostevolutionary less than 2ha with only 1/6th in patches bigger history (apart from giving the record twitcher than 1Oha.The speciestends not to wandertoo somethingto get histeeth intol). Suchfossils are far from breeding sites but the survey revealed estimatedto be at least 50 millionyears old with that 149 single adults were seen away from mines being found in a Miocenespecimen of traditionallocations. Indeed,it would seem that Mahoniareticulata - it is not known if there is still at least nine new colonies were established. an equivafentleaf minerin modernday Mahonial (Biological Conservation, 1994 vol 67 pp239- 24sJ. RayMorris v Launde Wood hoverflvhaul L Additionsto the county The LES freld meeting at Launde Big Wood hoverflylist (3.vi.95)started out ratherdull and overcast,but towardsthe end the sun came out and so did the hoverflies.A totalof 26 specieswere seenin the year Neil Frankum,despite working most of the wood and along its southern edge. These pursue awayfrom Leicestershire,still has time to included the nationally notable Brachyopa his passionfor the two winged flies. Here he scutellaris(a singlemale takenon the umbels). reportson importantadditions to the countylist of hoverflies.Most importantis that many of these rare recordsare coming from LRTNC reserves emphasisingthat such sites have more than just floraland birdinterest!

New hoverfly specr'es

On taking a closer look at some of the photographsthat I took at last year's LES field meeting at Cloud Wood Nature Reserve (14.v.94),I realisedthat one of them was a picture of a mating pair of Criorhinaas/ica. This is a nationallynotable hoverfly that can be found woodlandswhere the larvae in broad-leaved Brachyopa scutellaris develop in dead wood. lt is a relativelylarge hoverflywith dense ginger hairs on the thorax. abdomen is black with sparse bands of The This is the third recordof this speciesfor the gingerhairs on each segmentand grey dust bars county(previously at Great MerribleWood and a first two segments. This bringsthe total on the museum specimen- LES Newsletterno. 13). numberof hoverflyspecies seen on the day to 31 Also seen were several Brachypalpoideslenta. (seeLES Newsletterno. 13 September1994). This medium-sizedblack hoverfly,with a blood red band across its abdomen, had only been recordedthree times previouslyin the county. The most spectacularhoverflies around were the large bumbleebeemimics Volucellabombylans, Criorhinaberberina and C floccosa, mimicking Bombus lapidarius, B terrestris? and B pascuorum respectively.

Rarnsonshoverfly seen for second time

Porlevinia maculata is a medium-sized black hoverfly with grey spots on its abdomen. lts larvae devefop in ramsons (Allium ursinum)and Secondcounty record for Didea fasciata the adult fly is usuallyfound basking on the leavesof the plant. Lastyear I had noticedlarge On29.viii.94, whilst coming back from Yorkshire, clumpsof ramsonsgrowing along the streamthat I stoppedoff at TerrraceHills (near Belvoir forms the countyboundary through Dimminsdale Castle).A numberof hoverflieswere seen on the Nature Reserve and I decided to return at the flowersin a clearingnext to the roadsideon the correcttime of yearand try and find the fly. This southside of the wood. One of theseproved to I did on 19.v.95and a female P maculatawas be a maleDidea fasciata. This is a nationally found sitting on the ramsons on the notablehoverfly that is mostoften recorded from Leicestershireside of the stream. This is the ancient deciduousforest areas in southern second site in the county that it has been England.This is the second time I haveseen this recordedfrom, the first being LaundeBig Wood speciesin Leicestershire,the firsttime beingat (seeLESOPS no. 1) BeaconHill (LES Newsletter no. 13). NeilFrankum KettonQuarry t - what a site! lntrepidtrapper, Harry Ball, is in the processof collatinghis lepidopteranlist for this well known RutlandSSSI from recordsspanning 1983 to 1994. Falcaria lacerlinaria (Scalloped hooktip) Thirty species of butterfly (about 60% of the British list) have been recorded. These include five speciesof skipper,green, purple and white- Vapourerrevisited letterhairstreaks, brown,argus and, of course,the county'sonly strongcolony of marbledwhite. Whilst searching through old copies of The moth list is no less impressivewith 249 Entomologisfb Record and Journal of Variation macro species recorded by Harry and friends. (Ent tr.cl) in the hope of finding referencesto been six-belted Notable amongst these have Leice, ,rshire ,I came across an hook{ips, grass clearwing,scalloped and barred article entitled"An excess of Orygia antiqua Linn creamwave, smallscallop, wood t, emerald,lesser (The Vapourer)". lt was a note by David Brown galium carpet, beech-greencarpet, the carpet, from Wanr.vickshire(Ent Rec J Var, 8Z) relating Fern, lesserand (common)treble bars, privet his visit to Coventry city centre on 27.vii.75 hawk, five footman species(muslin, four-dotted, where he viewed a huge numberof vapourer scarce,common and four-spotted),garden dart, moths in all stagesof development. The street chamomileshark, the suspected,reddish light trees were festooned with cocoons; a "never- arches, the concolorous,mere wainscot and ending army of larvae had progressedto spot (this latteralso seen early in marbledwhite pavements below"; "the nearby telephone 1995by RM & JMcP!). exchangebuilding was smotheredwith eggsfrom winglessfemales" and "adults hung in scores from windowsand ledges".

This event remindedme of the huge infestation by the same moth species at the back of Leicester market some years ago (LES Newsletterno. 9, September1992). lt prompted a special revisit to the scene and I was not surprisedto see that the originalrowan tree on which many of the larvae had fed was now completelydead. Old cocoonswere stillmuch in evidenceon the starktwigs.

However,having killed off ihis food plant the Melargiagalathea (Marbled white) moth had transferreditself totally to the nearby over-hangingLondon Plane trees. The moths The site is, withoutdoubt, significant for the seemed to be managingtolerably well here but butterfliesand moths,not just on a countylevel were not so successfulas duringtheir association alsoon a nationallevel. Whatother delights but with the . Frass, which had originally awaitto be discoveredremains to be seenbut alertedme to the Vapourer'spresence as its thick they are surelythere. All recordsfor lepidoptera carpet crunched underfoot, was in far less Ketton are nowurgently wanted (any from Quarry abundance.A further,more recentvisit revealed age!)so thata provisionalsite list can be drawn a few malesflying around - so while they are still up withoutdelay for publicationas part of the hangingon in this locationthere is nothinglike Occasional PublicationsSeries, a LES the amazingnumber seen on the firstmemorable publlicationlong overdue! occasion. otherinvertebrate groups at PS.What about the Jane McPhail Ketton- surelythey must also be impressive!Let us know! b New county millipede - Oak bush crickets in where else but at Ketton! Rutland

On 27.iv.94, while searching for woodlice Followingon from Jane McPhail'srequest for beneath limestone boulders at Ketton Quarry records of the oak bush cricket (Meconema (SK9705),I found a very small pill-millipede.My thalassinum)the following records have been first impression was that it looked like a tiny gleanedfrom the archivesof the RutlandNHS. juvenile Glomerusmarginata (the common pill- millipede)which is abundantat the site. But the 15.viii.94Empingham (SK955089) female in specimen,which measuredonly a couple of garden(G Worrall) millimetreslong, lackedmuch colourand looked a possible candidate for one of marginata's 22.viii.94 Pickworth Woods two males in smallerrelatives. The millipedewas collected vegetationduring moth trapping(P Rudkin& B and put to one side for furtherwork. Parkin)

Earlierthis year (1995)I put togetherall my odd 2.ix.91Belmesthorpe one in garden(R Lee) tubes that contained interesting looking (SK948002) L millipedes(well at leastto me!) and sentthem to 26.ix.91Barrowden male in house DickJones who runsthe BritishMyriapod Group. (G&LWorrall) He wrote back to tell me that it rvas a Styioglomeruscrinita and confirmed it as a nev/ 22.viii.91Barrowden one insidewindow (G&L county record. This speciesis probabiya lot Worrall) morecommon than present records suggest but dueto its smallsize and subterraneanLfe-styie is 23.xii.86Barrowden one old and very dead in just beingover-looked. porch(G&L Worrall)

la- ia,. ^ -'tJt i 2ait a The only other reportson the Society'sarchives wereallfrom Stamford(one in 1988,one in 1986 and threein a garagein 1982.

Jean Harvey

?Scallop shell at Gloud Wood

Another macromothunusual in the countyis the scallopshell (Rheumaptera undulata). According to Skinner,the moth can occasionallybe beaten out of sallow bushesand may come to light. lt tends to inhabit woodlandsand marshy places and is consideredlocally widespread in England, Wales and southernScotland as well as lreland.

In Leicestershire records of the species have come from Hambleton(1973) and Quorn(1983) althoughAdrian Russelldoes not list it in his review of the county's rarer macromoths. Rheumaptera u ndulata (Scallop shell) So reports of scallop shell from Cloud Wood in 1995 are most interestinq- we await further detailsl Gamberwellbeauties to hit county this year?

From the lnternet:

"Yesterdayand today (1stAugust 1995) suddenly Nymphalis antiopa (Camberwell beauty) observations have been made in the Netherlands.Normally this is a very rarespecies in our countrywith normallynot more than five individualsper year. Until '1960there were good populationson the Veluwe (centralNetherlands) but they disappearedquite suddenly. '1976 In there was an invasionof the butterfly which even extendedas far as the UK. These butterflieswere traced back to Scandanavia. I wonder if this new invasion will also reach England. lf they fly on I expectthem to reachthe Britishcoast within a few davs. Nymphalisantiopa 1976 invasion We also have a strong migration of peacock (lnachis butterflies rb) along the dutch coast in a It would seem that the only record of this southerlydirection. lt startedlast weekend and is magnificient butterfly in Leicestershirewas still going on. lt might be interestingto follow during the 1976 invasionwhen a single was thesemigrations fudher on." recorded(according to MBGBIvol 7-1)and this may have been the only county record since Chris van Swaay 1940! Unlessyou knowbetterl (Dutc h B utterfly Fou ndat ion )

Chrisvan Swaay from the Netherlandssaid that N antiopa (Camberwell beauty) was heading VisitingUS or Europe? towardsBritain having reachedhis countryfrom Scandanavia. I am happy to report they have Lepidopterangroups list now arrivedwith sightingsfrom many placeson the English east coast from Essex northwards now available! and right over the other side of the countryin Wales. The first record I have is 17.vii.95from Sandwich(Kent) and several others have been lf you areventuring across the herringpond to seen in that area. Other migrantsfrom Europe explorethe undoubteddelights of the north include 120 painted lady butterflies(Cynthia americanlepidopterous fauna then or even into cardui)counted on the beach betweenSandwich Europeyou now havea way of findingout the and Deal on 3.viii.95,clouded yellows (Colias bestplaces to go andthe besttimes when to be crocea) in late July/early August and the therel continental swalloMail (Papilio gorganus) on 2.viii.95in the samearea. The InternetLepidopteran Group is producinga definitive list of worldwideentomological There have also been several hummingbird societiesfor such use. The Leicestershire hawks (Macroglossum stellatarum) and a EntomologicalSociety details are currently being bedstrawhawk (Hyles gall) from mid-July in east puttogether for world distribution! Kent. lf you wouldlike furtherdetails of this Internet PatrickRoper pagelet me knowl ButterflyConseruation RayMorris The specieshas only recentlycolonised southern Watchout for invaders! Englandbut the favourableweather this year has resultedin the spreadingnodhwards as far Nomegians at Knighton... as Nottinghamshireand Derbyshire.The nest paperis mainlygrey in colourand quitesmooth, A hedgetrimmerin Knightonreceived information the nest entrancehaving a thick lip-likerim. that he was inadvertentlydisturbing a wasp'snest Several nests have been found devastatedby after one of the occupantsthought it appropriate the effects of the larvae of the bee moth retributionto sting him in the eye (almost). ( sociella). Dennis Cooper,owner of the hedge and always keen to know what's happeningon the natural history front in his garden, had difficulty in ...whilsteven the Spanrardsare on their way! locating the 12x7 inch beautifullyconstructed -shapedpaper nest which was carefully In the same newspaper report, fears are hidden in the privet. Close inspectionrevealed expressedof the potentialinvasion of another the wasp speciesto be Dolichovespulanonregica vraspspecies, this time from Spainl which, like the tree wasp (Dolichovesoula sy/vesfns)(see figure below), hangs its nestfrom At the best of times, wasp identificationis a suitabletwigs and branchesin its chosennest hazar .us business! However,any recordsof site. D norwegica has distinctive abdomrnal any v/asptype in Leicestershireand Rutlandare D markingsand is slightlysmaller than the common alwavswelcome! wasp, Vespa vulgaris. Unfortunately,after other neighbours received stings, the nest ',vas Jane McPhail destroyedon 6.vii.95.

IEditor'snote: what a shame that these delicate structuresare destroyed, ls it too difficultto kill lt off the withoutsmashing the nest? i,/e w-'ry wouldhavebeen an interestingexhibit for an iv LES meeting,the EcologyUnit education section or even the Museumcollectionll

Do! i c hove s p ula nonueg ica

> Old ladieslike sugar!

The largemoth, the old lady (Mormomaura) is apparentlynot a commonspecies in the county. It is certainlyeasily recognised but is either secretive,erratic or just overlooked- although it may not be common! | remembertwo coming and the Germansinvade Britain! (almost)to light when trappingat Aylestone Meadowsin the mid 1980sand I haven'tseen "Thehot humidsummer has been paradise for a one since. At thattime it was onlythe seventh viciousstrain of Germaninvader - superwaspssitein thecounty for the moth. whichare rapidlyspreading across Britain." This is the openingshot of a newspaperreport on the So imaginemy surprisewhen I heardfrom Jane rapidspread of the Saxonwasp (Dolbhovespula McPhailthat she hadone in her KirbyMuxloe saxonlca). Apparentlygardeners (what about garden this year and that Alan Main, when everybodyelse?) have been warned to be on the sugaring(?Mtere, when) had ten in onesession! Iookoutfor thesepests because at thistime of the 1995'ssummer is certainlyturning up surprises. year "theycan get drunkon overripefruit, and whenthey do, they turn nasty!" Ray Morris > Anyway,back to the moths. The coolnessof the Aylestone turns up night resultedin only twentyseven species being migrantdragonflies recorded most of which were much as expected for the time of yearand the conditions.However, a spruce carpet (Thera britannica) made the evening worthwhile, this species only The yellow-win ged darter (Sy mp e_trum ft a ve ol u m) occasionallybeing found in Leicestershire. is an infrequentvisitor to the shoresof Britain, sometimes arrivingin the companyof clouded The full listis: yellow butterflies,most often being seen in July- August and only rarely into September. Well Micros: none of the butterfliesas yet, but we have had reports of six of the dragonflies at Aylestone Pandemis cerasana,Aphomia societta,Crambus Meadows during August and also scattered lathionellus. sightingsfrom elsewherein the county. The first recordfor this speciesin the countywas only last year!

It is a distinctiveinsect becauseof the large orange-yellowwing patcheswhich are presentin both sexes, which (according to Andrew I McGeeney - A Complete Guide to British Dragonflies)"flash like stained glass in bright sunlight". Apparentlythe majorityof visitorsare male makingbreeding of the speciesunlikely in the short term . The dragonflyoccurs from the Aphomia sociella Mediterraneanto Scandanaviaand eastwardsto Kamchatkaand Japan. Macros: SteveGrover Peachblosson, figure of 80, silver-groundcarpet, common marbledcarpet, spruce carpet, toadflax pug, mottled pug, green pug, scorchedwing, -...) .: brimstone,peppered, mottled beauty, bordered white, cloudedsilver, heart & dart, flame, flame shoulder, yellow ' ':: : l-1-:+ large undenving,bright-line .- :t. brown-eye,knot grass, dark arches, middle- barredminor, silver Y, smallfan-foot.

AdrianRusse// I

Sympetrumflaveolum f, m Moths at Holly Hayes

Five membersand friendsturned up on a cool, clearevening to recordmoths in the groundsof the EcologyCentre at HollyHayes, Birstall, also theindoor meetings venue for the LES! Thiswas plannedas part of the Centre'sopen weekend which,for reasonsbeyond the controlof the LES, had to be cancelledat relativelyshort notice. Apologiesto thosethat turned up expecting a full Thyatirabatis (Peach blossom) coupleof daysof naturalhistory adventure! L 10 but species/ D Just desserts! Cornish not Leicestershire A good numberof the moth specisrecorded at St Just are unusual in Leicestershirewhilst in Moth trappingnear St Just on the Roseland Cornwallthey are not considereduncommon! Peninsula,Cornwall (SW364304) at the startof These included: July turnedup some unusualand interesting moth species. The habitatwas varied:coastal, 1689 Mulleinwave (Scopu/amarginepunctata) - woodland,arable, pasture, riparian and garden, widespread allwithin a stonethrow of thetrapping site. 1733 Lead belle (Scofopteryx mucronata) abundant 1889 Peacockmoth (Semiothisanotata) - status uncertain 1945 Brussels lace (C/eorodes lichenaria) widespread 2090 Crescentdart (Agrotis trux) - widespread alongcoast 229'1Coronet (Cranlophora ligustri) - widespread

And even migrants- one new to Cornwall!

Raremigrants to Cornwallincluded:

1454 Dioryctria abietella - new species to Cornwall (Eyed Smerinthusocellata hawk) 2191 Double line (Mythimna turca) local on moorland 2195 Delicate(Mythimna vitellina) - uncommon migrant Footmen of all types

Six speciesof footmanwere identified,many of them unusual or more-or-less absent in Leicestershire- their frequencyin CornwallIJ indicated:

2037 Rosy footman (Miltochristaminiata) - local 2038 Muslinfootman (Nudaria mundana\ - rare 2039 Red-neckedfootman (Atolmis rubricollis)- local Mythimna tirca ( Double line) \- 2047 Scarce footman (Eilemacomplana) - rare 2049 Buff footman (Eilema deplana) widespread 2050 Common footman (Eilema lurideola) commonl

Almostas many hawks!

Over the week five species of hawk moths were notedat light: Myth i m n a vitell ina (Delicate)

1976 Privethawk (Sphinxligustri) - widespread 1980 Eyed hawk (Smerintlius ocellata) All in all,between 1-7 July 1995, moth trapping at widespread this beautifulpart of the west country(aided by 1981 Poplar hawk (Laofhoepopuli) - comrnon excellentmothing weather) gave a list of 160 1' 1991 Elephant hawk (Deilephila elpenor) speciesidentified and several more giving some common problems! i 1992 Small elephant hawk (Der'lephilaporcellus) - local Jane McPhail

11 E

Rutlandhighlights 1 994 The showier specieshad variable successwith red admiral, peacock and small tortoiseshell being fairly plentiful but numbers of comma fl arn gratefulto Jean& RonHarvey for allowing definitelydown. No springrecords were received me sightof the AnnualReport of the Rutland for the latterspecies - but they were seenup to the NHS 1994 this Societydoes sterling work on first week in October. Speckled woods were recordingall floraand faunain the eastof our noted from the end of April through to early region,not leastof all in the invertebratearena! October gardens - as much in as in the more Editorl traditionalwoodland habitats. Wall brownnever seems to be seen in any numberswith records Butterflies being widespread singles. Marbled white records, as may be expected, all came from Rutlandcontinues to be the best placearound KettonQuarry in mid July. hereto see the skipperswith five speciesbeing reported.Largeand smallskippers were reported Gatekeeper (hedge brown) was considered throughoutRutland whereas only one colonyof comonon roadsideverges and in gardensas well the Essexwas spotted in a fieldnear Lyddington. as the quarries. Meadow browns were common KettonQuarry was a good placeto see grizzled but th^'e were relativelyfew records of small anddingy skippers as was Clipsham Clay Bank. heath ringlet. ".rd Moths L Rutland is fortunate in having several lights runningat a numberof sites(supplemented by incursionsfrom western-basedLES members!). With just shortof 200 specieslisted in the report the highlightswere:

Six-beltclearwing (Clipsham Quarry) Galiumcarpet (Clipsham Quarry) Purplebar (LuffenhamHeath Golf Course) The tissue(Clipsham Quarry) Death'shead hawk(Barrowden - details???) Privethawk (ClipshamQuarry) Hummingbirdhawk (Barrowden,Empingham, Lyddington,Whissendine) Four-dotted footman (Luffenham Heath Golf Course) Scarcefootman (Luffenham Heath Golf Course) Pyrgusmalvae (Grizzled skipper) Dark swordgrass(Rutland Water Egleton) Largeranunculus (Uppingham) L Blackneck(Clipsham Quarry, Luffenham Heath Golf Course) Brimstones(mostly males) were sighted throuoghoutthe areain springand late summer. Large,small and green-veinedwhites were as commonas usualalthough it was commented that the latter speciesdid not seem to be as numerousas in previousyears. Orangetips werewidespread and numbersseemed to have heldup. Theonly hairstreak in the RNHSReport was of the greenwith ten beingseen at onetime at ClipshamClay Bankon 16.vi.94.The only othersite in 1994was KettonQuarry in early May. Small copperand commonblue were widespreadwith 36 of the blueat KettonQuarry in mid-August.The hollyblue, despite recent yearsof relativeabundance, was missingin 1994 Acherontiaatropos (Death's head hawk) with only one being reported (Empingham 22.viii.94). contdp13 L 12 D months;one observer thought that numbers were Rutlandcontd lowerthan usual in hisEmpingham garden. Azuredamselfly - pairsin tandemseen on three occasionsalong the Oakham Canal during July. Orthoptera and Odanata

' Three species of bush cricket were noted, oak, dark and speckled with PickworthWoods and ClipshamQuarry being favouredhaunts. Three grasshoppperspecies, common field, meadow and commongreen werefairly commonwith the latter being particularly noticeable (due to "singing")at the Egletonreserye, Rutland Water.

Fourteen species of odonata vrere recorded throughoutRutland:

Southernhawker - seenat Wing from mid-Julyto autumnand sevenother sites Brown hawker - six sites with egg-layingat the \- OakhamCanal (Ashwell). Emperor- only two recordsboth from the Ashwell part of the OakhamCanal with egg-layingseen Black-tailedskimmer - a male at Rutland Water in August. Caiopteryxsp/endens (Banded Broad-bodiedchaser - regularduring June and demoiselle) early July at an Empinghamgarden pond and alher groups alsoat ClipshamQuarry. Ruddy darler - seen at the Oakham Canal at problem groups Ashwell (pair in tandem), river Welland and Themain withrecording other of MarketOverton. is notthat they are difficultor scarcebut that experiencedrecorders are rare! Three \ ../ speciesof bugwere reported by RNHSmembers - haMhornshield, common green shield and \ dd .',2' froghopper. Lacewings(recorded as being Chrysoperiacarnea) were at Barrowdenat the end of July. The leavesof meadowsweetat ClipshamQuarry were covered with the galls causedby the midgeDasyneura ulmariae while a singlerecord of the beeflyBombylius major was notedat Barrowdenand ClipshamQuarry. The horntail (Urocerus g/gas) was seen at Uroceras gigas Cottesmoreon 28.v.94 and hornetswere reportedfrom HambletonWoods and alongthe southarm of RutlandWater. The stemgall of Commondafter - maximumof six at a time (with bramblecaused by Diastrophusrubi was noted at mating)at Wing ponds and also at Empingham ClipshamQuarry in Februaryand many oak and Uppinghamgardens; said to be numerousat galls (Biorhizapallida) were found at RutlandWater at the end of August. HambletonWoods in May. Banded demoiselle - several over the rivers Chaterand Wellandand at Lyndonreserve. Amongstthe beetle recordswere the devil's Emerald damselfly - single males seen on three coachhorse (Staphylinus o/ens) and the lesser occasionsat the OakhamCanal at Ashwell. stag beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus)both at Red-eyeddamselfly - also at the Oakham Canal. Barrowden.Glow-worms (a Rutlandspeciality) Large red damselfly- first from Wing at the end werefound in their usualhaunts with Geeston of April and then abundantby mid-May. Quarrybeing a new location. Numberswere, Blue-tailed damselfly - common at an however,never high with a maximumof ten glowing Empinghampond and alongthe OakhamCanal. at onetime at BarrowdenDrift. Common blue damselfly - first seen at Wing Jean& RonHaruey v 18.v.94 and across Rutland over the next two 13 I finallyarrived at a total ol 117 species(85 Sportingmoths! macro,32 micro)which is my bestever for a singlenight's recording at any sitein thecounty. LuffenhamHeath Golf Course (7.vii.95) was one Upondiscovering this, I thenregretted not having of my mostproductive night's moth trapping in takenthe trouble to identifysome of the"difficult" the county.ln termsof nurnbersseen, the heaft moths(poorly marked pugs, minors etc) that I & dart (Agrofis exclamationis),barred yellow had alsoseen that night. Whilstnot wishingto (Cidariafulvata) and the greenpug ( put any emphasison exercisesinvolving rectangulata)were the most abundantspecies. numbersand totals(quality always being more However,it was the wide rangeof noteworthy importantthan quantity) it mightbe interestingto speciesthat were recordedthat was of most hear of other people'sbest-ever nights in the interest.The macros included: county,for examplehas anyonerecorded more than100 macros in onesession? leopard(Zeuzera pyrina) - sevenmales brownscalfop (Philereme vetulata) - four AdrianRusse// lilacbeauty (Apeira syringaria) - one privethawk (Sphrnx ligustri) - three(and three otherhawk species as well!) four-dottedfootman (Cybosia mesomella) - three tsu,ttgrJligS,',,f6;.,,,',[ft e llG,w broad-barredwhite (Hecatera bicolorata) - two sycamore(Acronicta acens) - two milleniUm t concolorous(Photedes extrema) - elevenl! merewainscot (Photedes fluxa) - three Butterfty Conservationhas launched,rather borderedsallow (Pynhia umbra) - one hurriedly,:a project to publisha definitive,Atlas:of Britishbutterflies in theyear 2000, : lt is:hope tlrat:thiswjll be:able to do morethan iust:map:the pr,esence,of,:specieswithin a given tetrad,(some indicatlon,:o! : abu ndancb, across the country :cou ld be,Val,uable);: R€corderb would be encouraged:to piov,ide,lhe : eitra: :i nformat[on needed. However, ttie large,:n,urn ber of groups,that, wo u ld : be involved in : th:e:Schreme,:,necessitates, some,; order being broughtlo,potentia!'chaos,. .'' ' . ' : ,''''', ' '' east

Zeuzerapyrina (Leopard)

New microspecies for county \

The microsincluded Aleimma loeflingiana which was abundant, Phlyctaeniaperluciddis and Pempelia formosa. However, the most interestingspecies recorded was that of Ethmia dodeceawhich I had seen in even greater numbersat exactlythe same spot eight days earlier(23.vi.94). These would appear to be the first recordsof this speciesfor the county(unless youknow betterl). This is a verydistinctive moth reminiscentof the erminemicros (Yponomeuta species),with silvery-whiteforewings but with approximatelynine bold black spots on each wing. This urouldappear to be a local species feedingon commongromwell which Messenger consideredrare in the county(Flora of Rutland 1971). The only localitylisted in the F/orawas LuffenhamHeath! t- 14 b Gloucestercontd ?Newpyralid for county

Commonlynoted was the ubiquitousblotch mine of the agromyzid fly Phytomyza ilicis on holly Authorof the countyAtlas on Microlepidoptera, leaves. Less obvious were the thickened and Jane McPhail,reports on what could be the spiralled leaflets of Rosa species caused by the county'sfirst recordof the small pyralemoth, sawfly Blennocampapusilla. Pynusta ostnna/r's,taken in her gardenat Kirby Muxloeon 20.v.95. On lower plants,Anguillulina species (eelworm) was noted on ribwortplantain. The orange-red The mothis quitesimilar in markingto Pyrausta of the gall midge, Japiellaveronicae. was purpuralisalthough they tend to be more straw- inhabiting the characteristicallythickened yellowin colour. The mothis slightlysmaller terminalleaves cf germanCerspeedvrell .'';nile thanpurpurarb with narrowerforewings and less 'Jlas EriophyesQa':ii 2 mrteusuaily on cleave's brrghtmarkings. lt isfound at thesame time and foundto havecauseo a sirnilargar! on radcer in the same habitatsas purpuralisand has lndividualleaves ''taCcecc-e ihicre:ed and probablybeen overlooked in thepast. rolled distortedanci curved.

Jane McPna, l- Bird'swing in gardens!

The bird'swing (Dypterygiascabriuscula) is not a common moth in the county! So why has it turnedup in two gardensthis year! LennyHolton Undersides:left - Pyraustapurpuralis; had one at Braunstone,Leicester and Ray Morris right= Pyraustaostrinalis anotherat Banruell- both in good condition. Any other recordsof this speciesfrom outside rts normalhabitats? Let us knowwithoutdelavl New grasshopper in southof county

The lesser marsh grasshopper(Chotthippus albomarginatus)has been recordedfrom near \- Lutterworthin southLeicestershire. The species has a predominantlysouthern and eastern distributionand it wouldseem that Leicestershire is probablyon the edgeof its normalrange. Dypterygiascabriuscula (Bird's wing) parallet Steve Grover markingson Correction pronotum

The brownargus butterfly recorded from Ketton Quarrywas reportedas havingbeen seenon writie strlpe 21.iv.94(LES Newsletter no 14). HarryBall has let us knowthat in factthe specieswas noted on 21.viii.94.flt alsoappears that Harryhas now seenthe butterflyat other partsof the county- detailsare awaitedll (, lSmm I 5,8 tn) long \ (female 18mm/%in) AdrianRusse// Ch o rt h i p p u s aI b o m a rg i n at u s

15 Winterprogramme 1 995-6 a

All indoormeetings are held at the EcologyUnit, Holly Hayes, Birstall starting at 7.30p,m, unless otherwisestated". Membersare encouragedto bring along exhibitsfor identification,comment or discussion- the morethe merrier!Refreshments are available.

OCTOBER19TH FIELDWORKREPORTS & EXHIBITIONEVENING Reportsand discussionsof highlightsof the seasonincluding the latestfrom the Buddonwood survey. Membersare invitedto bring alongtheir prizespecimens and/or queries for identificationbut save yourslides for the AGM!

NOVEMBER2ND ENTOMOLOGISINGAROUND HINCKLEY RayMorris (LES and Hincktey& DistrictNHS) A reviewof the insectdelights of this relativelyneglected part of Leicestershire.

DECEMBER7TH ANNUALGENERAL MEETING & MEMBERS'SLIDES Get those unprocessedfilms off to the chemist'snow and showus I whatyou got up to in the marvelloussummer of 19g5!

JANUARY18TH OUT AND ABOUT IN EAST LEICESTERSHIRE JeanHarvey (LES and RuilandNHS) The insectrecorder for Rutlandshows us the wealthof interestto be found in the easternpart of the county.

FEBRUARY7TH" THE BEE'S NEEDS. ECOLOGY Dr JulietOsborne (|ACR, Rothamsted) are not only the closestthing entomologists have to cuddlyfurry - they also lead complicatedlives. Come and find out more from our guestspeaker in a joint meetingwith the LeicesterLiterary & Philosophicalsociety NaturalHistory section.

"This meetingis beingheld on a Wednesdayat The , CollegeStreet, Leicester.

MARCH 14TH INSECTSIN MAN.MADEHABITATS BrianEversham (BRC, Monks Wood) \ Briangave us an excellenttalk on ThorneMoors some years ago. We are pleasedto welcomehim backto tellus abouthis latest interest- the insectsof quarries,gravel pits and arablefields and how theycompare with the morenatural habitats.

APRIL2OTH- FIELDCRAFTWORKSHOP DerekLott & JaneMcPhait (LES) A chanceto developyour skills in the fieldby practisingtechniques in the gardensat the EcologyUnit, Holly Hayes, Birstall and nearby wetlands. By the end of the sessionyou shouldbe able to beat& sweep,set pitfalltraps, record your resultsmethodically, process your catchand impressyour friendsby nonchananflyidentifying common insectsin the fieldl

This meetingis being held on a Saturdaystarting at 10 a.m. at Holly Hayes.

suggestions for the society's summer field programme are welcome - let us have yours now!

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