THE RAVEN ENTOMOLOGICAL — AND — NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY FOUNDED 1946 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF FORMBY Price: TWO SHILLINGS & SIXPENCE THE RAVEN ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY FOUNDED 1946 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF FORMBY — B Y — M. J. LEECH H. N. MICHAELIS With a short biographical note on the late G. de C. Fraser by C. de C. Whiteley For us the wide open spaces, the mountams and valleys, the old walls and the hedges and ditches, wherein lie adventure and interest for to-day, to-morrow, and a lifetime. n Printed by T. B unci-e & Co. L td., Arbroath. GKRALI) i)E C. FRASER rOHEWORl) FOREWORD BY AI,LAN BRJNDLK TT was in August, 1939, that T first liad the pleasure of meeting the Frasers. Together with a small party of entomologists from N.E. I.ancashire. invited to eollect at light near the shore at Formby, I experienced the somewhat overwhelming enthrisiasm and hospitality extended to all at “ Warren Mount” . Fed, feted, and equipped, we were taken by cars to the shore, sheets were laid down in front of the headlights, and a memorable night ensued. The night was dark and warm, the moths arrived in great numbers and, true to the Fraser tradition, work did not cease until a few minutes before the last train left Formby, when a hurried dash to the station deposited a happy party of entomologists on the first stage of the journey home. The next meeting was long delayed. The following week-end saw the black-out in force, and it was not until 1946 that T found the Frasens, still enthusiastic, establishing the Eaven Society. Its rapid rise was due to the personality of its founder, G. de C. Fraser and to that of Mrs. Fraser. Its equally rapid decline in mem­ bership following the former’s death, perhaps emphasised its depend- aiice on its creator. Tt is pleasant to know, however, that the Society, though .small, is very active as a field Society. Tn March, 1957, after preliminary discussion, the Society decided to publish a list of Formby T^epidoptera. which, based on 6. de C.’s lists and the E.Fi.L.. had been brought up to date during the inter­ vening years by M. J. T.eech. On the departure overseas of the latter the list was passed to me for checking. Since the inclusion of the smaller .species seemed to be desirable T asked TT. Tf. Michaelis if he would compile such a list. He willingly agreed, checked the original list and included a short introduction. Another necessary contnbn- tion should be. T felt, a short biographical account of G. de C., and his d-iughter, who had accompanied him and Mrs. Fraser on so many entomological trips, kindly provided this. The notes on the flora of the sand dunes were provided by F. Turner of Nelson. The frontis­ piece (yf G. de C. comes from a block which the publishers, Messrs. T. Bancle & Co. Ltd., kindly made available for the publication. The Formby district covered by the list comprises the coastal strip of Lancashire from Crosby, near Liverpool, northwards to Birkdale, near Southport. The district has long been recognised by Lancashire entomologists as an excellent collecting ground, especially in the past. The disappearance of certain species may be due to the gradual spread of the towns and villages, but sufficient habitats remain to make the RAVEN ENTOMOLOGICAli AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY district of outstanding importance, not only in Lancashire, but in Kngland as a whole. The district lies on Triassic sediments, chiefly of Keupcr Marl and Sandstones of great depth, oveidain with considerable glacial drift, I t is extremely flat, for, apart from a small area (not shown on the sketch map) near Liverpool, it all lies below the 50 feet contour until the neighbourhood of Ormskirk is reached. Additional sea-borne material has been added to the coast within historic times. In 1736 the site of the ])re-sent main street of South- port formed the high water mark, but deposition of material and subsequent reclamation of mai-shes has moved this over half a mile to the west. A t Formby this accretion of sea-borne material is said to have been less, but from the railway line westwards the paths to the sea lead for well over a mile through soft sand consolidated only by the covering of vegetation. Apart from the generalised habitats which can be found in any district, the attraction of Formby to entomologists rests chiefly on two types of habitats—the marshlands to the ea.st of the railway and the sand dunes to the west. The marshlands are referred to as mosses, e.g. Formby Moss, but this word is ill-applied. It seems better to restrict this word to the limited flora developing on very acid soils which are found commonly in north-w’est England. Formby Moss is an area of marshland or fen, in parts so overgrown as to be developing into woodland scrub. The deciduous trees found include birch, alder, haKel, willow, sallow, etc., the birch especially regenerating freely to produce birch scrub. Any open spaces are colonised by typical marsh plants, such as Meadow­ sweet, Valerian. Marigold, etc. Drainage channels have been dug in parts and these appear to be effective, but, luckily, are of limited range. Some parts of former marshlands have been brought into culti­ vation, but sufficient still exist to provide extremely good collecting. The main interest of the district, however, lies in the sand dune area, which is very extensive. Since the tendency is for the coast line to move outwards as fresh material is brought in, an interesting series of new and old dunes can he studied from the beach inland. The first line of dunes often rise sheer from the beach and are sparsely colonised by Marram grass, together with Sea Holly, Sea Spurge and Sea Rocket growing in between the Marram tufts. On the second line of dunes the vegetation increases, the sheltered east side being almost completely covered with a varied flora includ­ ing other species of grass, sorrel, bird’s-foot trefoil, hawlnveeds, violets, creeping thistles, etc. On the third line of dunes conifers have been planted and so little ground flora develops. The conifers occur in groups and extend for some distance inland, but open spaces are found between them, forming flat expanses of ground covered with a rich flora, partly dominated with bramble, dwarf willow and broom, amongst which smaller herbaceous plants such as Composites and Umbelliferae abound. FOBEW OBD 0 The hollows between the dunes, the slacks, are often marshy, and liere the botanist finds his choicest species— Centaury, Gentians, Grass of Parnassus, Fleabane and Maish Helleborine— growing amongst a tangle of dwarf willow. In the wetter parts Keed-mace and Iris occur, though these seem to be deti'easiiig in parts owing to drainage. Further inland, and along the drainage cliannels, lines of alders and hazels occur, and patches of wet alder woodland are found, reminis­ cent of the alder carrs of the fens, though on a reduced scale; in these the vegetation is scanty, chiefly consisting of Dog’s Mercury and Woody Nightshade. Patches of willowherb are common amongst the cleared parts of the coniferous woodland, whilst ragwort abounds. .\ few area.s of heathland also occur, composed of Calluna and Erica developed on a dry, .sandy soil. One fairly extensive piece lies near tlio railway by Freshfield station. Tlic broad outlines of the botany of Forraby above are necessarily rather scanty, but sufficient has been given for an appraisal of the pos.sibilities of the district. The entomologist will also gain a good idea of the species of T.«pidoptera to be expected. The present list is the work of so many entomologists over the past years (including the many contributors whose records are in the Ellis List) that it should be a reasonably complete one— that is a list in which the majority of the species have been recorded— but, undoubtedly, there remain species which still await discovery. 86 Princess St., Nelson, Lancs. RAVEN- ENTOSIOEOGICAI. AND NATURAE HISTORY SOCIETY G. de C. FRASER BY C. DE C. W H lT ia K Y J<''R031 childhood, G. de C. had been interested in motlis and biittorllies and had collected with Itis brothers in and around Hightown in the days when it was a tiny liamlet. Throughout his youth he retained his interest to a greater or lesser degree, but gradually it became submerged beneath the more pressing attentions of his business and a large family. I t was in June 1931 that liis interest finally came to the fore again, and emerged from its chrysalis to become the flourishing enthusiasm it remained for the rest of his long life. The rhododendrons in the front garden at Warren Mount were in full bloom and Gs de C.— with his constant companion, S.C.F.— were taking their nightly stroll round tlie garden, when there, quivering above the flamboyant blossoms, was a livornica moth. A great rarity even now, but at that time only eight had been caught in the century. One can imagine the rush that ensued. Where wore the nets? The killing bottle? A ll the paraphernalia of the chase? Miraculously the moth waited and. after what seemed an interminable time, was safely in the net. Tliat was a thrilling event, but excitement rose to fever pitch on the following evening when a second livornica was discovered and captured in the same place. His interest well aroused G. de C. lost no time in reinvestigating the possibilities of the neighbourhood.