Moths Count Newsletter 2008 The National Recording Scheme 2008

For the first time in over quarter of a century, the UK has a National Moth Recording Scheme (NMRS) covering all of the larger (macro) ! Many thanks to all those County Moth Recorders, local groups, funders and moth-ers who have helped us reach this important goal. After months of work installing and

testing hardware and software, the first dataset was imported Buff-tip (R. Thompson) into the NMRS database just before Christmas 2007.

The NMRS database has expanded rapidly since then; it now There has also been a frenzy of activity at the contains about 3.5 million moth records from 33 Vice-counties. Biological Records Centre (Centre for Ecology and It will continue to grow, both in the total number of records and, Hydrology). All of the moth records contributed to more importantly, in geographical coverage, as further county the original scheme run by John Heath have been datasets are incorporated. The next step will be to produce computerised: some 640,000 records. BRC has provisional distribution maps, so keep your eyes peeled for the undertaken this enormous task as a contribution first online maps this winter at www.mothscount.org to the NMRS. There are some months of checking and verification ahead, but eventually we plan to In recent months we have also started to receive datasets of disseminate these important historical records moth records from the national light-trap network organised by to County Moth Recorders too. Many thanks are Rothamsted Research. These records are being disseminated, due to BRC for this fantastic effort. >> county by county, to County Moth Recorders.

In due course, once County Moth Recorders have checked and incorporated the Rothamsted data, the records will be passed back to the NMRS as part of county datasets. We are very grateful to Rothamsted Research for their willingness to share the data.

Mark Hill, Head of Biological Records Centre with some of the moth records collated at Monks Wood during the 1960s-1980s. (R. Fox) 02 Moths Count Newsletter 2008

>> The NMRS is not seeking moth records direct from National Moth Recorders’ Conferences were held recorders; our approach is to collate copies of verified in England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man local datasets from County Moth Recorders or local during 2007. Over 200 moth recorders attended to organisations. To ensure that your moth records go into hear feedback about the Moths Count project. The the scheme to be used for distribution maps, education, conferences provided an important opportunity for research and conservation, please send them to the moth recorders to meet each other and to hear about appropriate County Moth Recorder. (We are also very other moth projects. A similar meeting is planned in keen for moth recorders to send their butterfly records Northern Ireland for 6 December 2008. Our second to the relevant Butterfly Recorders, listed on the round of National Conferences kicks off early next Butterfly Conservation website). In return, you have year. The second English Moth Recorders’ Conference every right to know how your moth records will be is to be held at the Birmingham and Midland Institute used, so an NMRS data policy has been developed. on 31 January 2009. We have some great speakers This can be found on the Moths Count website or lined up for this free event, but places are limited we can send you a copy. so please book with Sarah-ann Mold on [email protected] or 01929 406009. A strong network of County Moth Recorders is essential for the success of the NMRS. Over the past year, we have been working to support existing County Moth Recorders and to recruit new ones to fill gaps in the network. Twenty-six new County Moth Recorders have been recruited and we are very grateful to all these willing volunteers! A current list is available on the project website. However, there are still a few gaps e.g. South and North Somerset (Vice-counties 5&6), Westmorland/ North Lancashire and Cumberland (Vice-counties 69&70).

During the next 12 months, the Moths Count team will be developing an online recording system, an expanded Richard Fox, Moths Count Project Manager website with provisional distribution maps and a booklet addressing the audience at the first English Moth on ‘critical’ species - those larger moths that are difficult Recorders’ Conference in Birmingham. (J. Asher) to identify.

Hundreds of new and existing recorders benefited from It is early days for the National Moth Recording Scheme, 23 Moths Count training workshops during 2007. Training but a good start has been made to the huge task of was provided for different levels of expertise including bringing together millions of moth records and we’ve identification of moths by genitalia dissection and training in laid the foundations for a long-term scheme that will the identification and survey techniques for several rare and be of great benefit to people and moths alike. endangered species, as well as courses to provide beginners with a general introduction to moths and recording. Moths Count Several exciting discoveries were made at the events. project update These included a new 10km square for Cousin German and the discovery of a micro-moth new to Scotland We provide regular email and website updates - please (Ectoedemia decentella ) at a Moths Count event at contact us if you would like to receive Moths Count Glasgow Botanic Gardens. In addition, the rare and emails. This annual newsletter summarises progress over elusive Ethmia pyrausta was re-discovered in the the past 12 months. The establishment of the NMRS is a Highlands (see image opposite). This black-winged and key objective of Moths Count, but the project also aims to orange-bodied micro-moth was first recorded in the Shin raise awareness of moths and encourage moth recording Valley in 1853, and must have survived unseen in the area through activities that reach out to new audiences and ever since. Only four others have ever been found in the provide training to existing moth-ers. UK and the caterpillar has never been recorded here. 03

Two enthusiastic Garden Moths Count participants sugaring to attract moths (S. Foster)

The almost mythical Scottish Ethmia pyraustra We also organised 33 public moth events last year. These which was rescued from a spider’s web (M. Currie) were attended by almost 700 people, of whom 33% were children. More events are taking place in 2008. The outreach An expanded programme of training events was organised materials that we have produced include an Introduction to for 2008. Topics covered included caterpillar survey and Moths leaflet which is available in English (and folds out identification, rare species (including Rannoch Brindled into a colourful poster suitable for display in schools) or as Beauty, Fenn’s Wainscot and Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk- a bilingual English/Welsh version. A new Day-flying Moths moth), identifying difficult moths, dissection and genitalia leaflet has also recently been printed. In addition, attendees determination, use of recording software and media training. at pubic moth events receive an information pack with There were plenty of beginners’ courses too. All training details of how to get involved in moth recording. There events are free but places must be booked in advance. is already good evidence of new people taking up moth Up-to-date details can be found on the Moths Count website. recording as a result of all these outreach activities . National Moth Night

The results of National Moth Night 2007 (11 August) were published recently in the magazine Atropos. It was a very successful event. At least 985 people took part and moth sightings were received from a record-breaking 761 sites. In total 22,320 records were received, compared to 12,303 (from 389 sites) in 2001, when National Moth Night was last held in August. As usual there were plenty of significant records, with an impressive 16 new Vice-county records, including A caterpillar training workshop Jersey Tiger, one of the target species, in Buckinghamshire. in Hampshire led by Paul Waring. (D. Green)

The tenth National Moth Night took place on 7 June The first Garden Moths Count online survey took place 2008, organised by the Moths Count project and Atropos. in 2007. This was targeted at the gardening public and Despite being a day and night event, early feedback is of aimed to raise awareness of the beauty and importance disappointing moth numbers, in keeping with generally poor of moths. Participation was hit hard by appalling weather, catches in 2008. Nevertheless, there was great support but the event attracted substantial media attention. Garden for the event from moth recorders and many public events Moths Count 2008 had a much longer period of planning were organised. Many thanks to all those recorders who have and was very successful in raising awareness of moths. already submitted their NMN sightings, especially those who There were articles in many national magazines (including made use of the templates and online recording on the NMN BBC Wildlife, Country Life, RSPB Birds and Gardeners’ website www.nationalmothnight.info (which makes data World) and national newspapers as well as repeated collation and analysis a much more manageable process). coverage on BBC Radio 4. The Daily Mail referred to It is not too late, so please remember to send in your records moths as the “Glory of our gardens”! for 7 June 2008 before the deadline on 1 December 2008. 04 Moths Count Newsletter 2008

Moth migration and climate change

During the last century 89 moth species colonised The increasing number of migrant species entering the Britain, some arriving as natural immigrants or vagrants. UK is exciting for moth recorders because you never know Recent examples include the Rustic and the -lichen what may turn up in the trap. However, there are other Beauty. Research has shown that the number of migratory implications. Small resident populations may be ‘topped-up’ moth and butterfly species arriving in Britain has been by immigrant populations, or new migratory species might steadily rising. Analysis of records from Portland Bird compete for resources with our resident species. Currently, Observatory, by Tim Sparks at the Centre for Ecology and there is little evidence for the competition effect. Hydrology and colleagues, has revealed that this increase is closely linked with the warming climate in south-west Another implication is that potential diseases and parasites Europe where many of these migrants originate. may accompany or follow the migrants. Finally, there are economic implications. Currently 160 species of moths and When spring/summer temperatures in SW Europe were butterflies are classed as pests of economical importance, warmer than usual, more migrant species were recorded at but as the climate warms and immigrants such as the Portland. An increase of just 1˚C above long-term average Scarce Bordered Straw increase, it is likely that this temperatures was associated with an additional 14 migrant number will multiply. species being recorded per year.

This is not a recent phenomenon. A previous analysis (also by Tim Sparks) of historical records of 20 migratory moths and nine butterflies collected in Britain over a 113 year period, from 1850 - 1962, also showed a similar pattern. The number of annual records for these immigrant species was strongly correlated with temperature in France and other climate patterns. Both studies predict that Convolvulus Hawk-moth recorded on 21 August 2007 on an oil rig climate change will bring greater abundance and increased support vessel, 80 miles from the diversity of immigrant moths to Britain. Aberdeenshire coast. (J. Frank)

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan

Mark Parsons, Head of Moth Conservation, In addition to these 81 threatened species, a new category reports on some of the new priority moths. covering “research only” species has been developed. This includes the widespread, but rapidly declining species During 2007 revisions to the moths included within the as identified by the Rothamsted Research and Butterfly UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) were published (see Conservation study that resulted in The State of Britain’s Atropos, No. 32: 4-11 for a summary of these changes). Larger Moths report. The intention for including these species This resulted in 42 species from the original listing being in the new UK BAP category is to encourage universities retained, while 11 were downgraded. Thirty-nine new and research bodies to investigate the wider changes in species were added to the UK BAP, 13 of these our countryside that may be affecting moth populations. being macro-moths. Here I focus on six of the 13 new priority macro-moths: Concolorous, Scarce Vapourer, Shoulder-striped Clover, Small Dark Yellow Underwing, Sussex Emerald and White-mantled Wainscot. >> Scarce Concolorous Vapourer (R. (A. Leverton) Mackay) Distribution of Concolorous Distribution of Scarce Vapourer

I Larval record 1999 to 2007 I Larval record 1999 to 2007 G Adult record 1999 to 2007 G Adult record 1999 to 2007 Concolorous Scarce Vapourer

A very local species found in Huntingdonshire, This species has declined considerably and is now Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire only known from parts of south Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Rutland, although probable immigrant examples Nottinghamshire (one site) and the Norfolk Broads, are very occasionally seen elsewhere, such as in and is found on lowland sandy heathland, wet woodland, Kent and Suffolk recently. Searches of Woodwalton fens, bogs and hedgerows. The striking caterpillar Fen, one of the moth’s former strongholds, overwinters whilst small and can be found on a wide have been unsuccessful, but further survey range of plants, including hawthorns, and sallows, effort is planned. perhaps being easiest to find in May and June.

There appear to be no recent records from There is some indication that the decline, at least within Buckinghamshire, although Waring & Townsend (Field parts of its range, coincided with the rise of mechanical Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland) include flailing of hedgerows. It would appear that the species “Salcey Forest and other woodlands into Buckinghamshire”. also primarily occurs in areas below 10m above sea level In Northamptonshire, there was a decline in the mid to late where there is at least historic seasonal flooding. Colin 1990s, with the species becoming more numerous from Howes has summarised the history of the species on around 2004. the Humberhead Levels (see Naturalist 125: 121-135, and in the Proceedings of the Y.N.U. Conference 2004 Associated with purple small-reed and wood small-reed, on the Humberhead Levels, p. 112-116). the moth frequents the drier parts of fens and marshy open areas within lowland ancient woodland on heavy soils. Butterfly Conservation has recently produced a factsheet In Rutland over the last few years, examples have started on the species, with funding from Natural England, aimed to appear in a few gardens, with it also frequenting drier at land managers and site owners. This is available to grassland habitat, including a quarry and a golf course. download from www.butterfly-conservation.org. Some targeted survey took place within the moth’s distribution The adult flies from mid-May to mid-July and is usually during 2008 using unmated females to attract males. recorded at light. Care must be taken with identification This was successful at a site in Norfolk. as it can be confused with the related Mere Wainscot. White-mantled Susex Wainscot Emerald (N. (D. Sherman) Distribution of Walker) Distribution of Sussex Emerald White-mantled Wainscot I Larval record 1999 to 2007 I Larval record 1999 to 2007 G Adult record 1999 to 2007 G Adult record 1999 to 2007 Sussex Emerald White-mantled Wainscot

This moth is protected under Schedule 5 of the In the UK the species is now only found in Suffolk, Wildlife & Countryside Act, 1981 and is confined to where it occurs along a stretch of coastal reedbeds Dungeness, Kent, although it may have bred briefly on from east of Ipswich and Shingle Street to Benacre. an East Sussex site during the early 1950s. Occasionally The moth was discovered in Britain on Pevensey immigrant or wandering individuals have been recorded Levels, Sussex, where it occurred until its habitat elsewhere, including recently from St Leonards, was destroyed during the Second World War. E. Sussex; Ruckinge and St Margarets, Kent; and Binstead on the Isle of Wight. On Dungeness it is The larva feeds within the stem of common reed. associated with disturbed shingle where its main The adult is on the wing in July and early August, foodplant, wild carrot, is found. and comes light. It frequents the drier parts of reedbeds and reed-lined ditches with abundant dead stems. The species has been studied in detail since the late Sites that have been regularly cut or burnt are thought 1980s and is currently monitored annually through larval to be unsuitable for this species. counts. As Dungeness ‘A’ power station is currently being decommissioned and the site is a potential location for a third nuclear power station, Butterfly Conservation is working closely, with the assistance of Sean Clancy, alongside Natural England, British Energy and Magnox to Acknowledgements ensure the continued presence of the moth on Dungeness. I would like to take this opportunity to Additional potential threats to populations of this moth thank Martin Albertini, Andy Banthorpe, include invasion by red valerian, rabbit grazing and Sean Clancy, Graham Collins, Peter Davey, vegetation succession. Barry Dickerson, Colin Howes, Tony Prichard, Adrian Russell, Ken Saul, Colin Smith, John & Brenda Ward and Sheila Wright for assistance with information relating to the above species. Les Hill kindly produced the maps. Small Shoulder-striped Dark Yellow Underwing Clover

(B. Distribution of (P. Distribution of Shoulder-striped Clover Urwin) Pugh) Small Dark Yellow Underwing I Larval record 1999 to 2007 I Larval record 1999 to 2007 G Adult record 1999 to 2007 G Adult record 1999 to 2007 Shoulder-striped Clover Small Dark Yellow Underwing

As there was anecdotal evidence that the species had Confined to Scotland where it is mainly found in the become very scarce in recent years, English Nature central Highlands with just one record to the north of the commissioned a survey for the moth in 2000 covering Great Glen in Glen Affric. The larva feeds on bearberry. sites in Surrey, Dorset and Hampshire, with Butterfly Conservation Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch funding The moth flies by day in late April and May, a survey in the New Forest in 2005. sometimes into June, frequenting bearberry-rich moorland ( Arctostaphylos heath), generally at altitudes This, together with other survey effort, has resulted of between 200 and 650m. It is usually found in in the moth being found at six sites in the New Forest association with stony glacial moraine or dry gravelly from 2000 onwards but only two sites in Surrey and one areas, most often on managed moors that have in Dorset. A survey is taking place this autumn in Cornwall a history of regular good muirburn practice. where the species was last recorded in 1984. It is also possibly overlooked in other parts of the South-west, In dull weather the moth can be found at rest on rocks with Waring & Townsend (2003, Field Guide to the and posts, or nectaring on bearberry flowers. It appears Moths of Great Britain and Ireland) including a report to be far less numerous and widespread than the of the moth in Devon. Netted Mountain Moth, which shares the same larval foodplant and habitat. Although the adult moth is occasionally encountered by day, it also comes to light. It is perhaps the larval stage which is the easiest to survey for, particularly after dark. Waring & Townsend state that the moth occurs on “large tracts of damp, acid heathland where cross-leaved heath is abundant”. However, the New Forest survey indicated an association with areas of heath that had been burnt between two and six years previously. 08 Moths Count Newsletter 2008

Moths Count training in South Wales and the borders

Norman Lowe, County Moth Recorder for Breconshire (Vice-county 42), writes about his experiences stimulating Identifying difficult moths by genitalia workshop in Cardiff moth recording interest in mid-Wales and beyond... led by Norman Lowe (D. Slade)

The Brecknock Moth Group is an The next step is to develop skills Bugs Britannica active band of 20 or so members in through more advanced training Peter Marren is researching the book Bugs one of the least populated parts of and mentoring, including email Britannica, exploring the folk-lore, art and literature surrounding British . The book the UK. For many years my son Chris correspondence. We encourage will contain stories and contributions from the and I were the only recorders, until everyone to send in email pictures for public. All contributions will be gratefully in 2001 a meeting of local naturalists identification, and these can usually acknowledged, and, if used, your name will decided to start a moth group. We be dealt with in a few minutes. appear in the text. To contribute your tales, go to www.randomhouse.co.uk/ soon received support from Butterfly bugsbritannica. Conservation, who encouraged us to Recently we were given a boost become affiliated to the South Wales in mid-Wales as a result of a grant Moths and the media branch. By means of a combination from the Countryside Council for The Moths Count project is working with the media to ensure that moths are portrayed in of training, social events, field events Wales, which enabled the purchase a positive and accurate light. However, old habits and securing funding for books of garden and portable traps and die hard and occasionally the odd story slips and equipment, we developed also of reference books, all of which through the net, such as “Moths - The killers to where we are today. are loaned out to group members. in your close t”, The Times 10/08/07.

If you have any interesting positive moth The advent of the Moths Count In Radnorshire, which is a very anecdotes such as the discovery of new species workshops has now provided an under-recorded county, we initially or public events that are taking place, please opportunity to spread this model into ran beginners’ workshops and only get in touch with your local newspaper, radio or TV station. Such coverage will increase the the rest of South Wales, and also into now have we started to run more profile of moths and help dismiss public Herefordshire. The aim is to encourage advanced events. An important step misconceptions about them. members of the public to become was to persuade Pete and Ginny The Moths Count project is running media training interested in recording moths, to provide Clark, who had joined the Brecknock workshops. If you are interested in this please training for existing moth recorders group only a couple of years earlier, contact us. Our Publicity Officer, Catrin Hollingum, and also to help the development to take on the role of County [email protected] of local recording groups. Recorders for Radnorshire. (01929 406026) is available to offer you advice.

To this end we are building up They now co-ordinate activities there Humming-bird a full set of workshops: beginners’ and provide training and mentoring Hawk-moth survey events; training for recorders with to a group of around 10 recorders The Humming-bird Hawk-moth and Painted Lady butterfly arrive from Africa and are becoming some existing skills, including how of varying skill levels. In Herefordshire, increasingly common in the UK. Throughout 2008, to set up a local moth group; on the other hand, there were already Butterfly Conservation is running a simple online workshops on the really difficult a number of interested people, including survey for these two fascinating insects as part species such as many of the Pugs; some experienced recorders, who of Garden Moths Count, in conjunction with the and identification of critical species were seeking guidance on starting BBC Radio 4 World on by genitalia dissection. Some of our a local group. Following an initial the Move series. If you keenest recorders start out by joining meeting, a beginners’ course and an have seen either species a beginners’ event (in one case, intermediate course (all fully-booked!) since the start of 2008, please log your sightings entirely by chance, on the way the group is going from strength at www.butterfly- to pond-dipping!). to strength. conservation.org 09

Additions to the British list from 2000 onwards

New species seem to arrive on our shores with increasing frequency (see article on migration and climate change in this newsletter). Unless you have access to all of the entomological journals and a very good memory, it is hard to keep up. Mark Parsons, Butterfly Conservation’s Head of Moth Conservation, has kindly assembled the following table, which lists the larger moths (macro-moths) that are new to the British list from 2000 onwards. This table excludes the Channel Islands.

Bradley No. Species First Date Location Notes

Pending Raspberry Clearwing Pennisetia hylaeiformis 2007 Meldreth, Cambridgeshire Adventive? 384a Paysandisia archon 2002 Bosham, Sussex Adventive 1678a Jersey Mocha Cyclophora ruficiliaria 2003 Portland, Dorset Immigrant, possibly established 1853a Epping Pug Eupithecia massiliata 2002 Epping Forest, Essex Adventive 1894a Tamarisk Peacock Chiasmia aestimaria 2004 Sholden, Kent Immigrant 1921a Dusky Scalloped Oak dardoinaria 2006 Exmouth, Devon Immigrant 1965a Common Forest Looper Pseudocoremia suavis 2007 Greatwork, Cornwall Adventive, possibly established 2058a Patton’s Tiger Hyphoria testudinaria 2005 Kingsham, Sussex Immigrant 2079a Jersey Black Arches Nola chlamitulalis 2004 Epping Forest, Essex Immigrant 2110a Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing Noctua janthina 2001 Southsea, Hampshire Immigrant, now resident 2160a Splendid Brocade Lacanobia splendens 2003 Dymchurch, Kent Immigrant 2238a Softly’s Shoulder-knot Lithophane consocia 2001 Hampstead, Middlesex Immigrant 2309 Latreille’s Latin Methorasa latreillei * 2006 Samphire Hoe, Kent Immigrant 2310a Silvery Gem Eucarta virgo 2006 Bodenham, Herefordshire Adventive? 2387a Clancy’s Rustic Platyperigea kadenii 2002 New Romney, Kent Immigrant, now resident 2407a Beautiful Marbled Eublemma purpurina 2001 Portland, Dorset Immigrant 2413a Shining Marbled Pseudeustrotia candidula 2006 Bodenham, Herefordshire Adventive?

2423a Eastern Nycteoline Nycteola asiatica 1993 Lydd, Kent Immigrant, Retrospective discove ry 2464a The Sorcerer Aedia leucomelas 2006 Totland, Isle of Wight Immigrant 2451a Minsmere Crimson Underwing Catocala conjuncta 2004 Minsmere, Suffolk Immigrant

* Previously treated as a doubtful British species based on a single 19th Century record.

Additionally there are a few species which have been found as direct imports, sometimes amongst packaging. These include:

Apantesis phalerata at Margam, Glamorgan, in 2005, Chrysodeixis eriosoma at Brockenhurst, Hampshire, in 2002, Arcte coerula at Pencoed, Glamorgan, in 2000 and Catocala amatrix also at Margam, Glamorgan, in 2006. It is not known with any certainty if these few species have been found previously in this country, although C. eriosoma has been regularly recorded as an intercept in recent years and the record listed may not be the first.

Acknowledgements With thanks to Mike Powell and David Gilmore for locating the A. phalerata reference. Thanks to Martin Honey for the taxon order and information on P. archon . 10 Moths Count Newsletter 2008

Farming for Moths

Thomas Merckx from Oxford University reports on current research to improve farmland for moths .

Plenty of larger moth species occur abundantly in farmland and they are an important food resource for a wide range of other organisms within this agricultural environment. However, given the intensification of farmland management over the past 50 years, it should come as no surprise that Pale Shining Brown (T. Davis) significant declines have been recorded for many of these moths.

Agri-environment schemes (AES) One of our main results so far is A notable spin-off from the research are considered a key policy to reverse the importance of hedgerow was the discovery of the Pale Shining biodiversity declines. They provide for moths. Currently, these are not Brown in one of our study areas in financial support to farmers and land covered by AES and so benefits 2006. It proved to be the strongest owners for adopting environmentally- could be enhanced by including colony of this UK Biodiversity Action friendly ways of managing land. measures to increase the number, Plan species currently known in Although efforts have been made density and age structure of Britain. The habitat use and mobility to try to ensure that AES benefit birds such trees. of this, formerly widespread, moth and butterflies, little attention has will be studied in closer detail. been paid to widespread moths. Ongoing research is focussing on the effects on different groups of Acknowledgements The Upper Thames Moth Project moths, and even among individual aims to document the importance species, of the presence of wide This five-year research project is part of the Upper Thames Project (Wildlife of landscape features (such as field field margins and hedgerow trees, Conservation Research Unit, University margins and hedgerow trees) for and of hedgerow flailing. of Oxford). Butterfly Conservation is the farmland moths and to assess the main partner and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation supports the work within impact of AES practices on moths a project framework funded by the and, therefore, the benefits (if any) Tubney Charitable Trust. and cost-effectiveness of this policy.

Vapourer larva (R. Thompson) 11

Spring Specials - what a misnomer!

Tom Prescott, Species Conservation Officer, Scotland.

As the moth season came to a close last autumn, one’s mind looked forward to the spring and some of the exciting moths to be found in the Highlands. That is how this event was born. What could be better than to spend a spring afternoon looking for Rannoch Brindled Beauty and possibly even Kentish Glory Scottish Spring Specials workshop in Kingussie led followed by an evening of trapping and sugaring for Sword-grass and Rannoch by Tom Prescott. (T. Prescott) Sprawler? Well that was the plan. The reality, however, was somewhat different.

Spring is often late in coming in the These were truly arctic conditions! Again, unsurprisingly, no moths were Highlands but our moths are used to So out of duty I turned up at the caught, only 3 inches of fresh snow! that. We are also used to vague and allotted time and place just in case However, everybody did go home often inaccurate weather forecasts. any poor and misguided soul might afterwards having seen three of the So the forecast of severe weather for turn up. It was with utter astonishment target species following our ‘Blue the weekend of the event, on 5th that I discovered that 18 people had Peter’ moment - here are some I and 6th April, was simply dismissed - braved the elements, some travelling caught earlier. I didn’t want to we’ve heard it all before and, in any from afar, to meet up in such disappoint anyone! case, if the forecast was correct no conditions and look for moths!! one would turn up! How could I disappoint them?

Well the forecast was correct. Not surprisingly our search for Strong northerly winds brought Rannoch Brindled Beauty was frequent blizzards during the morning, unsuccessful. I thought that this would creating lots of drifting snow and be the end of the event but many reducing the temperature to -15°C were still keen to stay on into the with the added wind chill. evening and set up moth traps.

Moths Count Web resources

Project Contacts Several useful internet resources are available to moth recorders to help verify records. Susan Anders, Outreach Officer A selection of them are listed below. [email protected] 01929 406007 Richard Fox, Project Manager UK Moths www.ukmoths.org.uk [email protected] 01626 368385 Dissection Group www.dissectiongroup.co.uk Les Hill, Database Manager National Biodiversity Network www.nbn.org.uk [email protected] 01929 406008 Sarah-ann Mold, Project Assistant Ordnance Survey Get-a-map [email protected] 01929 406009 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap Zoë Randle, Moth Recording Co-ordinator Multimap www.multimap.com [email protected] 01929 406006 Streetmap www.streetmap.co.uk 12 Moths Count Newsletter 2008

Moth recording training events 2008 All training events are free although all require advance booking. Unless otherwise stated, booking is via Sarah-ann Mold on 01929 406009 or [email protected] . Warm clothing and a torch are needed for evening events. An up-to-date event list can be found on the Moths Count website.

ENGLAND South East England North West England Yorkshire & the Humber 25 October 2008 Identifying difficult 15 November 2008 Identifying difficult 1 November 2008 Identifying difficult moths by genitalia led by Jon Clifton. moths by genitalia led by Jon Clifton moths by genitalia led by Jon Clifton. SUSSEX WILDLIFE TRUST, WOODS in association with Lancashire and UNIVERSITY OF YORK, MILL, NR HENFIELD, SUSSEX. Cheshire Entomological Society. DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, 10:30 – 16:00 WORLD MUSEUM LIVERPOOL, YORK. 10:30 – 16:00. WILLIAM BROWN STREET, LIVERPOOL. 10:30 – 16:00 Booking WALES via Guy Knight 0151 478 4369 or 29 November 2008 Identifying difficult [email protected] moths by genitalia led by Norman Lowe. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WALES, CARDIFF. 11:00 – 16:00.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL PLACES ON TRAINING COURSES MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE.

Humming-bird Hawk-moth ( S. Farrell) Green Carpet (R. Thompson)

Business Friends of the project include:

Anglian Lepidopterist Supplies www.angleps.com , Apollo Books www.apollobooks.com , B and S Entomological Services www.entomology.org.uk , Bioquip www.bioquip.net , British Wildlife Publishing www.britishwildlife.com , MapMate www.mapmate.co.uk , Watkins & Doncaster www.watdon.com

Moths Count is a partnership of many organisations, individuals and businesses, led by Butterfly Conservation. Principal funders include the Heritage Lottery Fund, Butterfly Conservation, British Entomological and Natural History Society, City Bridge Trust, Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency, Environment and Heritage Service, Natural England, Royal Entomological Society, RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage. Many other organisations are involved, providing support and helping to host events. Full details at www.mothscount.org

Moths Count Butterfly Conservation Manor Yard East Lulworth Dorset BH20 5QP t 01929 406009 www. mothscount.org e [email protected]

Butterfly Conservation, Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468) Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP. Charity registered in England and Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268) Designed and produced through nectar 01942 681648. Printed on 100% recycled stock including 75% post-consumer waste.