Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust Guilford Road, Sandwich Bay, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9PF [email protected] www.sbbot.org.uk 01304 – 617341 Registered Charity no. 289343 A systematic list of the Moths of Sandwich Bay st (Updated to 31 December 2017) A Systematic List of the Moths of Sandwich Bay (to 31 December 2017) Introduction This list was first prepared by Peter and Pauline Heathcote in 2003, detailing records of 436 macros and 292 micros up to the end of 2002. They updated the list to include records to the end of 2008 and the list was augmented with records for 2009. It was subsequently reviewed by Francis Solly in November/December 2009 and some records for which confirmatory details were required, or which clearly resulted from misidentification, were removed. Details of these species can be found in the appendix at the back of this report. In 2018 it has been further updated by Ian Hunter, Macro Moth recorder for Kent, with advice from Dave Shenton, Micro Moth recorder for Kent, in the light of the specific evidence requirements of the National Moth Recording Scheme published in 2016. The National Status for each moth is shown to give an indication of how rare or otherwise the species is in a National context. As a broad guide for moths their status is based on their UK distribution measured in terms of occurrence in 10-kilometre squares per the National Grid system as follows; RDB1 Endangered. Usually in five or fewer 10-km squares. RDB2 Vulnerable. Small populations and declining. RDB3 Rare. Usually in 15 or fewer 10-km squares. Na Notable A Found in 16 to 30 10-km squares. Nb Notable B Found in 31 to 100 10-km squares. Na Local Found in 101 to 300 10-km squares. The flight period for each macro species is as it is at Sandwich Bay and for micros in accordance with data taken from Langmaid et al 2018. A Brief History of Moth Recording at the Bay Interest in moths at Sandwich Bay has waxed and waned in proportion to the level of interest and expertise of local observers and the developing standard and accessibility of identification material. The influences of Bernard Skinner’s 1984 guide and the more recent guides by Paul Waring and Martin Townsend, illustrated by Richard Lewington first published in 2003 and the Field Guide to the Micro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Phil Sterling and Mark Parsons, illustrated by Richard Lewington first published in 2012 have been major factors in expanding interest in moths together with more recent publications noted in the reference section. 227 moth species (excluding the pyrales) were listed in a Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Sandwich Bay in the 1970 report and in 1985 the late Dennis Batchelor published his landmark SBBO Butterflies and Moths Report, containing updates on the status of some 420 species of moth (both micros and macros) recorded at the Bay. 1984 had brought a major leap forward with the publication of Bernard Skinner’s Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles. Although the illustrations were of pinned specimens it made the identification of moths accessible to a growing band of amateur naturalists and by 1993 the total of moth species recorded at the Bay had reached 420 macros and 245 micros. The micro total included 112 species that were added in 1993 alone through the expertise of the late Eric Bradford. 260-270 macros were recorded in 1993 and 1994 and a record 308 in 1995; the highest annual total achieved in the Observatory’s history to that date. Trapping in that year was carried out on 254 nights, mainly by means of a Mercury Vapour trap at the Observatory, supplemented by the use of a portable 'actinic' trap in the Elms, the Whitehouse and the Haven. However, in 1996 trapping sessions were limited to the operation of the MV trap at the Observatory and the number of species recorded began to decline, although a portable actinic trap was again used frequently during August and September at many sites around the Bay in 1998. 1999 was another quiet year with records of only 176 species of macro moth from the MV trap and only 183 species were recorded in 2000. Recording in 2009 involved the operation of two MV traps at the Observatory and two actinic traps at several sites around the Estate. The recently published photographic guide by Chris Manley and the UK Moths website http://ukmoths.org.uk/ were of great help, particularly in the identification of micro moths, and a record 346 species of macro moth were recorded in 2009, bringing the total of macro species recorded to date to 466, while the number of micro moth species reliably recorded at the Bay was 407. Recording in 2010 reached an unprecedented level, with the operation of up to five MV traps at the Observatory and at several sites around the Estate. 370 macro species were recorded during the year, including 11 new to the recording area, increasing the Bay’s list of macro moth species to 477. More significantly, perhaps, 52 new species of micro were added, bringing the number of micro moth species so far recorded at the Bay to 459. 12 new macro species were added in 2011 and seven species were added in 2012. At the end of 2012, following review of some records (such as a record of Scarce Arches from 1867 that pertained to Deal, not Sandwich), the Bay’s macro list stood at 493 and the number of micros satisfactorily described at 483. 2013 was a record year, in which 375 macros species were recorded, 7 of which were new, bringing the Bay macro list to 500 species (However, see the notes preceding the macro moths later in this summary). This record was broken again in 2014 when 389 macro species were trapped and 9 new species brought the Bay macro list to 509 species. Sadly, it also included the passing of John ‘Badger’ Beugg, who had been pivotal to this return of interest in moths at the Bay. Ian Hunter returned to the task of trapping in 2015, with help from a few others at the Observatory, and although his efforts were of necessity less intensive than Badger’s he still managed to record 349 macro species, including 5 new for the SBBO list, which was elevated to 515 as a result. 3 more macro species were added in 2016 bringing the total to 518. After the work to bring the list up to date for the 2016 report and further work in 2017 the current reliably identified macro total is 533 and for micros it is 569. Francis Solly, Tony Davis and Dave Shenton (Micro Moth recorder for Kent) have increased the number of particularly leaf- mining species reliably recorded at Sandwich Bay through their regular observations of leaf-mines in the field. Tony Davis and Dave Shention have also helped by carrying out Determination by Genitalia Examination (gen det) on a variety of species. Specimens are only taken when absolutely necessary for identification purposes. In the lists below the RES number in red indicates new for the Bay this year – including species brought into the main list from the appendix. A Systematic List of Micro-moths at the Bay The systematic list follows Agassiz, Beavan & Heckford (2013) and the numbering system used in this summary follows the numbering system introduced by Agassiz et al. The numbers applied by Bradley (2000) are shown in brackets. MICROPTERYGOIDAE 1.004 (4) Micropteryx aruncella (Linnaeus). Common. May-Jun. Recorded by day in the Whitehouse on 11 (3M + 1F) & 18 (8M 1F) June 2016 (FS) 1.005 (5) Micropteryx calthella (Linnaeus). Common. May-Jun. One in the Whitehouse on 07 June 2014 (FS). ERIOCRANIIDAE 2.001 (6) Dyseriocrania subpurpurella (Haworth) Common. Apr-May. Singles at HQ light on 07 & 14 April 2011 (FS) and 07 [Elms] and 21 [Whitehouse gen det TD] April 2017 (SZW) 2.003 (8) Eriocrania unimaculella (Zetterstedt), Well-distributed. Mar-Apr. Observation of five tenanted mines in The Elms 22 April 2017 (DS) 2.006 (11) Eriocrania cicatricella (Zetterstedt), Widespread. Apr. Occupied mines found in the Oasis on 15 May 2009 (FS) and 10 tenanted leaf-mines in The Elms 22 April 2017 (DS) 2.007 (13) Eriocrania semipurpurella (Stephens), Widespread. Mar-Apr. 15 tenanted leaf-mines recorded in The Elms on 22 April 2017 (DS) 2.008 (12) Eriocrania sangii (Wood) Well-distributed. Mar-Apr. An adult recorded at light on 30 March (gen det TD) and three tenanted leaf-mines recorded in The Elms on 22 April (DS) 2017. HEPIALIDAE 3.001 (15) Orange Swift Triodia sylvina (Linnaeus) 19 July – 15 September Small numbers (up to nine in August 2009, 21 in August 2010, 19 in August 2011, 25 on 02 September 2012, up to 11 in August 2013, totals of 18 in August 2016 and 38 in August 2017 including 10 in the Whitehouse on 21 August) recorded at light. 3.002 (17) Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulinus (Linnaeus) 23 April – 17 July Common at light (up to 52 in June 2010). Recorded annually up to 2017 3.005 (14) Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli (Linnaeus) 12 May – 24 August Fairly regular at light in small numbers. None recorded at light in 2016. Singles recorded at light on 4 dates in June 2017. Also in 2017 a single on 06 June and six on 05 July were recorded in the field. NEPTICULIDAE 4.002 (116) Stigmella lapponica (Wocke) May Leaf-mine on 27 July 2016 (DS).