MONMOUTHSHIRE & BUTTERFLY GROUP

NEWSLETTER No 81 January - March 2012.

A monthly newsletter covering Gwent and Monmouthshire Vice County 35

Editor: Martin Anthoney

Brindled Beauties There are three species of moth flying in the spring in Gwent that have Brindled Beauty in their name: Small Brindled Beauty, Pale Brindled Beauty and Brindled Beauty itself. The first two have flightless females so only the males fly to light, whereas both sexes of Brindled Beauty are attracted, though as with many moth species the males predominate at light.

Small Brindled Beauty (Ian Rabjohns)

Pale Brindled Beauty Brindled Beauty

Small Brindled Beauty is the scarcest of the three species. Three were caught at Llandogo in 2011, but before that it had not been recorded in the county for 30 years. In the light of this it is encouraging that two further individuals have been seen in 2012 (at Penallt). As the name suggests, the male is smaller than the other two species, hairy, and always gives me the appearance of being too short for its wingsize. Its main foodplant is

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oak and it is rarely found away from well-wooded areas with oaks. As the National Moth Recording Scheme map opposite shows, it is mostly a moth of south-east England, and its range only just extends into . The male flies in February and March.

Pale Brindled Beauty is a larger and much more widespread moth. When fresh the male has a distinct green tinge to the wings which, together with a body that is tinged pink and marked with a black pattern, serves to distinguish it from Brindled Beauty. It flies earlier in the year than Brindled Beauty, usually in February and March in Gwent, though it has been recorded as early as the November of the previous year. In parts of Britain a melanic variety forms a significant proportion of the population, but this variety is very uncommon in Gwent. The larvae feed on a range of and shrubs, and in early spring the flightless females can be found at dawn at the base of the trunks.

Brindled Beauty flies slightly later, usually in March and April, appearing just as Pale Brindled Beauty is finishing. The earliest recorded Gwent date is 8th March. It is a more stocky, more hairy moth than Pale Brindled Beauty, and though flecked with yellow when fresh it never has the green tinge to the wings or the pink abdomen of its earlier relative. Specimens can usually also be separated by the much heavier black banding of Brindled Beauty. Like Pale Brindled Beauty, its larvae feed on a range of trees and bushes and the species is common and widespread over the whole of the county.

Martin Anthoney

Dotted The headline species for early 2012 are a repetition of those for early 2011: Small Brindled Beauty and Dotted Chestnut. Small Brindled Beauty was discussed in the previous article. Apart from two historical records for Monmouthshire (1869) and Tintern (1876), nothing was heard of Dotted Chestnut in the county until the year 2000. In the twelve years of the current century there have been eight Gwent records of this nationally notable (Nb) species, all in March and April after hibernation. Similar patterns have been observed in other southern counties (eg Buckinghamshire, Glamorgan and Warwickshire) of recent records following a 100 year gap, suggesting the species is expanding its range.

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As the map shows, the distribution of the eight recent records is along the eastern and southern edges of the county: could this be because its expansion is into the warmest parts of Gwent? The records are nearly all for gardens or open areas (eg Magor Marsh or Newport Wetlands); in Gwent, Dotted Chestnut does not appear to be a woodland species. Very little is accurately known of its early stages, as witnessed by the varied claims to be found in the literature: the caterpillar “feeds on apple”, “on most deciduous trees”, “later instars on herbaceous such as dandelion”, “is a cannibal” and “has an association with ants”. Clearly a lot more remains to be learned about this interesting but uncommon moth.

Recent Highlights 2012 started as 2011 finished, to produce one of the warmest and driest winters and early springs on record, with only two or three days of snow in early February. This unseasonal weather has produced many very early emergences, with 3 butterflies and 12 macro having their earliest ever dates, with a total of 11 butterfly and 41 macro-moth species being seen by the end of March also being a new record. In such a season, do Hebrew Character and Double-striped Pug coming to light on 27th December count as extra generations for 2011, very early first generations for 2012, or perhaps both?

22nd Dec 2011 Pale Brindled Beauty and Satellite to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

27th Dec 2011 Hebrew Character and Double-striped Pug to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

29th Dec 2011 Satellite to light at Penallt (Ian Rabjohns)

2nd Jan Mottled Umber and Chestnut to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

7th Jan Hebrew Character at Penallt (Stephanie Tyler)

8th Jan Common Quaker to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

10th Jan. A very late December Moth to light at Risca. The mild winter produced a very extended flight period for this species (eleven weeks, 24th Oct to 10th Jan) (Martin Anthoney)

11th Jan Small Quaker to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney) Red Admiral butterfly flying at Penallt (Ian Rabjohns)

13th Feb Early Thorn moth at Ochrwyth (Richard Clarke)

19th Jan Dark Chestnut to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

28th Jan Early Moth to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

12th Feb at Ochrwyth (Richard Clarke)

15th Feb 7 Dotted Border to light at Wonaston, Monmouth (Heather Colls)

16th Feb Oak Beauty to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney) Spring Usher to light at Penallt (Stephanie Tyler)

23rd Feb Small Brindled Beauty to light at Penallt (Stephanie Tyler) Clouded Drab to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

24th Feb Early Grey to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney) Tawny Pinion to light at Melbourne Close, Newport (Roger James)

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25th Feb Shoulder Stripe to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

Small Tortoiseshell flying at St Mellons (Michael Field) another at Penallt (Ian Rabjohns) and two more at and Ochrwyth (Richard Clarke)

27th Feb Grey Shoulder-knot to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

28th Feb Engrailed, Brindled Pug to light at Penallt (Ian Rabjohns)

29th Feb Twin-spotted Quaker and March Moth to light at Risca (Martin Anthoney)

10th Mar Small Brindled Beauty, Early Thorn and Early Tooth-striped moths at Penallt (Ian Rabjohns) Brimstone butterfly at Skenfrith (Martyn Evans)

11th Mar Immigrant Humming-bird Hawk moth noted feeding on flowering hyacinth in Abersychan. (Steve Williams) Brimstone butterfly at Mamhilad (Kris Roberts)

2 Comma, 1 Peacock, 2 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies seen during a worktask at Limekiln wood, Hendre. (MMBG) Another Comma at Ochrwyth, together with Red Chestnut moth (Richard Clarke)

19th Mar Holly Blue butterfly and Oak Nycteoline and Brindled Beauty moths at Melbourne Way, Newport (Roger James)

20th Mar Frosted Green at Beacon Hill, Trellech. Orange Underwing and more surprisingly Yellow Horned moths flying during the day at the same site. (Ray Armstrong)

21st Mar Small White butterfly at Penallt (Ian Rabjohns) Red-green Carpet at Melbourne Way, Newport (Roger James)

23rd Mar 2 Orange Underwing at Rogiet Country Park and 1 at Slade Wood (Martin Anthoney & Roger James) Orange-tip butterfly at Penallt (Ian Rabjohns)

24th Mar Dotted Chestnut and Satellite amongst thirteen species to light at Magor Marsh reserve. (Martin Anthoney & Roger James)

Speckled Wood butterfly at St Julian’s, Newport (Gareth Tonks)

Herald moth at Haisboro Avenue, Newport (Sheila Dupé)

26th Mar. White-marked moth to light at Penallt. (Stephanie Tyler)

Orange Underwing at Devauden. (Gail Reynolds)

White-marked (Stephanie Tyler)

30th Mar. Streamer, Mottled Grey, Purple Thorn, Nut- Tussock, Square Spot and Frosted Green moths amongst 15 species to light at Wyndcliff (Martin Anthoney & Roger James)

Pine Beauty and Angle Shades at Melbourne Way, Newport (Roger James) 4

First Record Dates for the past six years The following tables show the dates of first records for the past six years, arranged chronologically for 2012, to give an indication of those species which have appeared early. Those marked with a star have set a new earliest date in 2012.

Moths 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 22nd Dec & Nov 21st & Pale Brindled Beauty 02nd Feb 31st Jan 30th Jan 14th Jan 23rd Feb 19th Feb 22nd Dec & Satellite 19th Feb 26th Feb 19th Feb 07th Mar - 18th Mar 27th Dec & *Hebrew Character 11th Feb 25th Feb 19th Feb 07th Feb 19th Jan 07th Jan 27th Dec & *Double-striped Pug 15th Mar 19th Mar 18th Mar 14th Mar 26th Mar 16th Mar 30th Dec & Winter Moth 02nd Jan 31st Jan 19th Feb 30th Jan 01st Feb 10th Jan Mottled Umber 02nd Jan 02nd Jan 22nd Jan - - 10th Jan Chestnut 02nd Jan 25th Jan 27th Jan 30th Jan 20th Jan 30th Jan *Common Quaker 08th Jan 17th Feb 05th Mar 19th Feb 30th Jan 01st Feb *Small Quaker 11th Jan 23rd Feb 15th Mar 07th Mar 20th Feb 24th Feb Dark Chestnut 19th Jan 17th Jan 22nd Jan 25th Feb 23rd Jan 10th Jan Early Moth 28th Jan 18th Jan 05th Feb 17th Feb 14th Mar 30th Jan Dotted Border 12th Feb 11th Feb 26th Feb 17th Feb 05th Feb 22nd Feb *Early Thorn 13th Feb 12th Mar 05th Apr 28th Mar 29th Feb 10th Mar Oak Beauty 16th Feb 24th Feb 26th Feb 22nd Feb 20th Jan 29th Jan Spring Usher 16th Feb 12th Feb 05th Feb - - 27th Jan Clouded Drab 23rd Feb 11th Feb 12th Mar 25th Feb 23rd Feb 24th Feb Early Grey 24th Feb 09th Mar 15th Mar 26th Feb 09th Feb 01st Feb *Tawny Pinion 24th Feb 24th Mar 23rd Mar 02nd Mar 28th Feb 09th Mar Shoulder Stripe 25th Feb 24th Feb 21st Mar 18th Mar 03rd Apr 16th Mar Grey Shoulder-knot 27th Feb 23rd Feb 15th Mar 19th Feb 21st Mar 02nd Feb *Brindled Pug 28th Feb 12th Mar 05th Apr 30th Mar 15th Mar 16th Mar *Engrailed 28th Feb 12th Mar 05th Apr 18th Mar 02nd Apr 18th Apr March Moth 28th Feb 11th Feb 01st Mar 01st Mar 23rd Feb 08th Mar Twin-spotted Quaker 29th Feb 23rd Feb 17th Mar 02nd Mar 29th Feb 08th Mar *Water Carpet 01st Mar 20th Mar 18th Apr 15th Apr 16th Mar 13th Mar Yellow Horned 01st Mar 24th Feb 19th Mar - 14th Mar 09th Mar Early Tooth-striped 10th Mar 12th Mar 29th Mar 16th Mar 04th Apr 17th Mar Red Chestnut 11th Mar 15th Mar 19th Mar 24th Mar 26th Mar 05th Apr Brindled Beauty 19th Mar 17th Mar 28th Mar 02nd Apr 02nd Apr 08th Mar Oak Nycteoline 19th Mar 18th Mar 06th Apr 07th Aug 06th May 26th Feb *Frosted Green 20th Mar 14th Apr 05th Apr - 26th Apr 20th Apr *Red Sword-grass 20th Mar 06th Apr 08th Apr 04th Apr 03rd May - Red-green Carpet 21st Mar 01st Apr 28th Apr 20th Apr 26th Apr 21st Apr Herald 24th Mar 06th Apr 22nd May 09th May 06th Feb 12th Apr Mottled Grey 30th Mar 15th Mar 13th Apr 13th Mar - 04th Mar *Square Spot 30th Mar 16th Apr 10th Apr 02nd May 18th May 05th May Purple Thorn 30th Mar 08th Apr 27th Apr 30th Mar 03rd Apr 07th Apr Pine Beauty 30th Mar 17th Mar 09th Apr 21st Apr 03rd Apr 09th April Angle Shades 30th Mar 22nd Apr 06th May 18th Mar 14th Jan 22nd Mar Nut-tree Tussock 30th Mar 08th Apr 06th Apr 21st Apr 07th Mar 25th Mar

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Butterflies 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Red Admiral 11th Jan 12th Mar 13th Mar 20th Feb 27th Jan 14th Jan Small Tortoiseshell 25th Feb 17th Mar 05th Mar 17th Mar 01st Feb 06th Mar Brimstone butterfly 10th Mar 13th Mar 08th Apr 15th Mar 01st Mar 13th Mar Comma 11th Mar 17th Mar 13th Mar 17th Mar 03rd Apr 26th Mar Peacock butterfly 11th Mar 17th Mar 28th Mar 16th Mar 27th Jan 31st Jan *Holly Blue 19th Mar 06th Apr 09th Apr 19th Apr 03rd Apr 30th Mar *Small White 21st Mar 25th Mar 20th Apr 05th Apr 22nd Apr 05th Apr *Orange-tip 23rd Mar 05th Apr 13th Apr 29th Mar 03rd Apr 05th Apr Large White 24th Mar 06th Apr 23rd Apr 22nd Mar 16th Apr 11th Apr Speckled Wood 24th Mar 07th Apr 10th Apr 10th Apr 02nd Apr 15th Mar Green-veined White 27th Mar 06th Apr 09th Apr 08th Apr 03rd Apr 07th Apr

Martin Anthoney

Newport Report Moths – first records for February and March A slow but steady start to the year.

13th Feb Melbourne Way Pale Brindled Beauty, Spring Usher, Chestnut

16th Feb. Melbourne Way Hebrew Character, Dotted Border

21st Feb. Melbourne Way. Common Quaker, Satellite, Early Moth (1st site record and only 3rd Newport record)

24th Feb. Melbourne Way Grey Shoulder-knot, Small Quaker, Tawny Pinion, Oak Beauty

2nd Mar Melbourne Way Early Grey

10th Mar. Melbourne Way Early Thorn

12th Mar. Home Farm, Yellow Horned (1st site record)

15th Mar Melbourne Way Brindled Pug, Shoulder Stripe, March Moth

19th Mar Melbourne Way Oak Nycteoline, Brindled Beauty, Double-striped Pug

21st Mar Goldcliff Red Sword-grass (1st site record), Marbled Beauty larva. Melbourne Way Red-green Carpet

24th Mar Haisboro Avenue Herald

30th Mar Melbourne Way Red Chestnut, Frosted Green, (1st site record and only 2nd Newport record), Pine Beauty, Angle Shades

My thanks as always to the recorders: Haisboro Avenue Sheila Dupé Melbourne Way Roger James Caerleon (Home Farm) Chris and Kath Jones

Roger James

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Dates for your Diary 2011/2012

Saturday 16th June Go Wild show, this year in Blaenau Gwent at Bryn Bach Park, Tredegar.

Thurs. 21st to Sat. 23rd June National Moth Night. After a year’s absence, a new incarnation of National Moth Night to cover three days and nights! Events include:

(i)Friday 22nd June 9pm - 11.30pm CCW and MMBG. Newport Wetlands Reserve, . Take part in Britain’s largest annual moth survey, trapping and identifying moths near the Visitor Centre after dusk. We will also be using detectors to identify bats. Please bring a torch and warm clothes. Leader: Kevin Dupé, Reserve Manager Meet: Reserve car park, Uskmouth

(ii) Saturday 23rd June. Start 10am. Free day-time event (joint BC, CCW and MMBG). A morning of talks and live moths at the Newport Wetlands NNR Visitor Centre, ST334834. This year's theme for National Moth Night is Moths of Brownfield Sites of which Uskmouth is an excellent example. The indoor session will finish at noon and will be followed by a walk to search for day-flying moths. Program: 10-10.30am Display of moths from the night before Kevin Dupé, Reserve Manager, Newport Wetlands. 10.30-11am Talk - Brownfield Moths and Butterflies Martin Anthoney, County Recorder 11-11.30am Talk - to be confirmed 11.30-12am Refreshments (provided) 12 - ca. 2pm Optional guided walk / individual recording around the reserve. Catch the 9am, No 63 bus from Newport Bus Station.

Wednesday 27th June Bat and Moth Walk at GWT Silent Valley Nature Reserve, near Ebbw Vale. 9pm onwards, leader Tom Eyles. An evening walk around the nature reserve. There will be an opportunity to see any moths caught that evening and to learn how to use bat detectors. BOOKING ESSENTIAL Contact: ERC, 01495 307525. Cost: £3 GWT members, £6 non members.

Saturday 14th July Trapping and Identifying Moths GWT Course Tutor: Val Jackson, 9.30am – 12.30pm Tidenham Chase, near Chepstow Have you wanted to learn more about moths but are not sure how to start? BOOKING ESSENTIAL Contact: GWT, 01600 740600 Cost: £4 members, £7 non members.

Wednesday 25th July 9.45am to 12noon Mon Moth & Butterfly Group and CCW. Moths in the morning. Come to the Newport Wetlands Reserve Visitor Centre and see the moths that came to a moth trap put out the previous night. Then go on a leisurely walk to see day-flying moths. Leader: Kevin Dupé, Reserve Manager Newport Wetlands Catch the 9am, No 63 bus from Newport Bus Station.

Saturday 20th October Butterfly Conservation (S.Wales branch) Members Day and AGM Kenfig Visitors’ Centre, 10am to 4pm.

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MMBG – Contact Names and Addresses.

Secretary: Kevin Dupé Chairman: Roger James 44 Gaer Park Lane 44 Melbourne Way Newport Newport NP20 3NE NP20 3RF

Phone 01633 216599 Phone 01633 263374 e-mail [email protected] e-mail [email protected] or in case of problems [email protected]

Treasurer: Sheila Dupé 18 Haisbro Avenue Newport NP19 7HY Phone 01633 256475

Newsletter Editor & Recorder for Recorder for Micro Moths Butterflies & Macro Moths Martin Anthoney Sam Bosanquet 23 Malvern Close Dingestow Court Risca Monmouth Newport Monmouthshire NP11 6QY NP25 4DY Phone 01633 612272 e-mail [email protected] e-mail [email protected]

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