SussexSussex MothMoth GroupGroup NewsletterNewsletter November 2014
Alexander
Keith
by
Underwing
Yellow
Oak
Main features inside this issue: Mothing Memorabilia by David Burrows 2
Oak Yellow Underwing by Keith Alexander 5
On Safari by Heather Mar n 6
Some Spring/Summer/Autumn highlights 10
Scarlet Tiger by Jeremy Pa erson 16
More on Muso ma by Hew Prendergast 17
Burnets in Brief by Neil Hulme 19
Has ngs Area Moth News by Crystal Ray 20
A Complete History of the Bu erflies & Moths in Sussex Volume 4 by Colin Pra 22 Commi ee members and 2015 indoor mee ng dates Back page Chairman’s Corner
Dave needs to write this bit! Dave Green
11 Mothing Memorabilia by David Burrows
Some while ago my wife and I visited a small nursery garden in Ba le. It was off the beaten track, family run and truly old fashioned. It was one of those places where vegetable plants or wallflowers in season would be pulled to order from their drilled rows in the open ground, and sold in twenty‐fives ed with raffia. There was no sign of the paraphernalia clu ering modern garden centres, where the staff tends not to know a Doronicum from a Dandelion; at this place they had a rack of wooden shelves holding second hand books. ‘Bu erfly Haunts’ by L Hugh Newman caught my eye and it was mine for a modest dona‐ on. This was a decent enough find by itself, to join other tles that I already have from the same author. When I opened the book at home it was not only a numbered and signed copy, but ‘Bu erfly Farm’ leaflets and price lists from the years 1950, 1951 and 1952 fell out: gold dust ephemera. Mr Newman (and his father before him) ran a very successful business from Bexley in Kent dealing in “Everything for the naturalist, ready for immediate dispatch”. He was one of the panellists on BBC radio’s monthly ‘Nature Parliament’ with eminent naturalists of the day. Some of today’s mothing folk will have early memories of the Bu erfly Farm and its mail order efficiency. Newman’s regular price lists were a barometer of rarity that stays with me to this day, so it was nice to glance back sixty odd years in a ‘comparison‐fest’. Firstly, some of the English names now seem unfamiliar: Rose Carpet (from the larval food plant) is today’s Shoulder Stripe, Iris Wainscot (Iris=larval food plant) becomes Webb’s Wainscot, and Fiery Clearwing was then Ruby Clearwing. For many years I knew what is now known as Sa n Lutestring as Sa n Carpet. I some mes s ll want to write Wood Leopard for Leopard. In bu erfly names (I know we are a moth group, sorry) Newman was s ll using Greasy Fri llary for Marsh Fri‐ llary and Clifden Blue for Adonis Blue. The Bu erfly Farm winter livestock list for 1950 and 1951 apologised for its paucity, due to very bad weather during the summer months, but s ll included the fer le ova of Large Thorn at 2/6 (about 25p) a dozen, and Clifden Nonpareil (from Ashford, Kent) at 12/‐ per dozen (about 10p an egg). In the same list, ‘hiberna ng living larvae’ (‘Valuable Hints’ pam‐ phlet, price nine pence), of Lappet, various Tigers, Large Emerald, Swallow‐tailed Moth could be bought for up to five shillings per dozen. The only pupae on offer that year were
22 Con nued….
Ken sh Glory. Looking at the spring and summer price list for the 1952 season; ova, larvae and pupae of twenty four bu erfly species and thirty odd moths were listed. A supplementary list contain‐ ing the Irish forms of fourteen bu erfly species in all stages was offered, to be mailed direct from Ireland. There were separate livestock lists for American or Indian Giant Foreign Silk Moths in larval or pupal stage. You must, however, trawl through Newman’s main price list of set insects to find the stark‐ est picture of the decline in so many species over sixty years. In his list you will find the V‐ Moth, now a very uncommon insect but then its list price of tuppence showed how common it once was. The Barberry Carpet, now teetering towards ex nc on, was then listed as four pence, the same price as the Scalloped Hazel. Next for comparison, a very choice trio: Black‐veined Moth (currently protected under schedule V of the Wildlife and Countryside Act), Scarce Chocolate‐ p (now listed as endan‐ gered, RDBI), and the previously men oned Ruby Clearwing (another schedule 5 insect from the Wildlife and Countryside Act). The first of these three was priced at sixpence, the second again at sixpence and the third was a shilling (10p today) on a par with the Peacock Moth at 1950 ra ngs, which really makes you think! Lastly, the Death’s‐head Hawk‐Moth had a price tag of fi een shillings, whilst the Clifden Nonpareil was top money at twenty five shillings (75p and £1.25 respec vely), the la er rep‐ resen ng almost a week’s wages for me at the me, pu ng the whole thing in perspec ve. Watkins and Doncaster (established five years earlier than LW Newman in 1879) also pub‐ lished wonderful price lists and I have one from 1933, complete with slightly rusty staples (so this is rather fragile). Besides offering everything for the entomologist, Watkins and Don‐ caster would supply tools, books and apparatus for taxidermists: brain scoop and hook, one shilling each; arsenical soap, by the pound weight, or fat scraper, one and sixpence. Ento‐ mologists could be supplied with brass chloroform bo les (best quality), five shillings; im‐ proved American moth trap with lamp and reflector, seventy five shillings or with electric light fi ngs, an extra ten shillings. Elder Pith (do not ask) was eight pence a bundle. Orni‐ thologists, oologists, geologists, botanists and coleopterists were all catered for. A forty‐ drawer cabinet in solid mahogany with glass door? Yours for £52.10s. The range of entomo‐ logical pins on offer occupied nearly one page and priced per ounce, per 100 and per 1000‐
33 in “silvered”, nickel, black, white or stainless. Looking at the lists of sets of insects, this table (below) shows the scores of telling price comparisons across the seventeen years from 1933 to 1950. Here are ten to reflect on:‐
1933 (Watkins and Doncaster) 1950 (Newman) Pound, shillings and pence Pound, shillings and pence Pine Hawk‐moth 6d 6/6 (Con nental stock only) Alder Ki en 7/6 6/6 Lobster Moth 2/6 2/‐ Grass Eggar 1/‐ 1/6 Sa n Carpet (now known 2/6 2/6 as Sa n Lutestring *) Orange Underwing 5d 5d L‐Album Wainscot (listed 5d 3/6 in 1933 as an introduced species) Small Eggar 2d 3d Argent and Sable 4d 4d Straw Belle 3d 3d
Figure 1 showing table of comparisons of moth species across seventeen years from 1933 to 1950.
*At this price it was of equal rarity to the Light Crimson Underwing in Newman’s 1950 list. Finally, described as their ‘Short list’ of preserved bu erfly and moth larvae, in the Watkins and Doncaster publica on there were 174 different species. Un‐put‐down‐able.
44 Oak Yellow Underwing by Keith Alexander
I approached my trap on the morning of the 22nd July 2014 without any great expecta‐ ons, as all the talk of the Spanish Plume over the weekend had resulted in only a single Silver Y. My 60w ac nic Skinner trap has a wooden ledge on the inside and a er sor ng out half the trap, I ran my finger along underneath and out popped a moth which gave a flash of yellow as it dropped to the trap floor. It was soon in a pot, and a er a quick glance I realised what it might be, and happily it was quickly confirmed by Colin Pra as Sussex’s first Oak Yellow Underwing Catocala nymphagoga, and apparently the sixth for Britain. The Spanish Plume had brought an ex‐ ci ng moth to my Bexhill garden a er all!
55 On Safari by Heather Martin
Two traps – yes. Two sheets – yes. Eight legs, eight poles – yes. Spare bulb – yes. And so the check list goes on. Cable – yes. Books and notebook – yes. Plas c pots of vari‐ ous sizes. Torches plus spare ba eries – yes. And on ………Snack bag, water, flask, matches. And on ………Fleece jackets, waterproof jackets, hats – yes.
Finally we get to the generator – the last item to be loaded because it smells. Our car’s huge boot is almost full. Are we off on an exo c expedi on for a few weeks? No, we’re off for a few hours of moth trapping in our wood!
Wouldn’t it be easier just to connect the trap to the main’s supply at home then toddle off to a warm, comfortable bed, rising early the following morning to inves gate the contents? Well yes, but then I would have missed some truly magical experiences and fascina ng ob‐ serva ons of the wildlife ac ve in our woodland at night.
We always make a point of si ng the generator as far away as possible from the shelter where we set up camp so the con nual rasping purr doesn’t drown out all natural sounds. Once the traps have been assembled and the fire has been lit, we se le down to eat our supper watching as the detail and colour drains from the surrounding trees un l they be‐ come silhoue es against a darkening sky. Bats fli er over our heads on their patrol of the clearing’s perimeter. Badgers emerge from their se scratching, scraping and snuffling along a well‐worn pathway out to the field, while Tawny owls ‘tu‐whit’ then ‘whooo’ to one another. I start to look expectantly towards the traps for the sight of flu ering insect wings in the glow given off by the mercury vapour lamps. Is it going to be a good night?
I have come to the conclusion that the answer to this ques on is almost impossible to pre‐ dict! I know from experience that a emp ng to set a date months in advance for a public event can o en end in the disappointment of having to cancel the mee ng at the last mi‐ nute due to inclement weather, but Rodney and I have re red ‐ we have the luxury of mak‐ ing a late decision to set off into the wood any evening of the week. So why me and me again this year have we been le either perplexed, disappointed, amazed, unexpectedly soaked or shivering huddled close to the fire? Or on occasion, all of these at once!
66 Con nued…. Probably because despite the best efforts of modern meteorological technology and data collected from many years of moth trapping in this country, anything to do with the natural world remains intriguingly unpredictable.
I am beginning to feel as if I have entered a second childhood because I’m constantly ques oning what I’m seeing or not seeing. ‘Why?’, ‘Where?’, ‘When?’ are not just overused words in my young granddaughter’s vocabulary!
We experienced a record‐breaking total of rainfall in the south‐east over the winter. Sec ons of our wood were flooded when the stream burst its banks, and trees fell be‐ cause they simply lost their grip in saturated ground. Wood anemones and bluebells came into bloom excep onally early and we found Dormice in April, s ll with their ju‐ venile coat colouring, that were fit and well but so ny that sta s cally they should not have survived hiberna on. On the 28th of that month Rodney and I decided to set up our moth trap for the first session of 2014 to find out how the woodland moth popula on had fared. Apart from half a dozen Lunar Thorns that flew in as a group, the remainder of the 33 species we recorded that night arrived singly and inter‐ mi ently as the temperature dropped to a rather uncomfortable 6°C.
Now I can understand their reluctance to venture out when it’s so chilly, but on nights of seemingly ideal condi ons I’m o en le wondering why frequently just a single representa ve of a species makes an appearance. It’s not because others are visibly around and a par cular individual is tempted to enter the trap, nor because on close inspec on the moth is either newly emerged or old and ta y which might explain the solitary record. Is there really only one of these in the area? I’ve stood and watched for many hours, not something I would be tempted to do in my ny garden but the woodland at night is such a cap va ng environment and one to be relished.
I’ve also been surprised at how many moths are a racted to the light but then se le on surrounding tree branches, low vegeta on or even on the ground under my high‐ rise traps un l the first hints of light subtly alter the inky hue of the sky and the in‐ sects take flight. At least I’m able to iden fy these in situ whereas others frustra ngly fly over, con nuing their journey without pausing. My overnight vigils then result in much longer lists of species recorded than if I’d slumbered through the hours of dark‐ ness.
77 Con nued…. However, recording regularly in your garden will possibly answer ques ons that I’m unable to. Was the lack of moths, especially micros early in 2014, a result of poor breeding and/or survival numbers due to adverse weather condi ons, or just because Rodney and I decided to go moth trapping on the wrong evening?
We’ve always been led to believe that the ‘right’ evening requires warmth, cloud and lack of wind so the 5th September was poten ally perfect. The thermometer read 17° C at midnight, it was calm and cloudy. Where were all the moths?? We recorded merely 31 species, the majority just singles and the most interes ng insect of the night was a rather handsome cranefly that s ll awaits confirma on of its iden fica‐ on.
The weather forecast looked really promising for our expedi on on the 19th Septem‐ ber, but as we assembled our traps, lightning con nually flashed across the sky to the north. It soon became apparent that moths were outnumbered 100 to 1 by caddis flies. Determined to make the best of a puzzlingly depressing situa on I resolved to a empt to iden fy the most dis nc ve of the la er. What was that I felt on my head? Raindrops? Within seconds I was standing in a deluge. I joined Rodney in the shelter and sat peering out through the entrance as huge puddles formed on the ground. Then moths started to fly out of the trees on the edge of the clearing ‐ they’d obvi‐ ously been there all the me! I thought back to the previous session ‐ are moths like us and become lethargic in the heat? Had they all been si ng around in the branches lacking the inclina on to make any effort to fly? I watched as they now flu ered over the trap then away into the trees on the other side, raindrops s ll bouncing off the wooden carcass and glass lamp cover. A er an hour and a half of this and with rain now just falling steadily we decided to pack up the trap furthest from our shelter. I didn’t want to go home yet so le Rodney si ng under cover while I stood dripping beside the trap. Something enormous flapped past my head then down through the gap between the Perspex sheets and I caught a glimpse of dark hindwings striped with violet blue. In an instant despair turned to jubila on. “Rodney quick, it’s a Blue Underwing!”
The huge moth ricocheted around the interior of the box then rose up through the central opening and into the night air. I hadn’t had me to take a photograph as evi‐
88 Con nued…. dence. It was now 2:00 am. Wet, red and upset, I did what any self‐respec ng female would do...burst into tears! Totally dejected I trudged back to the shelter. A minute later Rodney appeared in the doorway. “Is this what you want?” he asked, proffering a Clifden Nonpareil towards me in a large pot. My hero!
A er successfully recording its portrait for posterity, I put the moth inside the trap where I could observe it more carefully. Thump! Crash! Then there were two! Minutes later Rodney called out, “There’s another one here on the grass!” The trio posed obligingly un l my camera started to flash a warning symbol for low memory capacity. Although it was only 3:00 am we decided to call me on our expedi on. To keep the three Clifden Nonpareils out of harm’s way while we trampled backwards and forwards loading equipment into the car, we carefully transferred them to an empty dormouse nest box then finally opened the lid to let them fly away. Quiet and calm, none of them were keen to move. Rodney rolled down the mesh shu er across the front of the log shelter. There was a flapping of wings as a creature the size of a small bat became dislodged from its perch. In our torchlight we savoured the mo‐ ments as a fourth Clifden Nonpareil circled overhead before it disappeared into the darkness. Were these moths immigrants or do we have a colony established nearby? High numbers of this species were recorded in the previous autumn; had some of the eggs managed to remain viable through the mild winter? This had definitely been our most memorable safari of the year.
99 Some Spring/Summer/Autumn highlights
is Pat Bonham caught th
stunner of a Bedstraw uly. Hawkmoth at Rye in J
This Tissue was a nice
surprise for Keith and heir Wendy Alexander, in t Bexhill trap in April.
The Beau ful Marbled
was caught by Derek Lee d at Bracklesham in July an
is only the fi h record of this species in Sussex.
1010
The rarely seen an Northern Drab made
appearance at
Murray Tarvis’s
Woodingdean trap in April.
y Brighton trapper Jerem to Pa erson was pleased t on see a Bloxworth Snou and two occasions in April a again September. Also Sept. record from Lewes in
Both Mike Snelling and Derek Lee caught Blair’s
Mocha in April in Findon and Bracklesham respec‐ vely. This photo is by Mike.
1111
d a Heather Mar n spo e lla Lampronia flavimitre il; hiding on a leaf in Apr rec‐ this is only the fourth us‐ ord of this species in S sex.
is Robin Harris caught th
third for East Sussex
micro in August in his
Moun ield trap; Argyresthia ivella
s A Waved Carpet, which i a na onally notable species, was caught at y Guestling Wood in May b the Has ngs Moth‐ers.
1212
nd Dave & Penny Green a
Alice Parfi caught an try Ochreous Pug at Chan Hill in May.
een A Cream‐bordered Gr t Pea was trapped by Pa , Bonham at Rye in May table another na onally no species!
in A first for mainland Brita
was discovered by Derek ‐ Lee on the lid of his Brack lesham trap in May ‐ a Banded Pine Carpet.
A Map‐winged Swi was s caught at Na onal Trust' Woolbeding Common in
June, by Dave & Penny Green
1313
Olly Ellis in Steyning son (June), Jeremey Pa er
in Brighton (May) and
Crystal Ray in Has ngs
(July) caught Toadflax to Brocade this year. Pho by Olly.
Derek Lee caught this s impressive Convolvulu
Hawkmoth in his
Bracklesham trap in November.
t Nascia cilialis was caugh at the Arundel WWT reserve by Mike Snelling and Paul Stevens in August. It’s a Na onally Scarce B species.
Bisignia procerella was a in treat for Caroline Moore Etchingham. She has previously caught this RDB2 species in 2012.
1414
ing Both Olly Ellis in Steyn nd (in July and October) a to‐ Charles Waters (in Oc ed ber) caught Four‐spo lly. Footman. Photo by O
ught An excited Olly Ellis ca ve a Portland Ribbon Wa
in his Steyning trap in
August. It’s an RDB species.
d Derek Lee caught a secon t brood Bordered Sallow a
his Brackleham trap, in
August. A rare moth and unusual to see a second brood.
The scarce immigrant e Dusky Hook p was in th Woods Mil moth trap in ce May...much to Penny, Ali and Graeme’s delight!
1515 Scarlet Tiger by Jeremy Patterson
The Roundhill area of Brighton is known for its Scarlet Tiger and over the last few years I have both trapped them at light at home, and seen them during the day in the locality, o en ‘patrolling’ in mid summer. This year on 24th June, I encountered at least six associ‐ a ng with each other in flight and along a garden wall in the early evening. I also no ced another individual on vegeta on above the wall in the same area but as it appeared de‐ formed, I assumed it was dead (perhaps having been predated) and le it alone. However, I saw it again two days later in the same posi on and this me took a closer look: it was not dead but had its wings extended forward above the head and away from its body, thereby exposing it. It would appear that on emerging from the pupa, the wings had hard‐ ened at a very unusual angle. The moth was s ll present and alive on the 28th but found dead on the pavement below on the 30th; it had probably not moved at all during a period of at least five days.
1616 More on Musotima by Hew Prendergast
Since my note last year (SMG Newsle er November 2013, 5‐6) on the occurrence on Ashdown Forest of the An podean crambid Muso ma ni dalis, Evans et al. (2014) have published data on the breeding of the species on various fern species both there (by Jul‐ ian Clarke in December 2013) and in Dorset. A er my last year’s trap total of 31 moths (the last record on 28 November), what has happened this year on Ashdown? The first I saw was flying around just outside my garden on 16 April. In four evenings dur‐ ing the rest of the month I ne ed a further 14, a maximum of nine on the 26th. Through May, 57 moths were either ne ed (maximum of 13 on the 8th within five minutes of try‐ ing), trapped (maximum of seven on the 28th) or entering my house porch. The trap a racted its first moth on 16th May and a maximum of seven on the 28th. The headlights of my car also proved useful in finding moths along the wooded access track to my house soon a er dusk, for example 18 on the 9th and 25 on the 27th. June saw 14 records from my trap, the last on the 22nd; the first July record was not un l the 24th but a further 13 had followed by the end of the month. Julian Clarke (in li ., 9 May 2014) meanwhile had been finding impressive numbers. On 30 April, on the heathland/woodland edge near the Ashdown Forest Centre (TQ431322) where he had found larvae the previous December, he saw 20 in about 40 minutes “fli ering about the ferns/bracken” and many more along the roads between there, Wych Cross, Hindleap Warren and Goat Cross Roads (TQ401327). Returning on 5 May he saw ca 40 near the Centre in 20 minutes at dusk and more down Priory Road leading to Forest Row, including ne ng three in 10 seconds near Fern Hill (TQ409337). Back in my own garden, a new facet of Muso ma behaviour appeared on 4 August. At 22:30 13 moths were probing the small pink flowers of Polygonum amplexicaule and a further 19 those of a Buddleia davidii nearby. The next evening, with 38 feeding on the Buddleia, I ne ed a further 38 in only two minutes about 250m away along my access track. On 6 August, by torchlight, I saw 11 on this track, five of them easily spo ed on the underside of the ps of bracken pinnae, and three of these had their abdomens pressed against the surface and were presumably egg‐laying. I swept another 15 over a grassy ride (on a heathland/woodland edge) area within three minutes, some from the tops of grasses. The greatest number trapped in an August night was eight on the 6th and nine on the 13th. Strikingly, Muso ma completely dominated the immediate post‐dusk moth fauna. Julian had found this too down Priory Road. Feeding on the Buddleia through August were more than a dozen species of macro moths but only in ones or twos at a me, and even fewer micros. By contrast Muso ma was numerous: on the 13th there were 75 on Bud‐ dleia at 21:15 plus two on the Polygonum. On the 15th at 21:30 there were 82 in my gar
1717 Con nued….
Photo
by
Philip
Glyn
den, 70 on the Buddleia, three on Polygonum, and three each on two ‘new’ food sources, Purple Loosestrife and Ling; three more were disturbed (not feeding) elsewhere . By 22:15 20 were on the Buddleia and by 22:50 only nine, a decline sugges ng that Muso ma is most ac ve soon a er dusk. The Buddleia was over by the end of August. From August onwards I also started to sweep bracken on other areas of Ashdown Forest by day – with success in most places albeit in variable numbers. The furthest east observa‐ on was of one at TQ463323 on 12 August, the furthest south at TQ427295 on 27 August, the furthest west at TQ403318. On 30 September, from 16:00‐17:30, I put up 75 from Bracken in the Lavender Pla area (TQ4033), some mes up to five a me. I have never seen so much damage to Bracken fronds; many had ca 80% of their pinnae eaten away by, I assume, M. ni dalis larvae. On 15 October a walk along rides in Northbank Wood (TQ4331) produced 123 moths in less than an hour. Considering the narrowness of these ‘transects’, there must have been many hundreds if not thousands in both these areas. Night‐ me abundance was typified by the 54 in my car headlights along my access track on 2 October and trapping con nued to produce records up to the me of wri ng (25 Oc‐ tober) with a peak of 14 on the 19th. Conclusions M. ni dalis has been recorded now on Ashdown Forest in 16 1km squares, and (as adults) in all months from April to November. It occurs in woodland open enough to have a domi‐ nant bracken understorey but not, it seems, on bracken‐dominated heathland nearby. By day adults are readily to be found by sweeping bracken, especially along the edges of rides; by night they are readily visible in vehicle headlights along Forest roads where they can by far outnumber individuals of all other species combined. The most ac ve period
1818 Con nued…. may be soon a er dusk. In August adults were seen for the first me feeding, most com‐ monly on Buddleia davidii but also, perhaps significantly given the Forest’s heathlands, on Ling as well. Both larvae and adults have a plen ful food‐source locally. As currently understood M. ni dalis occurs in both Australia and New Zealand. Molecular studies could test whether or not these disjunct popula ons really are the same species and also, perhaps, pinpoint the geographic origin of the arrivals in Sussex and elsewhere in the UK. Given its very large numbers on Ashdown Forest, one wonders just how long the species has been established locally. What seems likely is that it’s here to stay. Evans, D.J, Beavan, S.D., Clarke, J.H., Heckford, R.J. & Parsons, M.S. 2014. Muso ma ni d‐ alis (Walker, [1866]): Discovery of the early stages in England. Atropos 51, pp 7‐19.
Burnets in Brief by Neil Hulme
During a series of surveys conducted at the Fairmile Bo om Local Nature Reserve near Slindon, now managed by WSCC, I counted a good number of the localised Five‐spot Bur‐ net ssp. palustrella (right hand photo). My survey of 25th May found 107 individuals, re‐ flec ng a total popula on of probably >500. By the me of the second survey (25th June) their flight season was all‐but‐over, with only 11 seen. The widespread Six‐spot Burnet (le hand photo) had replaced it by 27th July, with 40 individuals counted.
1919 Hastings Area Moth News by Crystal Ray
As usual, the tradi onal last minute rush to gather something newsworthy from this year’s field events took place amongst the Has ngs branch members. "What has hap‐ pened this year?" is the tradi onal cry and some mes events from previous years come to mind rather than a fresh crop of new sigh ngs. However, this year has been different, Has ngs branch member Gerry Balcikonis has generated what I would call an important sta s c based on the records collected over the last year. Anyway enough from me, lets hear what Gerry has discovered.
"It wasn't un l I sat si ing through this year’s moth records generated by the Has ngs branch field events, that I realised we had an awful lot of micro species caught.
Now, in the past before the excellent Phil Sterling/Paul Parson's (and very affordable) book came out I personally tended to discount the "li le brown jobbies", because a) it took a lot of my busy lifestyle in researching them and b) they were usually very lively and took a lot of effort to photograph.
On doing my maths the Has ngs branch had 29% micros from the total species count, and that our own Crystal Ray had put in considerable me and effort to achieve the colla on and ID them. Twenty‐nine percent is not far off a third of the totals, so the message is "the li le brown jobbies" cannot be ignored!
When your work colleagues ask, or when your neighbour pops their head over the garden fence and says "Harry or Gladys what moths have you caught today?", puff up your chest and reply in your best prac sed La n, "Well amongst the usual I had a Paras‐ wammerdamia albicapitella and a couple of Ypsolopha parenthesella!!!” They may reply "Oh, right then??? " and never ask again. But thus recorded, you may swell the Sussex rec‐ ords and your Tetrad by up to a third!!! ... Kind Regards! Gerry Balcikonis."
I think we can all agree this is an exci ng number to mull over and reinforces his new found mantra of "Micros: Love them or hate them, RECORD them!". Moving the topic on from our smallest species to one of our largest, I was most impressed by the sheer quan ty of Old Ladies Mormo maura) seen at Pebsham near Has ngs Garden Centre in August, instead of encountering one or two we trapped 11 and saw many more. This, then, seems a hot spot for this species. Also of interest were our two visits to Gues‐ tling Wood and the surprise news from Colin Pra that this loca on had no modern moth records. Good numbers of Waved Carpet Hydrelia sylvata were seen in Guestling Wood, one of our many species in decline. I think with this in mind it might be worth looking at
2020 Con nued…. each local wood or green space and crea ng a list of uncharted areas that need a base set of modern records. Without such data we cannot hope to see decreases or increases in species present due to changes or successful management of the local environment. This then, is a worthwhile gap which I urge all of us to work towards filling.
Waved
Carpet
by
Crystal
Ray
5th National Moth Recorders’ Meeting
Bu erfly Conserva on’s Na onal Moth Recorders’ Mee ng is taking place on Saturday 31st January 2015 at the Birmingham and Midland Ins tute, central Birmingham. The programme has been finalised and can be found at the end of this newsle er and on the Moths Count website (www.mothscount.org). As usual we have a range of speakers and moth related topics from across the UK and indeed Europe. Atropos, Pemberley Books and Watkins and Doncaster will be in a endance, so bring your purses and wallets to stock up on natural history books and equipment. If there is anything specific that you might require, please contact the traders in advance who can take pre‐orders for collec‐ on on the day. Advanced booking is essen al for this event. With increasing prices and following consulta on with last year’s audience, we have increased cost of the event to £7.50 per person. This is payable on the day and includes, tea, coffee and lunch, all s ll heavily subsidised from Bu erfly Conserva on budgets. I hope that you all feel that the day is s ll good value for money. To book your place please email info@bu erfly‐ conserva on.org or phone 01929 400209.
2121 ed….
A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE
BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS OF SUSSEX
VOLUME 4
As many Sussex Moth Group members will be aware, it is aimed to publish a supplemental hard‐copy to “A Complete History” ‐ a new matching Volume 4 ‐ during the Spring of 2015. It will include all of the most significant reports of bu erflies and moths received since Vol‐ umes 1 to 3 were produced in July 2011, including an amalgama on of all of the subse‐ quent updates issued as digital copies from 2012 onwards (Supplements One to Three), plus those previously unpublished records delivered over the past year. It is hoped that colour illustra ons can be included, all for around £30. Approaching 400 pages have al‐ ready been completed.
Volume 4 will include an individually‐detailed survey of the unprecedented changes in flight‐ mes that have taken place since the end of the 20th century ‐ and, due to the unu‐ sually warm season, the 2014 season will be one of the foremost for addi onal emergenc‐ es. So if you have any rogue dates in your data base, or have just seen an unusual species, please let me know. The cut‐off date for the receipt of the details of your most important sigh ngs is December 1st this year.
To avoid disappointment, if you have yet to express an interest in obtaining a copy of Volume 4, then please make contact as soon as possible as the number of copies to be published will closely match the number of pre‐publica on orders received.
Colin Pra , 5, View Road, Peacehaven, East Sussex, BN10 8DE. 01273.586780 colin.pra @talk21.com
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2222 Dating moth records
When submi ng your records, or pu ng your sigh ngs on the Sussex Moth Group website, please could you be sure to give the date that the moth trap was set rather than the date that you checked it please. This is a standard way of sub‐ mi ng your records and ensures that our data is all consistent. Thank you!
Sussex Moth Group Committee
Chairman Dave Green [email protected] 01403 701014 Secretary Wendy Alexander wkalexander@b nternet.com 01424 212894 Recorder Colin Pra colin.pra @talk21.com 01273 586780 Webmaster Bob Foreman bob@li lesnails.com 01444 483745 Treasurer Alice Parfi aliceparfi @sussexwt.org.uk 01903 740212 Newsle er Editor Penny Green [email protected] 07960 388096
Moth group meetings 2015
All mee ngs held at 7.30pm at Henfield Village Hall:
Tuesday 10th February Tuesday 21st April AGM Thursday 23rd July Tuesday 17th November
Please note that due to the number of people a ending the Sussex Moth Group mee ngs now we have had to move premises! All mee ngs are now at the Henfield Village Hall, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9DB, in the Garden Suite. The Village Hall is just off of the High Street (behind the Budgens supermarket) at TQ21571592 or look on their website:h p://www.henfieldhall.co.uk/contact_us.html
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