The Larger Moths of Staffordshire
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The Larger Moths of Staffordshire D.W. Emley and R.G. Warren 2001 Biological Recording Scheme Publication number 16 Published by Staffordshire Ecological Record Maps were produced using DMAP and are reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey. © Crown copyright NC/01/271. ISSN : 0309-2100 ISBN : 1 874414 20 3 The Larger Moths of Staffordshire D.W. Emley & R.G. Warren Richard Gordon Warren 1912 - 1999......................................................................................... 2 Foreword .................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 3 Aim of the Publication ............................................................................................................... 3 Area Covered.............................................................................................................................. 3 Which are the Larger Moths?.....................................................................................................4 Finding Moths ............................................................................................................................ 4 Searching................................................................................................................................ 4 Attracting................................................................................................................................ 5 When to look .............................................................................................................................. 6 Where to find moths................................................................................................................... 7 Identifying Moths....................................................................................................................... 7 Future Recording........................................................................................................................ 8 Where to Record..................................................................................................................... 8 Rarities and Verification ........................................................................................................ 9 Submission of Records........................................................................................................ 10 Introduction to the Species Accounts....................................................................................... 10 Sources of the Records............................................................................................................. 10 List of Recorders ...................................................................................................................... 11 References ................................................................................................................................ 12 The Species Accounts .............................................................................................................. 13 Appendix 1 : Species needing confirmation .......................................................................... 124 Appendix 2 : List of plants mentioned in the text.................................................................. 125 Appendix 3 : Localities from which records were received................................................... 126 Appendix 4 : Most widespread species.................................................................................. 128 Appendix 5 : Most restricted species ..................................................................................... 129 Appendix 6 : Species no longer with us................................................................................. 129 Appendix 7 : Useful Addresses.............................................................................................. 130 Butterfly Conservation ....................................................................................................... 130 North Staffordshire Field Club........................................................................................... 130 Potteries Museum and Art Gallery..................................................................................... 130 Staffordshire Ecological Record ........................................................................................ 130 Staffordshire Invertebrate Group ....................................................................................... 130 Staffordshire Wildlife Trust ............................................................................................... 130 Index to English Names ......................................................................................................... 131 Index to Scientific Names ...................................................................................................... 137 1 Richard Gordon Warren 1912 - 1999 With the death of Richard Warren, Staffordshire has lost one of its best known and most experienced naturalists. Not only was he the leading authority and recorder of the butterflies and moths of the county, he also had a deep knowledge of its caddisflies, damselflies, dragonflies and lacewings as well as its birds and plants. He was, in fact, one of that rare breed of people - an all-round naturalist. Richard was Chairman of the Entomology Section of the North Staffordshire Field Club from 1951 until his death and was made a Life Vice President of the Club in 1987. He was a founder member of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and was its Treasurer for many years. He will be forever associated with two of its reserves - Loynton Moss and in particular Burnt Wood. I was fortunate to learn at the feet of the master. We travelled all over the county and spent many hours watching a blue lamp on a white sheet, often in the middle of nowhere! His dexterity with a net and enthusiasm for his beloved lepidoptera, especially the "micros" never diminished. It was a severe blow to him when his health prevented him from handling the "small fry" as he called them. He was always quick to share his knowledge and he corresponded widely with other lepidopterists throughout the county. He had country-wide connections too and was often contacted by other county recorders and national experts when new atlases etc. were being compiled. Over the years Richard built up a fine and important collection of both macro and microlepidoptera, which is now housed in the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and is available for inspection on request. Like all naturalists Richard enjoyed finding species that were new to the county and, I suspect, dreamed of finding a species new to the British Isles. However, he went even one better than that and found something completely new and, as far as I know, unique to science - a wild hybrid between the Spring Usher and the Dotted Border Agriopis leucophaearia x marginaria. It was one of his proudest achievements. Sadly, Richard was unable to see his revision of the Larger Moths of Staffordshire in print. It has been my privilege to complete this and to see it through to publication. It is, of course, dedicated to his memory. David W Emley 2 Foreword Between 1978 and 1981 Richard published county distribution maps for all the butterflies and larger moths - the so called "macrolepidoptera". He was able to revise the maps for the butterflies in 1984 and, before he died, began a revision of the macrolepidoptera. In my capacity as the new county recorder I was asked by the Natural History Unit at the Potteries Museum to check a draft version of his manuscript. In so doing it quickly became apparent that by including information on preferred habitat, flight times of the adults and foodplants of the larvae and with some rearrangement of the text, the booklet could be of interest to a much wider audience. I also took the opportunity to re-check the records for the past twenty years in order to make the maps and accounts as up-to-date as possible. The eight colour plates illustrate the range of shapes, colours and degree of camouflage to be found in the larger moths and include some of the species more often seen by the casual observer. Acknowledgements On behalf of Richard and myself, I would like to thank all the recorders whose records have made this publication possible. We are particularly endebted to Helen Ball, Godfrey Blunt, Jon Clifton, Dave Friday, Dave Grundy, Ian Lycett, Dave McDermott, Jan Koryszko, Mark Sutton, Anna Poyser, Craig Slawson, Ken and Wendy Wheatley all of whom responded to a last-minute request for data. Personally I would like to thank Keith Bloor at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery for the opportunity to work on this publication, Richard Tribbeck for the photograph of Richard Warren, Andy Lawrence for producing the cover and Graham Lees, Phil Lane, Mick and Joy Green for commenting on the script. I particularly thank Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Butterfly Conservation and the North Staffordshire Field Club whose generosity made this publication possible. Finally I would like to thank my wife Sue for reading through and commenting on the script and for her forbearance over the past year when I spent far too long at the computer. Aim of the Publication The aim of this publication is to detail the status