DOCSLIB.ORG

DMG Newsletter 2011 Issue 4 August Email Version

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
DMG Newsletter 2011 Issue 4 August Email Version PleasePlease reply reply to: to:The The Secretary/Treasurer Secretary/Treasurer RoyRoy McCormick McCormick 36 Paradise36 Paradise Road Road TEIGNMOUTHTEIGNMOUTH DevonDevon TQ14 TQ14 8NR 8NR Telephone:Telephone: 01626 01626 779543 779543 [email protected] NEWSLETTER 2011 ISSUE 4 (AUGUST) So the Great British Summer is back, bringing the usual bouts of leaden skies, lashing rain and unseasonable cold. Of course there are better spells once in a while, so I expect that for many of us mothing has been mixed over the past month or two; some good nights and some poor. There’s quite a lot in this newsletter, so less from me and more of the news of exciting immigrants, field trips reports and more. There are also forthcoming field meetings, including a newly arranged one, so do come along. Happy mothing! Richard Fox Notable migrants in June/July 2011 Over the last couple of Days of June and into the beginning of July, a number of the Plume moth Oxyptilus laetus were seen in the southern areas of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Hampshire, with further records in Pembrokshire and Merionethshire with one being taken in Wexford, Ireland. A week or so later came a number of Eublemma parva Small Marbled, a tiny Noctuid macro-moth. Oxyptilus laetus (Roy McCormick) The records to date of O.laetus for Devon 2011 are, in date order: Bere Alston, one caught in a polytunnel, 30.6.2011, Phil Barden; Exmouth, one at light, 2.7.2011, Geoff Wisdom; Prawle Point, two netted during the day, 3.7.2011, Phil Barden; Berry Head, three boxed during the evening, 11.7.2011, Stella Beavan and Bob Heckford and two boxed during the evening 12.7.2011, Stella Beavan and Bob Heckford. The 2011 records of E. parva received so far are, in date order: Uplyme, one at light, 7.7.2011, Oliver Woodland; Holcombe, one at light, 8.7.2011, RFMcC; Teignmouth, one at light, 9.7.2011, RFMcC; Berry Head, four boxed during the evening, 11.7.2011, Stella Beavan and Bob Heckford; Berry Head, 10 boxed during the evening Members of Council: Richard Fox, Chairman; Roy McCormick, FRES, Secretary/Treasurer; Rob Wolton, Conservation; Nicola Bacciu, Membership & Distribution; Barry Henwood, Ordinary Member. 12.7.2011 Stella Beavan and Bob Heckford and Daddyhole Cove, Torquay, three boxed during the evening 14.7.2011, Bob Heckford. A separate note about Stella and Bob’s visits to Berry Head appears in this Newsletter. Small Marbled (Roy McCormick) Another amazing sighting was that of Reddish Light Arches, Apamea sublustris caught by Dave Wall at Exmouth on 13.7.2011. Further interesting records include two sightings of Portland Ribbon Wave, Idaea degeneraria, 3.6.2011 and 1.7.2011 at Holcombe where the species seems to be hanging on as a breeding colony, and a few of the commoner migrants including one White Point, Mythimna albipuncta , Teignmouth 8.7.2011; two records of Pearly Underwing, Peridroma saucia , one at Hittisleigh, 9.6.2011 and one in Teignmouth, 4.7.2011; three Humming-bird Hawk-moths, Macroglossum stellatarum , one at Sidmouth, 7.4.2011, one at Bere Alston, 27.4.2011 and one at Plymouth, 29.6.2011 and one Bordered Straw, Heliothis peltigera , Plympton, 27.6.2011, although I have heard of more records of this species, but not received them yet. These are all the records I have to hand, but I expect more. Roy McCormick Two exceptional evenings at Berry Head The evening of 11 July 2011 was warm, still and fortunately overcast because it was nearly full moon. We paid a visit to Berry Head, Brixham with results that were entirely unexpected. Despite it being an apparently ideal evening for smaller moths to be flying, very few were. Even Crambids, Grass Moths, could not be disturbed. What did fly were three rare immigrant Plume moths, Oxyptilus laetus and four rare immigrant Noctuids, Small Marbled Eublemma parva . These were all found in a linear distance of less than 200 metres. The Plumes made short flights amongst low vegetation. The Small Marbled flew fairly low and slow and in a rather distinctive way, most around Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa even though the larval foodplant (which does not occur anywhere near where we found the moths) is Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica . All the moths were caught by boxing them, most whilst in flight, with small round plastic containers. None was caught in nets and no light trap was harmed in the making of these records! As a result we returned the following evening and recorded two Oxyptilus laetus and 10 Small Marbled in the same way. These are not the first Devon records this year of either species, as shown by Roy McCormick’s article in this Issue, and Atropos ’ Flight Arrivals ( www.atropos.info/gb ) for late June/early July records both species from localities in several English counties. Most are at light and most are of single specimens (although four Small Marbled were recorded at one locality which had at least two traps); none is of both species at the same locality on the same date. As a small footnote, one of the first occasions that the larva of Small Marbled was found in Britain was in 1982 at Chudleigh Knighton Heath by RJH. Indeed most British records are of adults. With the influx this year, it well worth examining flowers of Common Fleabane for larvae, although larvae of Phycitodes saxicola are very similar and also feed in the flowers. 2 The published larval foodplants of Oxyptilus laetus are Andryale integrifolia and Hieracium lanatum . The former does not occur in the British Isles and the latter is only known as an introduction in sand dunes in Norfolk, and so, if these are the only food plants, larvae are unlikely to be found in Devon. Stella Beavan and Bob Heckford Field Meeting Reports Hobby Drive, Clovelly, 11.6.2011 The meeting was held, with the kind permission of the Clovelly Estate, along the Hobby Drive. This track wanders through beautiful and varied woodland with splendid views across Bideford Bay, to all intents and purposes ideal moth habitat. And the evening did indeed turn out to be an extraordinary one! As dusk fell and under clear skies the temperature, already low, rapidly dropped to 7 or 8°C. Only the most desperate moths ventured forth under these conditions and some of our dozen traps caught absolutely nothing at all. If it was not for the super-powerful 400W trap that Tony Rouse brought with him all the way from Kent, we would have caught virtually nothing. Fortunately this trap, set under beech trees a little higher up the valley than the rest and where it was perceptibly warmer, brought in a thin scattering. The 14 moth group members who attended donned woolly hats and thick jackets and with good humour walked back and forth along the drive, with great shouts of joy whenever a lone moth was observed flying erratically towards a trap. Such was our plight that we resorted at marvelling at a common cranefly ( Tipula maxima ), an ichneumon ( Ophion luteum ) and a bristle-tail (Thysanura). Our final moth tally was a meagre 31 individuals of 20 species to our lights. Together with a handful of micros observed as leaf mines or adults netted at dusk, our species total for the night was 30, where we might have expected on a June night to get 100 or more. As for the moth of the night – well, it was one of two caterpillars new to science, either the three-humped prominent or the cherry looper. Blame the giddy effects of hypothermia. Rob Wolton and John Breeds Lower Drive, Dartington Estate, 2.7.2011 It seems surprising but there are hardly any moth records in the Devon database for the Dartington Estate near Totnes. No longer! This field meeting was held in conjunction with Aune Head Arts, an arts charity based at Dartington, who kindly facilitated the organisation and insurance for the event. Aune Head Arts had advertised the meeting to interested people locally and, as a result, six members of the public were present along with Elly Stevens who co-led the event. With Devon Moth Group members and support from the Dartington Estate rangers Will and Mike, we numbered 20 in all. The site selected was an attractive, if steep, piece of unimproved limestone grassland and a strip of mature trees and vegetation along the river bank. Seven MV traps were deployed and we waited for darkness to fall. After introductions, the field meeting got underway with a poem written and performed by Elly - surely the first time a DMG event has started in such literary fashion. Sadly, Richard’s health and safety briefing did not soar to the same heights of artistic beauty!! The rounds of the traps started, with lots of discussion but few moths. The temperature was falling fast under the clear skies and the moths seemed reluctant to make their appearances. Thankfully, there were a few crowd-pleasers in the first few traps including Ourapteryx sambucaria , Swallow-tailed Moth and Biston betularia , Peppered Moth which obligingly sat on the fingers of all those new to mothing. Singles of Geometra papilionaria , Large Emerald; Abraxas grossulariata , Magpie Moth; and Stauropus 3 fagi , Lobster Moth entertained the crowd, but the list was growing slowly for a July night. Barry Henwood’s trap placed almost at the top of the limestone slope proved to be the most productive, probably because it was in the warmest position – once again the highest trap was the most fruitful.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Neu- Und Wiederfunde Bemerkenswerter Großschmetterlinge Aus Saarbrücken-Güdingen Und Saarbrücken-Fechingen in Den Jahren 2011 Und 2012
    Melanargia, 25 (2): 57-64 Leverkusen, 1.7.2013 Neu- und Wiederfunde bemerkenswerter Großschmetterlinge aus Saarbrücken-Güdingen und Saarbrücken-Fechingen in den Jahren 2011 und 2012 (Insecta, Lepidoptera) 6. Bericht 1) von WERNER SCHMIDT -KOEHL Zusammenfassung: Aus den Stadtteilen Güdingen und Fechingen im Südosten der Landeshauptstadt Saarbrücken wird von insgesamt 16 bisher von dort noch nicht publizierten Arten an Macrolepidopteren (s.l.) aus den Jahren 2011 und 2012 berichtet. Résumé: Dans le présent article, l'auteur signale un total de 16 espèces de macrolépidoptères (s.l.) rencon- trées en 2011 et 2012 dans les deux quartiers Güdingen et Fechingen, situés au sudest de la capi- tale de la Sarre, Saarbrücken. Ces 16 espèces sont publiées ici pour la première fois. 1. Einleitung Im fünften Bericht (SCHMIDT -KOEHL 2011) wurden aus Saarbrücken-Güdingen (ohne das Birzberg-Gebiet in Saarbrücken-Fechingen) insgesamt 27 an der künstlichen Lichtquelle zwischen 1982 und 2010 gefangene und bisher von dort noch nicht publizierte Arten an Großschmetterlingen (Macrolepidoptera s.l.) als Erstnachweise für diesen Stadtteil mitgeteilt. Da in den Jahren 2011 (ein überall im Saarland sehr gutes Falterjahr) und 2012 (ein nicht nur im Untersuchungsgebiet besonders schlechtes Falterjahr) sowohl in Güdingen (Im Königsfeld, Wilhelmsklamm und Waldgebiet Hahnbüsch) als auch wieder in Fechingen (Birzberg-Gebiet) manche lokalfaunistisch bemerkenswerte und für das Gebiet neue Art nachgewiesen beziehungsweise wiedergefunden wer- den konnte, sollen die zum Teil überraschenden Ergebnisse hier auch wieder für beide Stadtteile zusammen und zudem möglichst zeitnah publiziert wer- den. Der Verfasser dankt H. MARTIN für die Mitteilung des entsprechenden Datenmaterials zu den in der nachfolgenden kommentierten Checkliste aufge- führten Arten.
    [Show full text]
  • Lepidoptera) Bývalého Vojenského Prostoru U Oleška (Česká Republika, Ústecký Kraj)
    Published September 15, 2010 Klapalekiana, 46: 69–130, 2010 ISSN 1210-6100 Motýli (Lepidoptera) bývalého vojenského prostoru u Oleška (Česká republika, Ústecký kraj) Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) of the former military training area near Oleško (Czech Republic, Ústí Region) Jan ŠumpICH 582 61 Česká Bělá 212, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] Lepidoptera, ecofaunistics, species diversity, sand habitats, Czech Republic, Central Europe Abstract. The lepidopteran fauna of the former military training area near Oleško (Czech Republic: Ústecký Region) was studied in the year 2008. This area is on sandy ground, the predominant habitats are dry Scots pine forests growing on sand. 700 species were recorded, many of them are markedly psammophilous. Some characteristic spe- cies are very abundant there, namely on open habitats Aroga velocella (Zeller, 1839), Teleiopsis diffinis (Haworth, 1828), Platytes alpinellus (Hübner, 1813), Pyrausta ostrinalis (Hübner, 1796), Paradrina selini (Boisduval, 1840), Agrotis vestigialis (Hufnagel, 1766), Eilema pygmaeolum (Doubleday, 1847)���������������������������������������, some other species were only recorded individually (Aristotelia brizella (Treitschke, 1833), Helcystogramma lineolellum (Zeller, 1839), Pediasia fasce- linella (Hübner, 1813), Lythria cruentaria (Hufnagel, 1767) and Hadena irregularis (Hufnagel, 1766)). Elatobia fuliginosella (Lienig et Zeller, 1846), Decantha borkhausenii (Zeller, 1839), Epinotia rubiginosana (Herrich- Schäffer, 1851), Cydia conicolana (Heylaerts, 1874)
    [Show full text]
  • Verneverdige Nsekthabitater Oslofjordområdet
    Verneverdigeinsekthabitater Oslofjordområdet OddvarHanssen LarsOve Hansen NINA NJKU NINANorsk institutt for naturforskning Verneverdigeinsekthabitater Oslofjordområdet OddvarHanssen LarsOve Hansen NINANorsk institutt for naturforskning nina oppdragsmelding 546 NINA•NIKUs publikasjoner Hanssen, 0. & Hansen, L.O. 1998. Verneverdige insekt- habitater. Oslofjordområdet. - NINA Oppdragsmelding 546: NINA•NIKU utgir følgende faste publikasjoner: 1-132. NINA Fagrapport Trondheim, august 1998 NIKU Fagrapport Her publiseres resultater av NINAs og NIKUs eget fors- ISSN 0802-4103 kningsarbeid, problemoversikter, kartlegging av kunn- ISBN 82-426-0947-0 skapsnivået innen et emne, og litteraturstudier. Rapporter utgis også som et alternativ eller et supplement til inter- Forvaltningsområde: nasjonal publisering, der tidsaspekt, materialets art, mål- Bevaring av naturens mangfold gruppe m.m. gjør dette nødvendig. Conservation of biodiversity Opplag: Normalt 300-500 Rettighetshaver C): NINA Oppdragsmelding Stiftelsen for naturforskning og kulturminneforskning NIKU Oppdragsmelding NINA•NIKU Dette er det minimum av rapportering som NINA og NIKU gir til oppdragsgiver etter fullført forsknings- eller utred- Publikasjonen kan siteres fritt med kildeangivelse ningsprosjekt. I tillegg til de emner som dekkes av fag- rapportene, vil oppdragsmeldingene også omfatte befar- ingsrapporter, seminar- og konferanseforedrag, års- rapporter fra overvåkningsprogrammer, o.a. Opplaget er begrenset. (Normalt 50-100) NINAaNIKU Project Report Serien presenterer resultater fra
    [Show full text]
  • Projektowany Rezerwat Przyrody „Olszak” W Górach Opawskich – Ważna Ostoja Entomofauny (Lepidoptera, Neuroptera) KOMUNIKA
    Wiad. entomol. 29 Supl.: 111-114 Poznań 2010 KOMUNIKATY NAUKOWE COMMUNICATIONS Projektowany rezerwat przyrody „Olszak” w Górach Opawskich – ważna ostoja entomofauny (Lepidoptera, Neuroptera) A planned nature reserve ”Olszak” in the Opawskie Mountains – an important refuge of entomofauna (Lepidoptera, Neuroptera) Tomasz BLAIK Zakład Zoologii Bezkręgowców, Katedra Biosystematyki, Uniwersytet Opolski, Oleska 22, 45-052 Opole; e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT: Southern slope of Mt. Olszak (453 m) in the Opawskie Mts. (Eastern Sudety Mts., SW Poland) is planned to be protected as an entomological-and-phytocenotic reserve. The main objectives of the protection are acidophilous oak forest and maple-linden slope forest being habitats of many rare species of moths and lacewings known from not numerous localities in Poland. Out of them, the populations of two unique in native lepidopteran fauna, saproxylic and phytosaprophagous species: Alabonia staintoniella (ZELL.) and Zanclognatha zelleralis (WCK.), are preserved here at their northernmost locality in Europe. KEY WORDS: Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, protection, nature reserve, Mt. Olszak, Sudety Mts. Owady Gór Opawskich należą do słabo zbadanych na tle innych obsza- rów górskich Polski. Zainteresowanie entomologów tym niewielkim pa- smem Sudetów Wschodnich wzrosło dopiero w połowie lat 90. zeszłego wie- ku. Obiektem badań były tu wybrane rodziny chrząszczy (Coleoptera) (KUŚ- KA 1998; MAZUR 2008) i szczególnie pluskwiaki różnoskrzydłe (Heteropte- ra) (LIS B., LIS J. A. 2002; HEBDA, LIS 2007), a w ostatnim dziesięcioleciu także motyle (Lepidoptera) i owady siatkoskrzydłe (Neuroptera), będące obecnie w końcowej fazie opracowania (dane własne autora). Dotychczaso- 112 T. BLAIK we badania nad dwoma ostatnimi grupami owadów wykazały znaczne bogac- two tutejszej fauny oraz obecność bardzo rzadko spotykanych w Polsce ga- tunków (BLAIK 2007, 2010; BLAIK, KOREK 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • Noctuid Moth (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) Communities in Urban Parks of Warsaw
    POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES • INSTITUTE OF ZOOLOGY MEMORABILIA ZOOLOGICA MEMORABILIA ZOOL. 42 125-148 1986 GRAŻYNA WINIARSKA NOCTUID MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE) COMMUNITIES IN URBAN PARKS OF WARSAW ABSTRACT A total of 40 noctuid moth species were recorded in four parks of Warsaw. Respective moth communities consisted of a similar number of species (17—25), but differed in their abundance index (3.5 —7.9). In all the parks, the dominant species were Autographa gamma and Discrestra trifolii. The subdominant species were represented by Acronicta psi, Trachea atriplicis, Mamestra suasa, Mythimna pallens, and Catocala nupta. There were differences in the species composition and dominance structure among noctuid moth communities in urban parks, suburban linden- oak-hornbeam forest, and natural linden-oak-hornbeam forest. In the suburban and natural linden-oak-hornbeam forests, the number of species was higher by 40% and their abundance wao 5 — 9 times higher than in the urban parks. The species predominating in parks occurred in very low numbers in suburban and natural habitats. Only T. atriplicis belonged to the group of most abundant species in all the habitats under study. INTRODUCTION In recent years, the interest of ecologists in urban habitats has been increasing as they proved to be rich in plant and animal species. The vegetation of urban green areas is sufficiently well known since its species composition and spatial structure are shaped by gardening treatment. But the fauna of these areas is poorly known, and regular zoological investigations in urban green areas were started not so long ago, when urban green was recognized as one of the most important factors of the urban “natural” habitat (Ciborowski 1976).
    [Show full text]
  • Additions, Deletions and Corrections to An
    Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society No. 36 (2012) ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF THE IRISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA) WITH A CONCISE CHECKLIST OF IRISH SPECIES AND ELACHISTA BIATOMELLA (STAINTON, 1848) NEW TO IRELAND K. G. M. Bond1 and J. P. O’Connor2 1Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, School of BEES, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland. e-mail: <[email protected]> 2Emeritus Entomologist, National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Abstract Additions, deletions and corrections are made to the Irish checklist of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Elachista biatomella (Stainton, 1848) is added to the Irish list. The total number of confirmed Irish species of Lepidoptera now stands at 1480. Key words: Lepidoptera, additions, deletions, corrections, Irish list, Elachista biatomella Introduction Bond, Nash and O’Connor (2006) provided a checklist of the Irish Lepidoptera. Since its publication, many new discoveries have been made and are reported here. In addition, several deletions have been made. A concise and updated checklist is provided. The following abbreviations are used in the text: BM(NH) – The Natural History Museum, London; NMINH – National Museum of Ireland, Natural History, Dublin. The total number of confirmed Irish species now stands at 1480, an addition of 68 since Bond et al. (2006). Taxonomic arrangement As a result of recent systematic research, it has been necessary to replace the arrangement familiar to British and Irish Lepidopterists by the Fauna Europaea [FE] system used by Karsholt 60 Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society No. 36 (2012) and Razowski, which is widely used in continental Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter 90
    Norfolk Moth Survey c/o Natural History Dept., Castle Museum, Norwich, NR1 3JU Newsletter No.90 November 2016 INTRODUCTION With the flurry of activity through the latter part of the summer, it is easy to forget how cool, wet and frustrating the early part of the season often was. Opinion generally seems to suggest that, while the range of species seen was much to be expected, actual numbers of moths were down on the whole. However, one event during that early period brought the subject of moths to the attention of the media, both locally and nationally. This was the great invasion of Diamond- backed moths, Plutella xylostella, that took place at the very end of May and the first days of June. It would be no exaggeration to say that literally millions of these tiny moths arrived on these shores, with at least one commentator describing it as “...a plague of biblical proportion”. Several of us found ourselves answering queries and calls from a variety of sources in connection with this influx. Despite the dire warnings proffered by some sections of the media - and others, our cabbages weren’t totally obliterated as a result. In fact, the expected boost in numbers resulting from these original invaders breeding here, just didn’t seem to happen. In what might have otherwise been a distinctly average season, it is good to be able to report that twelve new species have been added to the Norfolk list this year. Amazingly, seven of these have been adventives, including one species new for the UK.
    [Show full text]
  • Database of Irish Lepidoptera. 1 - Macrohabitats, Microsites and Traits of Noctuidae and Butterflies
    Database of Irish Lepidoptera. 1 - Macrohabitats, microsites and traits of Noctuidae and butterflies Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 35 Database of Irish Lepidoptera. 1 - Macrohabitats, microsites and traits of Noctuidae and butterflies Ken G.M. Bond and Tom Gittings Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science University College Cork Citation: Bond, K.G.M. and Gittings, T. (2008) Database of Irish Lepidoptera. 1 - Macrohabitats, microsites and traits of Noctuidae and butterflies. Irish Wildlife Manual s, No. 35. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin, Ireland. Cover photo: Merveille du Jour ( Dichonia aprilina ) © Veronica French Irish Wildlife Manuals Series Editors: F. Marnell & N. Kingston © National Parks and Wildlife Service 2008 ISSN 1393 – 6670 Database of Irish Lepidoptera ____________________________ CONTENTS CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................................1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................2 The concept of the database.....................................................................................................................2 The structure of the database...................................................................................................................2
    [Show full text]
  • County Recorders Report 2020
    COUNTY RECORDERS REPORT 2020 Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre Edited by: Chrysoula Drakaki March 2021 Table of Contents Table of Contents....................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 3 WSBRC Update .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Records ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Curlew Call Project: Jonny Cooper ................................................................................................. 6 County Recorders’ Annual Reports ........................................................................................................... 7 Amphibians and Reptiles: Gemma Harding ................................................................................... 7 Bats: Gareth Harris, Wiltshire Bat Group ....................................................................................... 8 Birds: Claire Jones ........................................................................................................................ 11 Butterflies: Mike Fuller ................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Scottish Macro-Moth List, 2015
    Notes on the Scottish Macro-moth List, 2015 This list aims to include every species of macro-moth reliably recorded in Scotland, with an assessment of its Scottish status, as guidance for observers contributing to the National Moth Recording Scheme (NMRS). It updates and amends the previous lists of 2009, 2011, 2012 & 2014. The requirement for inclusion on this checklist is a minimum of one record that is beyond reasonable doubt. Plausible but unproven species are relegated to an appendix, awaiting confirmation or further records. Unlikely species and known errors are omitted altogether, even if published records exist. Note that inclusion in the Scottish Invertebrate Records Index (SIRI) does not imply credibility. At one time or another, virtually every macro-moth on the British list has been reported from Scotland. Many of these claims are almost certainly misidentifications or other errors, including name confusion. However, because the County Moth Recorder (CMR) has the final say, dubious Scottish records for some unlikely species appear in the NMRS dataset. A modern complication involves the unwitting transportation of moths inside the traps of visiting lepidopterists. Then on the first night of their stay they record a species never seen before or afterwards by the local observers. Various such instances are known or suspected, including three for my own vice-county of Banffshire. Surprising species found in visitors’ traps the first time they are used here should always be regarded with caution. Clerical slips – the wrong scientific name scribbled in a notebook – have long caused confusion. An even greater modern problem involves errors when computerising the data.
    [Show full text]
  • Moths and Management of a Grassland Reserve: Regular Mowing and Temporary Abandonment Support Different Species
    Biologia 67/5: 973—987, 2012 Section Zoology DOI: 10.2478/s11756-012-0095-9 Moths and management of a grassland reserve: regular mowing and temporary abandonment support different species Jan Šumpich1,2 &MartinKonvička1,3* 1Biological Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31,CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] 2Česká Bělá 212,CZ-58261 Česká Bělá, Czech Republic 3Faculty of Sciences, University South Bohemia, Branišovská 31,CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Abstract: Although reserves of temperate seminatural grassland require management interventions to prevent succesional change, each intervention affects the populations of sensitive organisms, including insects. Therefore, it appears as a wise bet-hedging strategy to manage reserves in diverse and patchy manners. Using portable light traps, we surveyed the effects of two contrasting management options, mowing and temporary abandonment, applied in a humid grassland reserve in a submountain area of the Czech Republic. Besides of Macrolepidoptera, we also surveyed Microlepidoptera, small moths rarely considered in community studies. Numbers of individiuals and species were similar in the two treatments, but ordionation analyses showed that catches originating from these two treatments differed in species composition, management alone explaining ca 30 per cent of variation both for all moths and if split to Marcolepidoptera and Microlepidoptera. Whereas a majority of macrolepidopteran humid grassland specialists preferred unmown sections or displayed no association with management, microlepidopteran humid grassland specialists contained equal representation of species inclining towards mown and unmown sections. We thus revealed that even mown section may host valuable species; an observation which would not have been detected had we considered Macrolepidoptera only.
    [Show full text]
  • NORFOLK BRANCH of Butterfly Conservation
    NORFOLK BRANCH of Butterfy Conservation NEWSLETTER 88 AUTUMN 2014 Butterfy Conservation Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468) Registered Offce: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268) 2 NORFOLK BRANCH - OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE Chairman Judy Dunmore Hon. Treasurer Roland Rogers MBE Membership Secretary Karen Husband Conservation Offcer Dr. Bernard Watts County Recorder Andy Brazil Transect Co-ordinator Alan Dawson Catfeld Fen Reserve - Liaison Mandy Gluth Field Trip Organisers Ann and Bob Carpenter Events Organiser Vacant Publicity Kiri Stuart-Clarke Newsletter Editor Mike Gasson Minutes Secretary Derek Longe Moth Offcer Greg Bond Webmaster Neil Saunders Committee Member Dave Brice WCBS Co-ordinator Julian Bull Catfeld Fen Reserve - Warden Dr. Keith Bacon [Contact details are available in the print version of the Newsletter] Norfolk Branch web-sites www.norfolk-butterfies.org.uk http://butterfy-conservation.org/291/norfolk-branch.html National web-site www.butterfy-conservation.org The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Society Part of the cost of printing this newsletter has very kindly been donated in memory of Mr John Edward Mallett, originally of Stiffkey, Norfolk Front Cover Photographs are from the 2014 Photographic Competition Front Cover: Overall winner of the 2014 Photographic Competition – Scarce Swallowtail in Greece by Harry Faull Inside Front Cover: Winner of Category A – Swallowtail in fight by Roger Fay (top); Brimstone in Foxley Woods by Helen Burrell (bottom left); Southern White Admiral in Greece by Harry Faull (bottom right) 2 3 Chairman’s Notes By Judy Dunmore Following a request in the Spring Newsletter I’m delighted to say that Mike Gasson volunteered to take over the role of Newsletter Editor.
    [Show full text]