SussexSussex MothMoth GroupGroup NewsletterNewsletter November 2015 Main features inside this issue: Ringing the Changes by David Burrows 2 A New Acon Plan for Moths by Steve Wheatley 3 The Force Awakens by Colin Piper 5 Thoughts on Becoming a Moth‐er at 70+ by Pat Brothwell 7 So, What’s New in 2015? by Robin Harris 9 Some Sussex Mothing Highlights for 2015 11 Deadwood Habitat by Heather Marn 16 A Vecs Ramble by John Maskell 18 Finding Orange Olive Crescents by Steve Wheatley 20 Commiee members and 2016 indoor meeng dates Back page Chairman’s Corner Although winter is fast approaching it sll feels like early autumn as I write this in mid‐ November, with overnight temperatures hovering around 13oC in recent nights. We have had another year of unusual weather in Sussex which now seems to be becoming the norm, and this is undoubtedly having an effect on the county’s moths as well as the flora that most spe‐ cies feed on as larva. This autumn many leaf mines appeared to be in rather short supply, which could be related to the bad weather condions in the first generaon’s flight season earlier in the year. With the changing climate the records from regular garden moth trapping are invaluable for providing the phenology data that can map some of these changes. The lepidopteral highlights of 2015 were perhaps the breeding Long‐tailed Blue and overwin‐ tering Scarce Tortoiseshell buerflies – however, for moths, it was not a parcularly notable season. Although a smaering of migrants were recorded across the county there were no long periods of sustained immigraon during the year, and I don’t remember any traps heav‐ ing with large numbers of moths. On a posive note, however, Colin did confirm at least ten species as connuing to colonise the county. On the subject of colonisers, this autumn Pen and I finally caught our first Clifden Nonpareil; a species that has been top of our moth ‘wish list’ for a long me. The moth was as beauful as we had hoped for and it was a delight to watch it feeding at sugar when we released it the following evening. Although catching unusual immigrant moths can be very excing, there is something extra special about a visit from a rare resident or coloniser – parcularly when they have a blue hindwing! Dave Green Clifden Nonpareil 11 Ringing the Changes by David Burrows Early July 2015 will be remembered for some record breaking warmth, with temper‐ atures on the first of the month reaching the high 30’s cengrade. My regular trap site from late April to early November is in my daughter’s garden in the Brede Valley, about five and a half miles inland from the coast at Hasngs, East Sussex. On the morning of 4th July, aer a night with an overnight shower and a minimum temperature of 17◦c I was about half way through inspecng the egg trays when I spoed an unfamiliar geometer with lacy‐paerned wings, and froze; once this moth was successfully boxed I went through the remaining contents with added ex‐ pectaon. A total count of 162 macros and 61 species, but no other migrants, alt‐ hough five days later (8/7/15) at the same site I recorded Catoptria verellus. Colin Pra, County Moth Recorder for Sussex, said that the Ringed Border was the first County record and is believed to be the fourth U.K. record (S.PC. Atropos, num‐ ber 53). Had this record been a year earlier it would have featured on 2014 moth night. 22 A New Action Plan for Moths by Steve Wheatley Senior Regional Officer - South East How can Buerfly Conservaon best help to conserve moths? What are the priority spe‐ cies? Where are the most important places? And what should we do over the next ten years or so? These are the quesons Buerfly Conservaon is asking in order to develop a new Acon Plan which can deliver the best and most effecve conservaon acon. If you have thoughts on what moths and places will be most important and what acons will be most valuable in Sussex please do get involved. Back in the late 1990’s Buerfly Conservaon produced a South East Regional Acon Plan for Sussex, Kent and Surrey. This included a list of 25 high priority moth species and 75 other priority moths for Sussex. Amongst the moths listed at that me were: Barred Tooth‐striped – which has now been the focus of annual targeted searches at known or historical spots along the Sussex coast and has led to good conservaon advice to land managers in these areas. Toadflax Brocade moth which, aer colonising Britain in the tweneth century, has connued to spread. Clay Fan‐foot became a major focus of the South East Woodlands Project in East Sus‐ sex and was recorded in record‐breaking numbers across a number of woods. Olive Crescent – which was listed as a rare immigrant just a few decades ago and now seems to have spread across a wide area. Good search methods have been devised and the RSPB (amongst others) has now taken up the reigns of charng this moth’s progress. It’s not all good news ‐ Orange Upperwing is thought to have been lost from most, if not all of Sussex. Marsh Mallow Moth populaons remain extremely important naonally, and if we stopped working on this species it could very easily be lost. The State of Britain’s Larger Moths 2013 report showed that two‐thirds of common and widespread moths declined over the 40‐year study. 37% of the 337 species decreased by 33 Connued…. 50% or more. It’s now me to create the new Acon Plan. The first step is to devise priority lists and plan out what we can achieve. We’re already working with our County Recorder, Colin Pra, to produce a shortlist of potenally high priority species. This me around we want to keep the list as short and focussed as possible, bearing in mind the limited resources available. But clearly Buerfly Conservaon and Sussex Moth Group can’t reverse these declines and achieve everything alone. We need to engage and inspire others to help deliver the things we want. Some partners will hopefully be easy to work with, such as Sussex Wildlife Trust with whom we obviously already have strong working links. Buerfly Conservaon also has good links with Natural England and the Forestry Commission and we can work to focus their efforts beer. But we also need to engage many other groups and organisaons, including conservaon or‐ ganisaons and land managers such as the Naonal Trust and RSPB, and local authories such as County and District Councils. Their increasingly limited conservaon budgets mean they are under more pressure than ever to focus and target their efforts for the best outcomes. This new acon plan will help them to do this, plus we have the experse and potenal to survey and record their successes, feeding back posive stories. Where specific areas can be idenfied for unique and fascinang moths, local pride, inter‐ est and enthusiasm can be encouraged and developed. Local champions will be wel‐ comed, whether this be an organisaon, an individual or even the local MP. Our message needs to be clear and targeted to the person or group we’re engaging with. That’s why it’s so important to define the key areas for each priority moth and know the acons we are asking for. I hope this will also help to inspire some targeted acons by Sussex Moth Group members – looking for specific priority species or inspiring others to get involved. The acon plan is being developed now and will be published in the spring. Then it will be a key part of my day job to engage with organisaons and promote the acons that will maer. More informaon about the Acon Plan will follow. If you have suggesons for priority species, important places or useful acons we can promote, please contact Dave Green, Jim Barre (Sussex Acon Plan coordinator) or me (Buerfly Conservaon’s Re‐ gional Officer). swheatley@buerfly‐conservaon.org 44 The Force Awakens by Colin Piper Someme in 1992 Barry Spence caught a Deaths' Head Hawk Moth at Spurn Bird Observa‐ tory. I thought it one of the most extraordinary creatures I had ever seen, parcularly when it squeaked as you stroked it: I was hooked. When I moved to Southwick in 1996 one of the Spurn regulars made me a MV trap. Amazingly a second atropos turned up soon aer but not in the Southwick garden, it was on the school field at my workplace in Bognor Regis. Being new to the county I went on any wildlife trips I could. On one such oung I met a young man kneeling on all fours in Brighton Cemetery ‐ it was the middle of the night and he was peering at the ground. My Yorkshire friends had told me Brighton would be differ‐ ent. It turned out his name was Simon Curson, he worked for the Sussex Wildlife Trust and he was looking at a moth. We became good friends, and if Wendy searches through the cobweb covered scrolls in her ac I think she will discover that Simon and I were the first chair and secretary respecvely of Sussex Moth Group ‐ not that I knew one end of a moth from the other (I sll don't). It was a sort of deal, Simon helped me to learn salsa and I agreed to write up the minutes of SMG meengs in return.