Moth News: Mid-spring Review

With cool, unsettled conditions affecting Britain since early April, the imposing high-pressure system and associated sunny, dry and warm days of late March now seem a distant memory. As the month progressed, several low-pressure systems tracked across the North Atlantic and hit Britain, making the second half of April a truly cold, sodden and miserable period for our moths. With night-time temperatures well below the seasonal average, attempted garden catches (where possible!) have been dire for the last three weeks. In a similar vein, many field meetings have either been cancelled or curtailed with minimal results.

The tiniest of flurries of migrants was apparent in late March with a Red-headed Chestnut at Wadhurst (E Sussex) on 29th following another in Devon earlier in the month. Nationally, an arrival of around 34 Dark Sword-grass culminated in 12 on South Uist (Outer Hebrides) between 27th and 31st March and, interestingly, was the only concentration noted: others were widely scattered either side of the Irish Sea, with a few on the south coast of England. A Pearly Underwing made it to Ballycotton (Cork) on 27th March and another was on St. Mary's (Scilly) on 27th April. A White-speck was also on St. Mary's on 25th April, while a sprinkling of just 26 Silver Y included an interesting variant at Rodwell (Dorset) on 6th April.

Aberrant Silver Y, Rodwell (Dorset), 6th April 2012 (J Oughton).

Elsewhere there were 19 Hummingbird Hawkmoths, 9 Diamond-back Moths, 8 Rusty Dot Pearl and 2 Rush Veneers. In Dorset, early April Blossom Underwings at West Bexington and Broadwey on 2nd and 8th May respectively may well have been primary migrants.

Blossom Underwing, Wyre Forest (Worcs), April 2012 (Roger Wasley).

The Lepidoptera migrant scene was actually spiced up by rare butterflies. Large Tortoiseshells included at least one, probably two, lingering at Walter's Copse (IoW) between 27th March and 2nd April. Another was spotted and photographed by a passing cyclist on a tree trunk at Warblington (Hampshire) on 30th March, with another at Porth Hellick, St. Mary's (Scilly) on 1st April. Clouded Yellows included two in Dorset, one in Glamorgan and one in Warwickshire between 23rd March and 12th April. Single Painted Ladies were in Fulham (Greater London) on 28th March and on Combs Moss (Derbyshire) on 2nd April.

The calm and sunny days of late March again provided ideal conditions for observing two rather mercurial day-flyers: Light Orange Underwing and Orange Underwing. Good numbers of both were widely reported and some even photographed at low level, often by puddles or on damp, bare ground. An early male Emperor Moth was attracted to an assembled, captive-bred female at Shefford (Bedfordshire) on 23rd March.

Light Orange Underwing, Warwickshire, March 2012 (Roger Wasley).

Orange Underwing, Worcestershire, March 2012 (Roger Wasley).

Female Emperor Moth, Worcestershire, April 2012 (Roger Wasley).

A few interesting records of residents included a Tawny Pinion near Orlandon (Pembrokeshire) on 24th March, which was a county first. A Barred Tooth-striped at Taynuilt (Argyll) on 13th April was a welcome record for the 10km square and was followed by two more on Mull. The species may be more widespread along the west coast of Scotland than records suggest, as the food plant — wild privet — is quite widespread on inaccessible cliffs.

Barred Tooth-striped, Taynuilt (Argyll), 14th April 2012 (Simon Pinder).

The annual daytime survey for Belted Beauty around Morecambe Bay (Lancs) on 22nd April was reasonably successful considering that the habitat had been inundated by extremely high spring tides about a fortnight previously. The final count was of 101 females and 61 males.

Hebrew Characters continued their long flight period in reasonable numbers and included one of the form gothicina at Slaley (Northumberland) on 7th April. This form is rarely seen south of the Scottish Highlands.

Gothicina Hebrew Character, Slaley (Northumberland), 7th April 2012 (Ian Hancock).

As a continuation from the early spring article, tables containing a wide selection of emergence and re-emergence dates for macro moths over the period can be found below. Note that this is not intended to be a definitive list for the whole of the British Isles; it is merely a collation by the author from personal communication and online newsgroups and websites.

Table 1: Macros emerging

Species	Date	Location	County
Brimstone Moth	9th March	Paignton	Devon
Grey Birch	20th March	Cratloe	Limerick
Small Dusty Wave	21st March	Berrylands Station	Surrey
Brown Silver Line	22nd March	Tighnabruaich	Argyll
Light Orange Underwing	22th March	Kingswood	Bucks
Waved Umber	22th March	Cadnam	Hampshire
Belted Beauty	23rd March	Sunderland Point	Lancashire
Chinese Character	23rd March	West Wycombe	Bucks
Emperor Moth	23rd March	Shefford	Bedfordshire
Nut-tree Tussock	24th March	New Romney	Kent
Scalloped Hook-tip	24th March	Funtley	Hampshire
Common Marbled Carpet	25th March	Rochdale	Lancashire
Oak-tree Pug	25th March	Edburton	West Sussex
Ringed Carpet	25th March	By Lough Allua	Cork
Small Phoenix	25th March	Cratloe	Limerick
Yellow-barred Brindle	25th March	Dornie	Highland
Common Heath	26th March	Cloonaleigha Bog	Sligo
Ruby Tiger	26th March	Wicklow	Wicklow
Great Prominent	27th March	East Lulworth	Dorset
Purple Thorn	27th March	Barkbooth Lot	Cumbria
Garden Carpet	28th March	Titchfield Common	Hampshire
Golden-rod pug	28th March	Coombe Bridge	Durham
Pebble Prominent	28th March	Freshwater	Isle of Wight
Scarce Prominent	28th March	Dornie	Highland
Kentish Glory	29th March	Dulnain Bridge	Highland
Puss Moth	29th March	Wadhurst	East Sussex
Sloe Carpet	29th March	undisclosed site	Essex
Barred Tooth-striped	30th March	East Kent	Kent
Chocolate-tip	30th March	Puddletown	Dorset
Flame Carpet	1st April	Killearn	Stirlingshire
Pale Prominent	5th April	Taynuilt	Argyll
Chamomile Shark	7th April	Howick	Northumberland
Pale Tussock	7th April	Broadwey	Dorset
Swallow Prominent	7th April	Westcott	Bucks
Flame Shoulder	8th April	Hennock	Devon
Least Black Arches	8th April	Howick	Northumberland
Red Twin-spot Carpet	8th April	Wiveliscombe	Somerset
Shuttle-shaped Dart	11th April	Snelsmore	Berks
Oblique Striped	13th April	Sandwich Bay	Kent
Lesser Swallow Prominent	16th April	Ainsdale Sands NR	Lancashire
Barred Umber	20th April	Silverdale Moss	Lancashire
Square Spot	20th April	Silverdale Moss	Lancashire
White-pinion Spotted	24th April	Buryas Bridge	Cornwall
Light Feathered Rustic	26th April	Dungeness	Kent
Common Carpet	27th April	Rugby	Warwickshire
Green Carpet	27th April	Tincleton	Dorset
Lime-speck Pug	27th April	Sandwich Bay	Kent
White Ermine	27th April	Puddletown	Dorset
Cabbage Moth	28th April	Maidenhead	Berkshire
Lobster	29th April	Wash Common	Berkshire
Maiden’s Blush	29th April	Gorleston	Norfolk
Pine Hawkmoth	30th April	Heath and Reach	Bedfordshire

Table 2: Macros re-emerging

Species	Date	Location	County
Scarce Tissue	22nd March	Milton CP	Cambridgeshire
Autumn Green Carpet	25th March	Dornie	Highland
Tissue	30th March	Highwood	Worcestershire
Bloxworth Snout	7th April	Rodwell	Dorset

The Brimstone Moth in Devon, the Small Dusty Wave in Surrey and Flame Carpet in Argyll are all, on a national basis, exceptionally early records. The Waved Umber and Pebble Prominent were the earliest ever in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight respectively. The Common Heath in Sligo, Ruby Tiger in Wicklow and Puss Moth in East Sussex all catch the eye as well before the normal flight period but were typical of this year's batch of early spring records. The Chamomile Shark at Howick (Northumberland) on 7th April was the fourth for VC68 and the earliest ever recorded in that vice-county.

Chamomile Shark, Howick (Northumberland), 7th April 2012 (Stewart Sexton).

Before the 'colder' period set in, moth-ers out in various deciduous woodlands sites were able to record reasonably good numbers of Frosted Green, Purple Thorn and Lunar Marbled Brown.

Frosted Green, Wyre Forest (Worcs), April 2012 (Roger Wasley).

Purple Thorn, Wyre Forest (Worcs), April 2012 (Patrick Clement).

Lunar Marbled Brown, Wyre Forest (Worcs), April 2012 (Roger Wasley).

Recorders in some gardens were rewarded with small numbers of Powdered Quaker and Early Grey.

Powdered Quaker, Croome (Worcs), March 2012 (Roger Wasley).

Early Grey, Gretton (Glos), March 2012 (Roger Wasley).

Further to tables 1 and 2, table 3 illustrates the emergence and re-emergence dates of some micro moths. Again, this is not intended to be a definitive list for the whole of the British Isles; it is merely a collation by the author from personal communication and online newsgroups and websites.

Table 3: Some micros emerging and re-emerging

Species		Date	Locality	County
Acleris rufana	1057	22nd March	Taynuilt	Argyll
Large Pale Clothes Moth	245	22nd March	Coryton	Glamorgan
Caloptilia falconipennella	289	23rd March	Norwich	Norfolk
Caloptilia rufipennella	284	24th March	Calderdale	Yorkshire
Schreckensteinia festaliella	485	24th March	Rhoose Point	Glamorgan
Adela cuprella	149	25th March	Chilbolton	Hampshire
Epinotia immundana	1136	25th March	Hatherleigh, Highampton	Devon
Esperia sulphurella	649	25th March	Romsey	Hampshire
Mompha epilobiella	893	25th March	Flixton	Manchester
Stigmella aurella	050	25th March	Bewdley	Worcestershire
Pancalia leuwenhoekella	899	26th March	Mill Hill NR	West Sussex
Stigmella hybnerella	099	26th March	Bewdley	Worcestershire
Apple Leaf Skeletoniser	389	27th March	Gorleston	Norfolk
Pyrausta cingulata	1367	27th March	Sennen Cove	Cornwall
Pyrausta despicata	1365	27th March	Mill Hill NR	West Sussex
Pyrausta nigrata	1366	27th March	Mill Hill NR	West Sussex
Pyrausta purpuralis	1362	27th March	Mill Hill NR	West Sussex
Cydia ulicetana	1255	28th March	Cogden Beach	Dorset
Indian Meal Moth	1479	28th March	Rhoose Point	Glamorgan
Semioscopis avellanella	666	28th March	Coombe Bride	Durham
Pyrausta aurata	1361	29th March	Overton	Hampshire
Acleris abietana	1059	30th March	Eshott	Northumberland
Agonopterix subpropinquella	692	30th March	North Cliffe Wood	Yorkshire
Semioscopis steinkellneria	667	30th March	Dilmore Wood	Yorkshire
Digitivalva pulicariae	472	31st March	Orlandon	Pembrokeshire
Lesser Lichen Case-bearer	177	1st April	Wyre Forest	Worcestershire
Mompha divisella	889	8th April	Brockenhurst	Hampshire
Philedonides lunana	1009	14th April	Calderdale Moors	Yorkshire
Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner	366a	15th April	Croft Hill	Leicestershire
Incurvaria masculella	130	17th April	Marston Vale MCP	Bedfordshire
Neofaculta ericetella	797	21st April	Stoke Common	Buckinghamshire
Adela reaumurella	150	22nd April	The Knapp NR	Worcestershire
Elachista rufocinerea	608	22nd April	Church Wood	Kent
Micropterix calthella	005	22nd April	Coed y Wenallt	Glamorgan
Ancylis badiana	1126	27th April	Rugby	Warwickshire
Platyedra subcinerea	808	27th April	Hollesley	Suffolk
Cedestis subfasciella	443	29th April	Ipswich	Suffolk
Grapholita jungiella	1251	30th April	Kenfig Pool NNR	Glamorgan
Phtheochroa rugosana	925	30th April	Bromham	Bedfordshire

The two Acleris rufana (1057) at Taynuilt (Argyll) and on nearby Mull are perhaps not too unexpected, as they prefer moorland and damp woodland habitats. Another at Holystone (Northumberland) on 27th March was, more surprisingly, the first record for VC67.

Acleris rufana, Holystone (Northumberland), 27th March 2012 (Tom Tams).

An Acleris logiana (1051) at Warnham LNR (W Sussex) on 30th March was great reward for a conservation worker doing daytime physical management work at the site. Micros re-emerging from winter hibernation are always an added early spring challenge for many rusty moth-ers. Caloptilias are no exception, and Danny Arnold seems to have got his eye in for Caloptilia falconipennella (289) at Upper Rochford (Worcs), with five records of this likely under-recorded moth at his constant effort site there in just three years. A scarce 'spotted form' of Caloptilia elongella (282) was a more tricky identification, and illustrates the need for great caution when trying to use library photographs alone for identification. A Digitivalva pulicariae (472) near Orlandon (Pembrokeshire) on 31st March was a first for the locality.

Caloptilia falconipennella, Upper Rochford (Worcs), March 2012 (Danny Arnold).

Caloptilia elongella, Upper Rochford (Worcs), April 2012 (Danny Arnold).

Digitivalva pulicariae, Orlandon (Pembrokeshire), 31st March 2012 (Rosemary Royale).

The first monthly Wyre Forest Moth Group outing of the year came up trumps on 1st April with two male Lesser Lichen Case-bearer (177) — a species rarely seen at the adult stage. According to records on the National Moth Database, North Worcestershire appears to be the best place to find this tiny yet beautiful micro. Remarkably, the wingless female has hardly ever been seen in the wild.

Male Lesser Lichen Case-bearer, Wyre Forest (Worcs), April 2012 (Patrick Clement).

Later in the month, a moth course held at Cilgerran (Pembrokeshire) on 23rd April produced another county first in the form of Pammene argyrana (1228). A Pyrausta nigrata (1366) was recorded on the south side of Bredon Hill (Worcs) in mid-April, and was the first in the area for over a century. On one late March day at Mill Hill NR (W Sussex), no fewer than three different species of day flying Pyrausta were on the wing.

As a miserable April and early May draws to a close let us hope that, for butterflies' and moths' sake, the weather improves. Arguably the best bit of news in late April was confirmation from the authors that the long-awaited book Field Guide to Micro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland should be on sale by the end of May. I have personally been waiting for something like this for years, and I hope it will inspire many other British and Irish moth-ers to advance to another identification level. In this way, we will surely be able to add immense knowledge to the recording of our smaller moths...