The Suffolk Argus
Moth Night at Dingle Marshes - Saturday 12th August 2000 by TonyPrichard This was another joint meeting with the British Entomological and Natural History Society at the newly created Dingle Marshes reserve. The reserve is jointly managed by the SWf, English Nature and the RSPB. The main aim of the meeting was to try to confirm the presence of the White-mantled Wainscot at the site. This species is a biodiversity action plan species for the branch. The reserve has plenty of reed-beds with an abundance of common reed, the foodplant of the White-mantled Wainscot's larva. We have records of the moth being found at Minsmere to the south and Walberswick to the north along with references in the literature to it being recorded at Dunwich and Thorpeness. It therefore seemed likely that the moth should be on the reserve. The Suffolk Moth Group had recorded 8 White-mantled Wainscots a fortnight previously at the RSPB Minsmere reserve and again the previous week on the southern part of Dunwich Heath where the site abuts onto the reed-beds of Scottshall Covert (part of the RSPB Minsmere reserve). Recording effort was largely split into rwo areas, with one contingent covering the reed-beds roughly in the middle of the reserve while the largely Suffolk contingent covered the more southerly reed-beds and the vegetated shingle bank just north of the Dunwich beach car park.
Spring 2001
Unfortunately, the weather let us down again and although quite warm there was southerly breeze which probably kept moth numbers down. We failed to record to the Whitemantled Wainscot on the night but my suspicion is tliat we may have been too late for it this year so we will be trying again next year slightly earlier in the year. Species of note that we did record included good numbers of the localised Reed Dagger, a few Fenn's Wainscot, several Pima biosduvaliella,a pyralid whose larvae feed on the sea-pea on the vegetated shingle and a single Amblyptilia acanthadactyla,a Plume moth whose larvae feed on the restharrow. Other notables included; Pediasia contaminella,Synaphepunctalis and Dog's Tooth. Surprisingly, given the weather conditions, the only migrants that we recorded were Plutella xylostellaand Silver Y. The contingent in the middle of the reserve did not fair much better; no Whitemanrled Wainscot but they did record the rare and pretty tineid, Monopis monachella, which seems to be restricted to this part of the Suffolk coastline and a site up in Norfolk.
Setaceous Hebrew Character Moth
by MeroynCrawford
18
The Devil's Dyke by Iris Newbery Having just read a letter in the Suffolk newsletter about Chalkhill Blues on the Devil's Dyke, it occurred to me that the writer and members of the Suffolk branch might be interested in the recent hi~tory of the Chalkhill Blues on this site. More members might be inspired to attend working parties when it is realised what an impact the right work can have on a site. Going back to the very beginning, Michael Chinery the branch President, contacted the Nature Conservancy Council (as it then was) in 1987 suggesting our branch (Cambridgeshire and Essex) might become involved with the work on Devil's Dyke, which was a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSS!) and in February of 1988 the branch had its first working party with Keith Poole, who was then the Conservation Officer for the branch. Four people turned up on that occasion. By 1989 there was talk of re-establishment of Chalkhill Blue on the dyke, with Therfield Heath being discussed as a possible donor site. However, at our A.G.M. in 1992 we discovered from rwo members that a Chalkhill Blue had been seen on the dyke, although neither of them had mentioned it to any committee member, or sent in a record to the Survey Officer. This made re-introduction out of the question. In 1993 a rota was drawn up for several committee members to visit the dyke during the flight season, and all weeks were covered.
The highest number seen was 13, (11 males and 2 females). The winter work parties were continued, and during 1994 John Dawson made several visits, but the highest number that year were seen on our field trip, when 24 males were seen and 9 females. By 1995 these had climbed to 47 males and 9 females. In October 1995 John Dawson took on the role of Conservation Officer, and he made a detailed chart of the site showing areas worked and comparative Chalkhill Blue records, which illustrated clearly the benefit to butterflies of past work at the site. In 1996 the numbers had reached 51 males plus 5 females, although 11 females had been noted on 20th August. 1997 saw 236 males and 35 females. Peak numbers seen in 1998 reached an outstanding 609. As far as I am concerned this site is the jewel for Cambridgeshire and Essex, especially as I have always been one of the workers at the site, and have put in many hours recording there. We now have another Conservation Officer, Carl Blamire who is carrying on the excellent work of his predecessors.
Brown Argus
by DouglasHammersley
7
