ON THE STATUS OF SOME MOTHS IN A SUDBOURNE GARDEN H.
PEASE
THE following notes are on the occurrence of anumber of species— mostly taken in my bathroom (attracted by the light) at Sudbourne over the last fifteen years. As I am no entomologist, many species of drab or dingy colour or without distinctive markings have had to go unidentified; also a number of Pugs, Waves and Carpets. Only those species that, with the help of South's handy pocket guide, I feel confident of having identified correctly are listed. In these circumstances there seems insufficient reason for taking up space with a complete list of captures, so I will merely mention those that will give some idea of frequency and seasonal occurrence. My most common captures have been the following:—Drinker, Silver Y, Dark Arches, Large Yellow Underwing. I catch very few early or late in the season, and usually start and finish with the attractive Thorns—the 'Early' and 'Purple' in April and the 'Feathered' in late October. In early May I get Garden Carpets and the occasional Poplar Hawk, while at the other end of the year it is mostly Silver Ys, November Moths, Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Mallows and Bullrush Wainscots. Captures are heaviest in July and August but some species occur in a number of months of the year. Of these the Silver Y is on record from May to October. So also probably is the Setaceous Hebrew Character, though I have a surprising lack of records for this species in July. The Garden Carpet is frequent from May to August and the Large Yellow Underwing from June to September. The Drinker on the other hand, although heading the list of greatest number taken, occurs only between the second week of July and the end of the first week in August. My "rarities", which may not be rarities at all, but are those species which I have captured on only a single or at most two occasions, number about sixty. My garden is about three-quarters of an acre divided from a secondary road by a Plum hedge and set in surroundings of arable farm land. The trees and shrubs are for the most part Silver Birch, Yew, Lilac, Scots Fir, Privet, Lombardy Poplar, Rose and Dogwood. I confess to trying to destroy my nettles, brambles, docks and other weeds which, I understand, are favoured by various species of moths, but you can't have everything. H. Pease, Cedur House, Sudbourne, Suffolk.