Notes and comments on some Suffolk moths in 1995

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Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 32 NOTES AND COMMENTS ON SOME SUFFOLK MOTHS IN 1995 M. R. HALL

We have to go back to 1990 to find a moth report that does not Start by bemoaning the cold spring, slow start to the season and in many cases a poor autumn. Unfortunately, 1995 did not break the mould, but it was somewhat different with that spell of glorious hot weather which started at the end of June, continued virtually unbroken throughout July and almost on to the end of August. Dßring those eight or nine weeks we saw many migrants and also several resident species in much larger numbers than in recent years. The most exciting migrant of the year was the oak processionary moth, Thaumetopoea processionea, whose arrival in August added a new species to the list of Suffolk lepidoptera. Within the space of eight days no less than five of these migrants had arrived from the continent. The first three were all recorded in Felixstowe on the night of August 3rd - one by Jon Nicholls at his home in Berners Road and two at Landguard Bird Observatory by Nigel Odin and Mike Marsh. The first was determined by the county recorder, Arthur Watchman, and the other two (one of which was shown at the annual exhibition of the British Entomological and Natural History Society) by Roger Kendrick and Paul Waring. Subsequently a third specimen was recorded at Landguard on August 1 Ith and on the same night the fifth specimen was noted at light in Shottisham (AW). This species is widespread in Europe but does not occur in the British Isles nor the north German lowlands. The moth is not unlike the pale tussock, although noticeably smaller, and its native habitat is oak woodland. The caterpillars, which are covered with irritant hairs, rest by day in a large communal silken "nest", Coming out at night to feed on the oak foliage. When leaving the nest they move in a wedge-shaped procession from which habit they have been given their common name. Throughout this hot spell (and well on into the autumn) many other migrants were noted, right across the county. The day-flying humming-bird hawk-moth, Macroglossum stellatarum, was recorded at Gt. Barton (CT), Ipswich (RSn) and (SG), Barrow (AP), Milden (CP), Westleton (HL). Ilketshall St. Lawrence (GK), and Monks Eleigh (AW) where three were seen together on a Caryopteris bush on September 19th. The larger, conventionally night-flying, convolvulus hawkmoth, Agrius convolvuli, was equally widely distributed with specimens being reported from Ipswich (AF), Kesgrave (RSt), Debenham (JR), Felixstowe (Mr. G.), Landguard (NO) and Haughley (WT) where a pair were seen in cop. The even larger death's head hawk-moth, Acherontia atropos, was reported from Woodbridge where a specimen was found behind security shutters at a shop on September 9th. A single female bedstraw hawk-moth came to light at Sicklesmere (SD) on June 29th, laid 193 eggs in captivity and was subsequently released on July 6th, still in good condition. (See Plates 3 and 4) The silver Y, Autographa gamma, was seen by most recorders, but not in quite the profusion of some other years. Another regulär and widespread migrant, the dark sword grass, Agrotis ipsilon, was well represented with records from Aldringham (RM), Barrow (AP), Felixstowe (JN), Landguard (NO), Minsmere (CA), and Purdis Heath (SN). Not quite so much in evidence was the great brocade, Eurois occulta, with reports from Nowton (RE) and

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 32 (1996)


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