COMMENTS AND NOTES ON SOME SUFFOLK MOTHS IN 2013

BUTTERFLY REPORT 2013

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COMMENTS AND NOTES ON SOME SUFFOLK MOTHS IN 2013 A. W. PRICHARD A brief warm period at the start of the year encouraged a few recorders to run their traps and brought in some early species but the cold wintry weather soon returned and cold nights continued to be the norm for most of the spring. The majority of recorders reported a slow start to the season with low counts of spring-time species. It was only when early June brought some warmer weather that catches in recorders’ traps started to increase toward expected numbers. The finer weather in July and August meant that this was a particularly busy period as the moth season appeared to be trying to catch up with itself, with both spring and summer time species on the wing together. September and October provided a mixture of cold and warm nights with a number of migrant species being recorded in the latter half of October.

Stigmella aceris (Frey) was recorded as new to the county when leafmines were found (14 September, NS) at Purdis Farm, just outside Ipswich.

This species has been expected to arrive at some stage as it has been progressing steadily eastwards through Essex. Further records of this species were subsequently found at Great Martins Wood (21 September, TP & NS), Bentley Long Wood (21 September, TP & NS), Tattingstone (23 September, TP), Capel St Mary (24 September, TP), Raydon (24 September, TP), Cutlers Wood (28 September, TP) and Ipswich Golf Course (15 November, NS).

Peach Twig Borer Anarisa lineatella Zeller is considered a pest of orchards on mainland Europe and has been recorded sporadically in this country from imported fruit or as presumed migrants in mainly southern parts. A record of the species from Bawdsey (26 July, JS, JCh, MD) was almost certainly of migrant origin appearing as it did on the same night with other migrant species and was the first record for the county of this moth. On the same night at Bawdsey the rare for county Elegia similella (Zincken) was also recorded (MD), along with Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata (Hübner) and Dark Dagger Acronicta tridens (D. & S.). An individual of E. similella had also been recorded at nearby Hollesley a couple of days earlier (24 July, RW).

Coleophora aestuariella Bradley was recorded as new to the county at Bawdsey (3 September, JRL & BE) when larvae were found feeding on the Annual Sea-blite Suaeda maritima. It is not too unexpected that this species should occur in the county as it exists in Essex in similar habitats. Other notable Coleophora records for the year included C. milvipennis Zeller at Ipswich Golf Course (11 July, NS), C. adjectella (H.-S.) at Hollesley (7 July, RW), C. violacea (Ström) as a larva at Foxhall (4 September, JRL & BE), C. binderella (Kollar) at Hollesley (22 July, RW), C. betulella Heinemann as a larva at Woolpit (15 May, PB), C. discordella Zeller at Maidscross Hill (22 July, DG & RH), C. therinella Tengström at Hollesley (4 July, RW), C. asteris Mühlig at Hollesley (28 August and 3 September, RW), C. adspersella Benander at Bawdsey (4 September, JRL & BE) and Hollesley (4, 22, 26 & 31 July, RW) The moth group held an evening field meeting at Oulton Marshes on 9 August that proved productive with two BAP species, White-mantled

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Wainscot Archanara neurica (Hübner) and Fenn’s Wainscot Chortodes brevilinea (Fenn), being found in the traps. It would appear that Whitemantled Wainscot is now well established in this north-eastern part of the county with an additional record of the moth in 2013 from Somerleyton (10 August, Keith Knights) and has also recently been recorded nearby in Norfolk.

It will be interesting to monitor whether this species continues to expand its range, spreading to the Norfolk Broads and further westward along the River Waveney where suitable habitat appears to occur. Two other particularly scarce species were also seen Agonopterix angelicella (Hübner) and Ancylis paludana (Barrett). The latter species was initially over-looked as it bears a very close resemblance to A. badiana (D. & S.) that was also present. Other species recorded on the night included Brachmia inornatella (Douglas), Acleris shepherdana (Stephens), Platytes alpinella (Hübner), Double Kidney Ipimorpha retusa (L.), Chevron Eulithis testata (L.), Balsam Carpet Xanthorhoe biriviata (Borkhausen), Garden Tiger Arctia caja (D. & S.) and Kent Black Arches Meganola albula (D. & S.).

Further records of notable micro-lepidoptera from this north-eastern part of the county included Ancylis diminutana (Haworth) at Fritton (4 July, BJ), Lampronia fuscatella (Tengström) at Fritton (8 June, BJ), Zelleria hepariella Stainton at Lound (21 October, BJ) and Assara terebrella (Zincken) at Fritton (27 June, BJ). Yponomeuta malinellus (Zeller) is rarely recorded as it is difficult to distinguish from Y. padella (L.) as an adult, however two larval records were received for 2013 at Gorleston (26 June, BJ) and Hollesley (20 June, RW), this species is almost certainly more prevalent than the records shows.

Revisiting familiar haunts can still provide surprises at times, as happened when the moth group visited Maidscross Hill on 30 August for one of its evening field meetings. This site has been visited many times by recorders living in and out of county as it known to be a reliable site to see many of the Breck speciality species. As a result the site is considered relatively wellrecorded and the appearance of two new species for the county on one night was rather surprising. The first of these was Depressaria douglasella Stainton, a scarce moth nationally, that feeds on Wild Carrot Daucus carota and Wild Parsnip Pastinaca sativa as larva. The second species Pammene spiniana (Duponchel) feeds as a larva on the flowers of blackthorn and hawthorn and the moth was caught in traps placed among the scrub very close to the larval foodplant. Their appearance raises a range of questions - are they resident on the site, if so how long have they been there and why haven’t they been recorded previously? Several other records of note were made at the site over the year with sightings of Scythris potentillella (Zeller) (9 June, DG & MDa), Beautiful Brocade Lacanobia contigua (D. & S.) (22 June, DG), Purplebordered Gold Idaea muricata (Hufnagel) (22 July, DG & RH), Ancylis apicella (D. & S.) (9 June, MDa & DG; 22 July, DG & RH) and Wormwood Cucullia absinthii (L.) (22 July, DG & RH). I do not often receive many records for the last species but 2013 would appear to have been a good year with further records from Burgate (20 July, MT), Hollesley (14 August, RW).

Caloptilia hemidactylella (D. & S.) was recorded at a few further sites in 2013 following the first Suffolk record in autumn 2012, these sites included

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Bourne Park, Ipswich on several occasions (23, 25 and 28 July then 1, 4, and 14 August, PK), Ipswich Golf Course (4 August, NS) and Woolpit (28 August, PB). Searches for the larval leaf cones by several recorders in the autumn only produced the confusion species C. semifascia (Haworth). Similarly with Mompha terminella (Humphreys & Westwood), another species first recorded in the county in 2012, there were further records in 2013 at Groton Wood (11 August, TP), Bradfield Woods (8 September, NS), Priestley Wood (8 September, NS) and Foxhall (14 September, NS). However, in contrast to the C. hemidactylella, which may be in the process of colonising, the latter species has probably been long resident but merely under-recorded.

A few rare Phyllonorycter records from the year were P. scopariella (Zeller) at Maidscross Hill (9 June, MDa & DG), P. salictella (Zeller) at Ipswich Golf Course (19th August, NS), P. strigulatella (Lienig & Zeller) recorded as leaf-mines at Hadleigh (18 & 19 July, PB). The recently arrived Cochylis molliculana Zeller was recorded at Mendlesham (7 September, SMG), Tattingstone (23 August, BJ), Hollesley (29 June, 18 & 21 August, RW) and Landguard (5 September, NO).

Regular recording has been started at Hollesley by RW and has revealed some particularly interesting species over the year and those species not already mentioned elsewhere in this report include Prochoreutis myllerana (Fab.) (21 August, RW), Glyphipterix equitella (Scopoli) (21 August, RW), Caryocolum viscariella (Stainton) (13 August, RW), Caryocolum proximum (Haworth) (8 & 10 August, RW), Cochylis pallidana Zeller (3 September, RW), Ptocheuusa paupella (Zeller) (14 August, RW), Trifurcula squamatella Stainton (14 August, RW) and Golden-rod Pug Eupithecia virgaureata Doubleday (13 & 16 August, RW) Some of the other interesting records for the year not mentioned elsewhere included Micropterix tunbergella (Fab.) and M. mansuetella Zeller at Wolves Wood (1 June, SMG), Elachista luticomella Zeller at Knettishall Heath (21 June, NS), Archips oporana (L.) at Iken (29 June, PK), Epiblema grandaevana (Lienig & Zeller) at Iken (30 June, PK), Marsh Carpet Perizoma sagittata (Fab.) at Santon Downham (12 July, JCh & JS), Clavigesta sylvestrana (Curtis) at Bawdsey (26 July, MD), Apoda bifractella (Duponchel) at Bawdsey (28 July, MD), Epinotia caprana (Fab.) at Dunwich (24 August, PK), Ypsolopha horridella (Treitschke) at Reydon Wood (1 September, JE). Several individuals of Alder Kitten Furcula bicuspis (Borkhausen) were recorded at Knettishall Heath during a moth group meeting (21 June, SMG) and with additional records from Fritton (27 June & 4 July, BJ) and Herringfleet (29 June, BJ) would suggest that the species is faring well on the northern fringes of the county.

Recording at Ipswich Golf Course during 2013 produced several records of note with Perittia obscurepunctella (Stainton) (24 April and 22 July, NS), Pammene splendidulana (GuenĂŠe) (16 May, NS), Nemapogon wolffiella Karsholt & Nielsen (18 June, NS), Monopis imella (HĂźbner) (28 June, NS), Tineola bisselliella (Hummel) (24 July, NS), Biselachista utonella (Frey) (31 July, NS and gen. det. JC) and Dotted Chestnut Conistra rubiginea (D. & S.) (4 & 7 October, NS).

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Some monitoring work was carried out during late September looking for the larvae of Olive Crescent Trisateles emortualis (D. & S.) to verify that the species still persists in Suffolk and fortunately it was recorded at two sites, Great Martins Wood (21 September, NS & TP) and Holbrook (28 September, TP). Suitable broken branches with shrivelled leaves for searching for the larvae were in short supply this year and this maybe well have been due to the fine weather in late spring.

Previous records of Waved Black Parascotia fuliginaria (L.) have tended to be considered of migrant origin although there is always the possibility that this scarce species exists at low density in the south-east part of the county [Prichard, 2013]. Further evidence supporting this second view was obtained with the recording of the moth on five separate occasions at Bourne Park, Ipswich in 2013 (23 & 24 July; 1, 15 & 19 August, PK). A further sighting also occurred at Flatford Mill (27 July, DG) but with just this one additional record and none being reported from coastal recording stations it seems strongly indicative of a colony at the Ipswich site. Other records of interest from Bourne Park included Euleioptilus carphodactyla (Hübner) (14 August, PK), and Isophrictis striatella (D. & S.) (4 August, PK).

Migrant activity was marked in the later parts of the year although some notable migrants did start appearing earlier with Small Marbled Eublemma parva (Hübner) at Woolpit (20 June, PB), Purple Marbled Eublemma ostrina (Hübner) at Felixstowe (30 June to 6 July, BR). Late July and early August saw an increased wave of migration with Silver Barred Deltote bankiana (Fab.) at Bawdsey (27 July, MD), Confused Apamea furva (D. & S.) at Landguard (31 July, NO), White-line Snout Schrankia taenialis (Hübner) at Reydon Wood (3 August, JE), Dotted Footman Cybosia mesomella (L.) at Bawdsey (5 August, MD), Pigmy Footman Eilema pygmaeola (Doubleday) at Hollesley (26 July & 3 August, RW) and at Bawdsey (7 August, MD).

Following a brief interlude there was another influx with Dotted Rustic Rhyacia simulans (Hufnagel) at Landguard (21 August, NO), White-banded Carpet Spargania luctuata (D. & S.) at Bawdsey (21 August, MD), Cydia amplana (Hübner) at Ipswich Golf Course (21 August, NS), Metalampra italica Baldizzone at Dunwich (22nd August, CM), Ancylosis oblitella (Zeller) at Landguard (23 August, NO) and Portland Moth Actebia praecox (L.) at Dunwich (3 September, PK).

There was a major influx of Yponomeuta rorrella (Hübner) from late July to early September with records from sites mainly in the east of the county Bourne Park, Ipswich on multiple occasions (18 July to 16 August, PK), Gorleston (22 July, BJ), Hollesley on several dates (22 July to 31 July, RW), Ipswich Golf Course on multiple occasions (22 July to 14 August, NS), Landguard (22 July to 23 August, NO), (Stutton (23 July, MN), Herringfleet (23 July, BJ), Reydon (23 July, JE), Orford Ness (27 July, SMG), Woolpit (1 & 4 August), Oulton Marshes (9 August, SMG), Bawdsey (JRL & BE) and Minsmere RSPB Reserve (4 September, JRL, BE & Jeff Higgott).

The last of the more notable migrant records occurred in late September through October with Golden Twin-spot Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) at Landguard (29 September, NO), Clancy’s Rustic Platyperigea kadenii (Freyer)

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at Landguard (4 & 24 October, NO), Cosmopolitan Mythimna loreyi (Duponchel) (9 October, MD, Bawdsey) and Red-headed Chestnut Conistra erythrocephala (D. & S.) at Landguard (29 October, NO). Four-spotted Footman Lithosia quadra (L.) were reported on several occasions at Grundisburgh (8 October, MH), Ipswich Golf Course (3 & 4 October, NS), Bawdsey (1 August, SWh) and Landguard (2, 3, 4 & 8 October, NO).

I would like to thank those moth recorders who have submitted records during the year, not only those whose records and comments are mentioned here; .Paul Bryant (PB), John Chainey (JCh), Jon Clifton (JC), Mike Dale (MDa), Matthew Deans (MD), Brian Elliot (BE), John Everson (JE), Dave Grundy (DG), R Hemming (RH), Martin Hough (MH), Brian Jones (BJ), Paul Kitchener (PK), John Langmaid (JRL), Clive Moore (CM), Mark Nowers (MN), Nigel Odin (NO), Brian Ranner (BR), Neil Sherman (NS), Jenny Spence (JS), Suffolk Moth Group (SMG), Mark Timms (MT), Raymond Watson (RW), Steve Whitehouse (SWh), Steve Woolnough (SW) Please continue to send your moth records and any observations to myself as county moth recorder; Tony Prichard. 3 Powling Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 9JR (email: tony.prichard@btinternet.com) or the Suffolk Biological Records Centre, The Museum, High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 3QH. References Prichard, A. W. 2013. Comments and Notes on some Suffolk Moths in 2012.

Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 49: 73–78.

Tony Prichard (TP) 3 Powling Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 9JR

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