MOTH
SURVEY - 9 July 2005
Recorders: J.R.
Langmaid, M.R. Young & I.R. Thirlwell.
To celebrate National
Moth Night on July 9, three moth experts came to Brook
Meadow to carry out a moth survey; they were John
Langmaid and Ian Thirlwell from Portsmouth and Mark
Young from Aberdeen (Wildlife Trust). Frances and
Richard Jannaway, Pat and Graham Walsgrove and David
Search were also present. The moth men arrived at 9pm
and set up their mercury vapour light powered by a
generator. The sky was clear which meant that the
temperature would fall. It would have been better for
the moth survey if there had been more cloud because
low lying water meadows get quite cool at
night.
Even so, more than 60
species of both micro moths and the larger moths were
recorded. The micro moths were the first to appear
with the larger moths appearing a bit later.
Especially interesting were the very colourful
Elephant Hawk moths which for some reason rested on
the white sheet upside down with their legs in the
air. Other common moths recorded included Rosy
Footman, Small Fanfoot, Buff Ermine, Common Emerald,
Mottled Beauty. The rarest moth was seen by Mark just
as we were packing up at 11.30pm: this was the
nationally notable Festoon. If it had been a warmer
night, it was expected that at least 100 species would
have been recorded. We would like to thank John, Ian
and Mark for such an interesting evening. A valuable
addition to our growing information about the wildlife
supported in Brook Meadow. Report by Frances
Jannaway.
|
Taxon
|
Vernacular
|
N
|
Comment
|
|
Ptocheuusa
paupella
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Mompha
epilobiella
|
.
|
2
|
Feeds
on willowherb
|
|
Phtheochroa
inopiana
|
.
|
0
|
many
|
|
Agapeta
hamana
|
.
|
0
|
many
|
|
Cochylis
molliculana
|
.
|
2
|
Feeds
on Prickly Sow Thistle
|
|
Pandemis
heparana
|
Dark
Fruit-tree Tortrix
|
2
|
.
|
|
Clepsis
spectrana
|
Cyclamen
Tortrix
|
4
|
.
|
|
Ditula
angustiorana
|
Red-barred
Tortrix
|
1
|
.
|
|
Cnephasia
stephensiana
|
Grey
Tortrix
|
1
|
.
|
|
Celypha
lacunana
|
.
|
3
|
.
|
|
Lobesia
abscisana
|
.
|
3
|
.
|
|
Eucosma
hohenwartiana
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Eucosma
cana
|
.
|
4
|
.
|
|
Eucosma
obumbratana
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Chrysoteuchia
culmella
|
Garden
Grass-veneer
|
0
|
many
|
|
Crambus
pascuella
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Agriphila
straminella
|
.
|
4
|
.
|
|
Scoparia
ambigualis
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Dipleurina
lacustrata
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Apoda
limacodes
|
Festoon
|
1
|
Nationally
notable
|
|
Caloptilia
stigmatella
|
.
|
0
|
a
few
|
|
Coleophora
conyzae
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Coleophora
taeniipennella
|
.
|
1
|
.
|
|
Elachista
maculicerusella
|
.
|
3
|
.
|
|
Eudonia
mercurella
|
.
|
4
|
.
|
|
Acentria
ephemerella
|
Water
Veneer
|
10
|
.
|
|
Eurrhypara
hortulata
|
Small
Magpie
|
1
|
.
|
|
Hypsopygia
costalis
|
Gold
Triangle
|
1
|
.
|
|
Pterophorus
pentadactyla
|
White
Plume Moth
|
6
|
.
|
|
Emmelina
monodactyla
|
.
|
4
|
.
|
|
Habrosyne
pyritoides
|
Buff
Arches
|
4
|
.
|
|
Hemithea
aestivaria
|
Common
Emerald
|
1
|
.
|
|
Idaea
biselata
|
Small
Fan-footed Wave
|
2
|
.
|
|
Idaea
aversata
|
Riband
Wave
|
1
|
.
|
|
Plemyria
rubiginata plumbata
|
Blue-bordered
Carpet
|
1
|
.
|
|
Pasiphila
rectangulata
|
Green
Pug
|
1
|
.
|
|
Selenia
dentaria
|
Early
Thorn
|
1
|
Holds
wings like a butterfly
|
|
Ourapteryx
sambucaria
|
Swallow-tailed
Moth
|
1
|
.
|
|
Alcis
repandata
|
Mottled
Beauty
|
1
|
.
|
|
Cabera
exanthemata
|
Common
Wave
|
1
|
.
|
|
Lomographa
temerata
|
Clouded
Silver
|
2
|
.
|
|
Deilephila
elpenor
|
Elephant
Hawk-moth
|
3
|
.
|
|
Thumatha
senex
|
Round-winged
Muslin
|
0
|
many
|
|
Miltochrista
miniata
|
Rosy
Footman
|
1
|
.
|
|
Eilema
griseola
|
Dingy
Footman
|
2
|
Feeds
on lichen
|
|
Eilema
complana
|
Scarce
Footman
|
1
|
.
|
|
Spilosoma
luteum
|
Buff
Ermine
|
1
|
.
|
|
Agrotis
exclamationis
|
Heart
and Dart
|
6
|
.
|
|
Axylia
putris
|
Flame
|
6
|
.
|
|
Ochropleura
plecta
|
Flame
Shoulder
|
3
|
.
|
|
Noctua
pronuba
|
Large
Yellow Underwing
|
6
|
.
|
|
Noctua
comes
|
Lesser
Yellow Underwing
|
4
|
.
|
|
Lacanobia
oleracea
|
Bright-line
Brown-eye
|
4
|
.
|
|
Mythimna
impura
|
Smoky
Wainscot
|
12
|
many
|
|
Apamea
monoglypha
|
Dark
Arches
|
4
|
.
|
|
Apamea
ophiogramma
|
Double
Lobed
|
3
|
.
|
|
Hoplodrina
blanda
|
Rustic
|
1
|
.
|
|
Nycteola
revayana
|
Oak
Nycteoline
|
1
|
.
|
|
Rivula
sericealis
|
Straw
Dot
|
2
|
.
|
|
Hypena
proboscidalis
|
Snout
|
2
|
Feeds
on stinging nettles
|
|
Herminia
grisealis
|
Small
Fan-foot
|
1
|
.
|
MOTH SURVEY IN BROOK MEADOW May 2004
The
following is a list of the moths and butterflies John
Langmaid and Ian Thirlwell recorded on 22 May 2004
(national moth day/night). They carried out the survey
by sweeping the grasses/sedges and looking for larvae
on leaves (leaf mining). A third method is to use a
moth trap at night.
Moths
Stigmella
aurella - a few vacated mines on bramble, the whitish
wiggly ones you may have seen in various places. It is
very common.
Emmetia
marginea - a few mines on bramble, these are pale
brownish blotch mines.
Adela
rufimitrella - a few. These are the 'longhorn' moth.
Luffia
ferchaultella - one case on tree-trunk. These moths
are often referred to as 'bagworms'.
Caloptilia
falconipennella - two mines and one small larva on
alder. This is quite a local species and I am very
pleased to have the mines for my herbarium.
Phyllonorycter
messaniella - a few mines on holm oak near the
entrance to the meadow. An abundant
species.
Anthophila
fabriciana - several. Often known as the nettle-tap
moth. Feeds on nettle and is ubiquitous.
Glyphipterix
simpliciella - many of the tiny tiny moths nectaring
on various flowers
Coleophora
serratella - several larval feeding signs on alder but
no case seen. This a common member of the case-bearing
family Coleophoridae.
Coleophora
follicularis - one case on fleabane - after prolonged
search when we saw many larval feeding
signs
Esperia
sulphurella - one moth at rest on a hazel leaf. A
common species whose larva feeds on fungus in dead
wood
Agonopterix
heracliana - a few larvae on cow-parsley and hemlock
water-dropwort. Another common species.
Mompha
epilobiella - a few larvae in spun shoots of great
hairy willow-herb. Also v. common.
Clepsis
spectrrana - a few larvae of the polyphagous tortrix
moth on low plants.
Pseudargyrotoza
conwagana - one of this very attractive, but common,
silver and yellow tortrix moth.
Celypha
lacunana - a few of this common and dull day-flying
tortrix moth.
Dichrorampha
plumbana - one specimen of this common dull brown
tortrix moth which feeds on yarrow.
Pleuroptya
ruralis - "The Mother-of-pearl Moth" many larvae on
nettle.
Oidaematophorus
lithodactyla - one larva of this attractive plume moth
on a leaf of fleabane.
