Suffolk Moth Group Newsletter

Issue 12 - August 1998

Edited by Jon Nicholls

In this issue

Editorial

The wet weather of April was followed by even more wet weather in June. Most of the Friday nights have been dry, however, with clear skies and the promise of large catches somewhat elusive. We have on the other hand had many nights with numbers around the hundred mark thanks, in the main, to the use of several traps. Even when using less powerful lights, such as the phosphorous lights I have in two of my traps, we are still finding different moths in them compared to the high wattage MV bulbs. This means that the fifty or so species that we would be getting at the sheet are soon boosted by the extra species found in the other traps. Every year you hope to have that perfect evening when all the conditions are just right - warm, cloudy, calm and humid - well we are still hoping!

Willow Beauty or Mottled Beauty? - Jon Nicholls

Another tricky identification problem can be between the Willow Beauty, Peribatodes secundaria, and the Mottled Beauty, Alcis repandata. Part of the problem is that they vary so much themselves that two adults of the same species can look very different and the initial assumption can be that they are from two different species. However there does seem to be a fairly reliable way of telling most adults apart.
If you look at the Willow beauty the median line runs from the costa through to the dorsum. Towards the dorsum it runs very close to the postmedian line but does not touch it. In the Mottled beauty the median line leaves the costa and then turns, towards the antemedian line, which it joins making the outline of a square. This method can be used reliably, as most specimens seem to show this feature in all but the most faded state.
Willow and Mottled Beauties

The Colour  Identification Guide To Caterpillars of the British Isles. By Jim Porter. Viking Press £40.00 Book Review by Neil Sherman

This book aims to promote an interest in the identification of caterpillars in the same way Bernard Skinner's moth guide has in recent years. It is set out in the same format, with the text on each species listed in Bradley and Fletcher order, with an excellent series of plates of the final instar larvae (including butterfly caterpillars) at the back of the book.

The text on each species is very detailed: there is a description of the caterpillar including its size (in mm), colour, shape, distinctive features (e.g. clumps of hairs) and any variations in form. This is followed by a list of the foodplants and the species habits i.e. what time of year it occurs, where on their foodplant to find them, the easiest method of obtaining the caterpillar (e.g. by beating or from eggs from a trapped female), how to breed them, mentioning any special conditions required, and also where the species occurs in the U.K. Finally, it lists the plate numbers the photograph of the larva occurs on, and how the caterpillar in the picture was obtained, also mentioning the time of the year it was found.

Practically, I found this book simple to use, checking the plates of the caterpillars for one which matched my specimen, then following up by reading the text to see it was the correct time of year etc. Personally, I have used it to identify Green Hairstreak butterfly, Cream-spot Tiger and Heath Rustic moth caterpillars with ease. It also gave me a tip of how to locate Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth larvae by searching for the small round holes eaten out either side of the midrib of Honeysuckle leaves. I have now found this evidence on four different sites, increasing the distribution of this (under-recorded! Ed.) moth within the county.

Its only failing is that not all the species have photographs - yet - about nine resident and about thirty irregular migrants still require pictures, but should be included in subsequent editions of the book. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in moths. It will be of special use to people who beat for caterpillars, breeders and also help the recorders find larvae of species that do not come to light, thus completing the county moth survey. Definitely a book for the amateur and professional lepidopterist's bookshelf!

Suffolk Moth Survey

Darsham Marshes. Friday 5 June

Darsham marshes is an excellent area for moths with a mixture of habitats. Near the entrance is some rough ground with short grass and bracken, this leads into an area of mixed woodland surrounded by small water filled ditches, especially after all the rain. Then beyond that is open marshes, fed by a dyke that feeds into the Minsmere River. We set up in and around the wooded area with seven traps of various types and recorded over eighty species. The moths included; Angle Shades, Beautiful Golden Y, Bird's Wing, Buff Ermine, Buff-tip, Burnished Brass, Chinese Character, Cinnabar, Common Wainscot, Coxcomb Prominent, Cream-spot Tiger, Elephant Hawk-moth, Figure of Eighty, Gold Spot, Ingrailed Clay, Large Nutmeg, Light Brocade, Lychnis, Maple Prominent, Marbled Brown, Oak Hook-tip, Pale Oak Beauty, Pale Prominent, Peacock Moth, Pebble Hook-tip, Pebble Prominent, Peppered, Purple Bar, Sandy Carpet, Scorched Wing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shark, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Spectacle, Straw Dot, Swallow Prominent, Vine's Rustic, White Ermine and Yellow Shell. Micros included; Crambus lathoniellus, Agapeta hamana, Olethreutes lacunana, Plutella xylostella, Hedya nubiferana, Hypsopygia costalis, Udea olivalis, Blastobasis decolorella, Clepsis spectrana and Parapoynx statiotata.

Sizewell Belts. Friday 12 June

Sizewell Belts has been a very successful site on previous visits with its varied habitats. There is mixed woodland, an open field and an extensive area of marshland. We placed traps in all three areas but with temperatures soon down to 4 0C very quickly, were not too optimistic. It was very slow at first but after midnight, when the clouds came over and the temperature got up into double figures, we finally had a reasonable total of over fifty moths including; Angle Shades, Blood-vein, Brown Rustic, Buff Ermine, Cream-spot Tiger, Drinker, Elephant Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Green Silver-lines, Ingrailed Clay, Light Emerald, May Highflyer, Pale Oak Beauty, Peacock Moth, Peppered, Pine Hawk-moth, Privet Hawk-moth, Straw Dot, Vines Rustic and White Ermine. Micros included; Ghost, Plutella xylostella, Crambus culmella and Bactra lancealana.

Creeting St Mary. Friday 19 June

Alder Carr Farm is situated off the A14 near Needham Market where it produces a large variety of vegetables and fruit. There is a small mixed wood, surrounded by a series of ditches and a pond, on the farm. We set up six traps and attracted over one hundred moths in all, including; Alder Moth, Barred Yellow, Blood-vein, Broom Moth, Brown Rustic, Buff Arches, Buff-tip, Burnished Brass, Common Footman, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Dingy Footman, Dot Moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Figure of Eighty, Golden Plusia, July Highflyer, Large Nutmeg, Lime Hawk-moth, Mullein, Peppered, Poplar Grey, Poplar Hawk-moth, Privet Hawk-moth, Sallow Kitten, Sandy Carpet, Scorched Carpet, Scorched Wing, Silver Y, Small Angle Shades, Small Seraphim, Spinach, Swallow Prominent, V-pug and Yellow Shell. Micros included; Udea olivalis, Olethreutes lacunana, Eurrhypara hortulata, Agapeta hamana, Crambus perlella, Archips podana, Aphomia sociella, Eurrhypara coronata, Anthophila fabriciana, Tortrix viridana, Blastobasis lignea, Eurrhypara lancealis, Epiblema uddmanniana, Hedya dimidioalbana, Myelois cribrella, Catoptria pinella, Nymphula nymphaeata and Pandemis ceresana.

Knettishall Heath. Friday 26 June

Knettishall Heath is a country park on the northern edge of the county near to Thetford. The scrubby heath land produced over eighty species including; Elachista cerusella, Pandemis cerasana, Aleimma loeflingiana, Catoptria pinella, Scoparia pyralella, Drinker, Blotched Emerald, Royal Mantle, Small Waved Umber, Sharp-angled Carpet, scorched Wing, Peppered, Light Emerald, Privet Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Lobster, Iron Prominent, Rosy Footman, Heart and Club, True Lover's Knot, Grey Arches, Clay, White-point, Sycamore, Brown Rustic, Large Nutmeg, Rosy Marbled, Marbled White Spot, Green Silver-lines and Spectacle.

East Bergholt.  Friday 3 July

East Bergholt Place Nursery contains an arboretum, with a wide variety of mainly non-native trees, in a large area of greenery about half a mile from the banks of the Stour. Adjacent to the nursery is an area of fairly old woodland with some more native plants and also a large area of open grassland. We were joined by some members of the Essex Moth Group who added two more traps to the seven we had with us. The temperature was in the low teens throughout the evening and dropped to 11°C by the end of the night so our list of over one hundred species was a sign of the potential of the site. Some of the interesting species included; Barred Straw, Brindled White-spot, Buff arches, Buff-tip, Campion, Clay, Clouded Magpie (the stars of the night), Common Emerald, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Dotted Fan-foot, Elephant Hawk-moth, Engrailed, Eyed Hawk-moth, Figure of Eighty, Flame Shoulder, Green Pug, Green Silver-lines, Grey Arches, Ingrailed Clay, Large Emerald, Light Arches, Maple Prominent, Miller, Mouse, Peach Blossom, Peacock, Peppered, Pine Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Poplar Lutestring, Privet Hawk-moth, Rosy Footman, Sandy Carpet, Scorched Wing, Small Blood-vein, Swallow-tailed Moth, Varied Coronet and V-Pug. Amongst the micros were; Udea olivalis, Celypha striana, Ditula angustiorana, Crambus lathoniellus, Olethreutes lacunana, Epiblema uddmanniana, Agapeta hamana, Eurrhypara coronata, Hypsopygia costalis, Catoptria pinella and Myelois cribrella.

Hintlesham/Hadleigh.  Friday 10 July

The annual Hadleigh Naturalists Society moth night was held in a private house garden on the Hadleigh to Hintlesham road near a noisy factory making large containers, which seemed to be working all night, with their competing lights, in an otherwise typical mid-Suffolk agricultural setting. The garden had a large area of long grass and some old fruit trees but no other mature tree. With temperatures around fifteen degrees and high humidity we saw about eighty species including; Blood-vein, Brimstone, Broad-barred White, Buff Arches, Clay, Coxcomb Prominent, Dark Sword-grass, Elephant Hawk-moth, Green Pug, Light arches, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Lychnis, Maple Prominent, Orange Moth, Peach Blossom, Peppered, Ruby Tiger, Small Rivulet and Spectacle. The micros included; Olethreutes lacunana, Homoeosoma sinuella, Crambus perlella, Eucosma cana, Galleria mellonella, Agapeta zoegana, Plutella xylostella, Croesia bergmanniana, Cydia pomonella, Nymphula nymphaeata, Hedya nubiferana and Acentria ephemerella.

Bourne Park.  Friday 17 July

Bourne Park is situated to the Southwest of lpswich alongside the Belstead Brook. Like most of the parks in Ipswich it has a lot of mown grass, some old established trees and some pockets of more natural vegetation, in this case a small area of fen. Although this was open to the public only two people turned up, so it was a more relaxed night than usual with only a sheet, a Skinner trap and a Heath trap in use. The temperatures were in the low teens and, with the restricted habitat, we were lucky to get over fifty species including; Buff Arches, Buff-tip, Coxcomb Prominent, Dingy Shell, Drinker, Early Thorn, Heart and Club, Latticed Heath, Light Arches, Oak Hook-tip, Peppered, Rosy Footman, Round Winged Muslin, Ruby Tiger, Scorched Wing, Small Scallop and Southern Wainscot. Micros included; Acentria ephemerella, Nymphula nymphaeata, Olethreutes lacunana, Chilo phragmitella, Carcina quercana, Phlyctaenia perlucidalis and Evergestis pallidata.

North Warren.  Friday 24 July

North Warren is an area of coastal grazing marshes with reedbeds, deciduous woodland and acid grassland just north of Aldeburgh. Access to the heart of the site was only practical by four wheel drive, so we packed all our gear into the back of the wardens jeep and walked down to the woodland. We were joined by two members of the North Norfolk Moth Group and set up eight traps in and around the woodland and fen. We had low temperatures, around 1 10C down to 80C, but the richness of the habitat still produced over one hundred species including; Archer's Dart, Broom, Buff Arches, Chinese Character, Common Lutestring, Coxcomb Prominent, Dog's Tooth, Dotted Clay (a new species to many present), Drinker, Elephant Hawk-moth, Flame Shoulder, Garden Tiger, Green Carpet, Iron Prominent, Large Emerald, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Magpie, Miller, Oak Eggar, Oak Nycteoline, Peacock, Pebble Prominent, Poplar Hawk-moth, Privet Hawk-moth, Rosy Footman, Ruby Tiger, Sallow Kitten, Sharp-angled Peacock, Small Blood-vein, Small Phoenix, Small Scallop, Straw Dot, True Lover's Knot, White-line Dart and Willow Beauty. Micros included; Synaphe punctalis, Eudonia pallida, Chilo phragmitella, Acleris variegana, Eucosma cana, Agapeta hamana, Agriphila straminella, Nomophila noctuella and Catoptria pinella.

Bromeswell Green. Friday 31 July

Bromeswell Green consists of 18 hectares of woodland, grassland and reedbed on the banks of the River Deben near Woodbridge. We set up several traps in and around the grassland and woodland and a sheet on the edge of the saltmarsh beside the river. The temperatures were low again, 130C to 150C, but we still managed around one hundred species including; Antler, Black Arches, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Chinese Character, Clay, Dark Spinach, Dingy Footman, Drinker, Engrailed, Iron Prominent, Knot Grass, Lesser Spotted Pinion, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Magpie, Miller, Oak Eggar, Olive, Pale Prominent, Peach Blossom, Peacock, Peppered, Pine Hawk-moth, Reed Dagger (a new species to most people present), Rosy Footman, Ruby Tiger, Sandy Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Small Phoenix and Swallow Prominent. Micros included; Agriphila straminella, Catoptria pinella, Spilonota ocellana, Numonia suavella, Ypsolopha dentella, Evergestis forficalis, Euzophera pinguis, Hypsopygia costalis, Homoeosoma sinuella and Eucosma obumbratana.

Pashford Poors.  Friday 7 August

Another site in the north-west of the county, Pashford Poors produced over one hundred species including; Argyresthia goedartella, Carcina quercana, Agapeta zoegana, Cnephasia longana, Croesia holmiana, Apotomis betuletana, Epiblema foenella, Eucosma obumbratana, Catoptria falsella, Platytes alpinella, Nymphula nymphaeata, Evergestis pallidata, Eurhodope suavella, Drinker, Birch Mocha, Blood-vein, Oblique Striped, Shaded Broad-bar, Purple Bar, Small Waved Umber, Toadflax Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Poplar Hawk-moth, Ruby Tiger, Nutmeg, Dog's Tooth, Antler, Straw Underwing, Olive, Lesser-spotted Pinion, Brown-veined Wainscot, Fen Wainscot and Nut-tree Tussock.

Milden Hall Farm.  Friday 14 August

Milden Hall Farm has a variety of habitats to cover. A wet woodland next to a newly planted area of native trees, a wild hay meadow with and abundance of Knapweed and some military conifers. The weather was warm, it did not drop below 14°C, and overcast so it was not surprising to get over one hundred species including; Angle Shades, Black Arches, Blood-vein, Clay, Copper Underwing, Dark Sword-grass, Dusky Sallow, Fan Wainscot, Flounced Rustic, Green Carpet, Maiden's Blush, Mouse, Olive, Poplar Hawk-moth, Purple Bar, Rosy Rustic, Small Waved Umber, Swallow Prominent, Tawny-speckled Pug, Vapourer and Yellow-barred Brindle. Micros included; Acentria ephemerella, Catoptria falsella, Anthophila fabriciana, Carcina quercana, Galleria mellonella, Agapeta hamana ferrugana (the orange-brown form), Numonia advenella, Argyresthia brockeella, Yponomeuta plumbella, Cydia pomonella, Argyresthia goedartella, Croesia holmiana, Zeiraphera isertana, Orthotaelia sparganella, Hypsopygia costalis, Ypsolopha sequella and Catoptria pinella.

Butterfly Conservation Moth Nights

Wolves Wood. Saturday 20 June

Over seventy species came to light including; Archips podana, Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Tortrix viridana, Epiblema cynosbatella, Nymphula nymphaeata, Phlyctaenia perlucidalis, Peach Blossom, Poplar Lutestring, Blood-vein, Tawny Wave, Beautiful Carpet, Barred Yellow, Scallop Shell, V-Pug, Green Pug, Peacock, Scorched Wing, Orange, Peppered, Light Emerald, Privet Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lobster, Iron Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Maple Prominent, Ingrailed Clay, Grey Arches, Miller, Brown Rustic, Large Nutmeg, Small Dotted Buff, Green Silver-lines and Beautiful Golden Y.

Aspal Close.  Saturday 11 July

Over ninety species including; Agapeta hamana, Archips podana, Epiblema uddmanniana, Epiblema foenella, Thiodia citrana, Crambus perlella, Agriphila inquinatella, Ostrinia nubilalis, Phlyctaenia perlucidalis, Peach Blossom, Small Blood-vein, Plain Wave, Royal Mantle, Purple Bar, Sandy Carpet, Purple Thorn, Peppered, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Iron Prominent, Broad-barred White, Clay, Sycamore, Bird's Wing, Dusky Sallow, Green Silver-lines and Blackneck.

Brandon.  Saturday 18 July

Over eighty species including; Olethreutes lacunana, Eucosma campoliliana, Rhyacionia pinicolana, Scoparia subfusca, Eudonia crataegella, Euzophera pinguis, Drinker, Peach Blossom, Large Emerald, Clouded Magpie, Peppered, Engrailed, Barred Red, Pine Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Black Arches, Archer's Dart, True Lover's Knot, Broom, Lychnis, Slender Brindle, Marbled White Spot, Burnished Brass and Blackneck.

Rede Wood.   Wednesday 22 July

Over ninety species including; Yponomeuta evonymella, Carcina quercana, Aethes rubigana, Aleimma loeflingiana, Croesia forsskaleana, Hedya dimidioalba, Zeiraphera isertana, Eucosma cana, Galleria mellonella, Aphomia sociella, Acrobasis repandana, Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla, Pterophorus pentadactyla, Drinker, Peach Blossom, Small Emerald, Maiden's Blush, Small Phoenix, White-spotted Pug, Magpie, Swallow-tailed, Peppered, Engrailed, Poplar Hawk-moth, Vapourer, Black Arches, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Oak Nycteoline, Burnished Brass and Herald.

Market Weston Fen.  Saturday 25 July

Over one hundred species came to light including; Ypsolopha dentella, Plutella xylostella, Agapeta zoegana, Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Croesia holmiana, Ancylis achatana, Epinotia cruciana, Chilo phragmitella, Crambus perlella, Catoptria pinella, Nomophila noctuella, Eurhodope marmorea, Oak Eggar, Drinker, Peach Blossom, Purple Bar, Small Phoenix, Green Carpet, Scallop Shell, Sandy Carpet, Green Pug, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Peppered, Privet Hawk-moth, Black Arches, Garden Tiger, Ruby Tiger, Lychnis, Clay, Small Angle Shades, Double Lobed, Dusky Sallow, Small Rufous, Nut-tree Tussock, Spectacle and Dotted Fan-foot.

Records from recorders around the county

Location:    Barrow. Recorder: Adrian Parr. Jan - June 1998

Adrian's garden trap has produced over seventy moths including; Common Swift, Buff Arches, Garden Carpet, Streamer, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, Fern, Scarce Tissue, Grey Pug, Early Thorn, Waved Umber, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Pale Prominent, Pale Tussock, Muslin, Flame, Shears, Varied Coronet, Hebrew Character, Chamomile Shark, Chestnut, Poplar Grey, Vine's Rustic, Pale Mottled Willow and Spectacle.

Location:    Dower House and Aldringham Walks. Recorder: Dominic Funnell. Jan - April

Dominic has been trapping in an area with the potential for many types of moth, from a mixture of habitats and has found; Common Swift, Plutella xylostella, Depressaria pastinacella, Chilo phragmitella, Evergestis forficalis, Nomophila noctuella, Scalloped Hook-tip, Figure of Eighty, Maiden's Blush, Purple Bar, Oak-tree Pug, Scorched Carpet, Tawny-barred Angle, Latticed Heath, Purple Thorn, Peppered, Waved Umber, Pale Oak Beauty, Small Engrailed, Common Heath, Yellow Belle, Privet Hawk-moth, Pine Hawk-moth, Lime Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Puss, Great Prominent, Chocolate-tip, Cream-spot Tiger, Cinnabar, Least Black Arches, Heart and Club, Dark Sword-grass, Pearly Underwing, Red Chestnut, White Colon, Tawny Shears, Pine Beauty, Clouded Drab, Shore Wainscot, Chamomile Shark, Tawny Pinion, Alder, Knotgrass, Bird's Wing, Treble Lines, Bordered Sallow, Marbled Clover, Oak Nycteoline, Dark Spectacle and Herald.

Location:    St Olaves. Recorder: John Crouch.  June

John reports five Death's Head Hawk-moths at the beginning of June which he believes to be captive bred but he has also had a Convolvulus Hawk-moth and several other migrants to produce another good month. The moths include; Drinker, Oak Hook-tip, Peach Blossom, Blood-vein, Green Carpet, Sharp-angled Carpet, Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, Oak-tree Pug, Clouded Magpie, Peacock, Scorched Wing, Peppered, White Pinion-spotted, Barred Red, Pine Hawk-moth, Lime Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, Humming-bird Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Lobster, Coxcomb Prominent, Lunar Marbled Brown, Rosy Footman, Cream-spot Tiger, Clouded Buff, Water Ermine, Pale-shouldered Brocade, Campion, Flame Wainscot, Sycamore, Miller, Bird's Wing, Light Arches, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Rufous Minor, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Green Silver-lines, Nut-tree Tussock, Burnished Brass, Beautiful Golden Y, Herald and Dotted Fan-foot. Micros have included; Scoparia subfusca and Udea olivalis.

Location:    lpswich. Recorder: Stuart Ling. July

Stuart has found over seventy species of moth in his garden in July, using his Heath trap, Including; Bird's Wing, Broad-barred White, Festoon, Heart and Club, Lackey, Maiden's Blush, Old Lady, Privet Hawk-moth, Scalloped Oak, Small Rivulet, Spectacle, Swallow-tailed, Varied Coronet, Wormwood Pug and Yellow Shell. Micros have included; Agapeta hamana, Aphomia sociella, Crambus perlella, Galleria mellonella, Catoptria falsella, Udea prunalis, Pyralis farinalis, Schoenobius gigantella, Numonia suavella and Catoptria pinella.

Location:    Eye. Recorder: Paul Kitchener. June

Paul remarks that, although he is now using an MV, it seems to be a better year than last, with many species appearing in good numbers. Records have included; Barred yellow, Broom, Buff Arches, Burnished Brass, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Dark Brocade, Drinker, Elephant Hawk-moth, Eyed Hawk-moth, Four-dotted Footman, Green Carpet, Green Silver-lines, Grey Pug, Herald, Large Nutmeg, Lilac Beauty, Lime Hawk-moth, Lychnis, Oak HookAip, Pale Oak Beauty, Pearly Underwing, Peppered, Poplar Hawk-moth, Privet Hawk-moth, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Sandy Carpet, Scorched Wing, Shears, Small Angle Shades, Small Clouded Brindle, Small Dotted Buff, Spectacle, Straw Dot, Swallow-tailed and Yellow Shell. Micros have included; Parapoynx stratiotata, Ostrinia nubilalis, Nomophila noctuella, Hypsopygia costalis, Orthopygia glaucinalis, Dioryctria abietella and Myelois cribrella.

Location:    Burgh Churchyard. Recorder: Neil Sherman. 13 May - 17 July - 12 August

13 May. Over fifty species including; Oak Hook-tip, Streamer, Grey Pine Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Seraphim, Yellow-barred Brindle, Scorched Carpet, Purple Thorn, Waved Umber, White-pinion Spotted, Puss, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, Least Black Arches, Heart and Club, Ingrailed Clay, Red Chestnut, Lychnis, Poplar Grey, Angle Shades and Dark Brocade. Micros included; Plutella xylostella, Esperia sulphurella, Crambus pratella and Pammene rhediella.

17 July. A quiet night with less than thirty species including; Brown Rustic, Burnished Brass, Flame, Large Nutmeg, Light Arches, Lychnis, Plain Golden Y, Sandy Carpet and Yellow Shell. Micros included; Agapeta hamana, Udea olivalis, Scoparia subfusca, Hypsopygia costalis and Epiblema uddmanniana.

12 August. A cold night brought only forty six species including; Canary-shouldered Thorn, Chinese Character, Early Thorn, Lychnis, Pale Prominent, Purple Bar, Scalloped Oak, Small Blood-vein, Straw Dot, Tawny-speckled Pug and Yellow Shell. Micros included; Agapeta hamana, Agriphila straminella, Pandemis heparana, Numonia advenella, Acentria ephemerella, Blastobasis lignea and Catoptria falsella.

Location:    Newbourne Springs. Recorder: Jon Nicholls. 7 August

After fighting my way through the track to the visitors hut I set up three traps on the acid grassland. A large and bright moon soon came out but I still managed to attract over fifty moths including; Blood-vein, Blue-bordered Carpet, Cabbage, Clay, Drinker, Dusky Sallow, Elephant Hawk-moth, Flame Shoulder, Iron Prominent, Lesser-spotted pinion, Oak Eggar, Pebble Prominent, Pine Hawk-moth, Ruby Tiger, Small Phoenix and White-line Dart, Micros included; Numonia advenella, Endotricha flammealis, Synaphe punctalis, Agriphila tristella, Euzophera pinguis, Catoptria pinella, Epiblema uddmanniana and Catoptria falsella.

Location:    lpswich Golf Club. Recorders: Neil Sherman & Steve Noye.  June - August.

A very impressive list of moths, as usual, from the lpswich Golf Club with over one hundred and ninety species of macro moths including ; Antler, Barred Red, Birch Mocha, Bird's Wing, Blotched Emerald, Bordered White, Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, Campion, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Chevron, Copper Underwing, Coxcomb Prominent, Dusky Sallow, Ear, Elephant Hawk-moths, Emperor, Fen Wainscot, Foxglove Pug, Grass Emerald, Green Carpet, Green Silver-lines, Herald, Iron Prominent, July Highflyer, Knot Grass, Latticed Heath, Light Brocade, Lychnis, Maiden's Blush, Maple Prominent, Miller, Oak Nycteoline, Peach Blossom, Peacock, Peppered, Pine Carpet, Pine Hawk-moth, Plain Wave, Poplar Hawk-moth, Privet Hawk-moth, Purple Bar, Ruby Tiger, Sallow Kitten, Sandy Carpet, Satin Wave, Scarce Footman, Scorched Wing, Shark, Slender Brindle, Small Angle Shades, Small Phoenix, Straw Dot, Straw Underwing, Swallow Prominent, True Lover's Knot, Vapourer, V-Pug, White-line Dart, Yellow-barred Brindle and thirteen new species  Beautiful Golden Y, Broken-barred Carpet, Fern, Grass Wave, Least Carpet, Little Emerald, Middle-barred Minor, Poplar Lutestring, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Small Rivulet, White-spotted Pug, Gold Swift and Festoon.

Location:    Ufford.  Recorder: Malcolm Farrow: July

Around July 12 Malcolm got a Waved Black in his trap in Ufford. This moth has a restricted distribution, mainly being found as a resident in and around London or as a migrant. However, as it feeds on common fungi such as Coriolus versicolor and Daldinia concentrica, it may well be more widespread than is initially thought. The appearance of more specimens, in Ufford, since this date seems to confirm this as a species that we may see more of.

Location:    Felixstowe. Recorder: Jon Nicholls. March - May

As I am now using an MV light regularly, instead of the actinic, I am getting far more species than I would have, all things being equal, this time last year. However, all things are not equal and I get the distinct impression that there are not as many moths about this year. This becomes especially apparent when I use the actinic, which, even on a good night, produces few species in small numbers. The most abundant species have been Mottled Rustic, Heart and Dart, Uncertain, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Bright-line Brown-eye, Crambus pascuella, Garden Carpet, Dark Arches, Riband Wave, Dot and Eurrhypara hortulata. Other notable species have been the continued appearance of many Least Carpet, Aphomia sociella, Peppered, Blastobasis lignea, Sycamore, Clay, Swallow-tailed, Common Emerald and Tachystola acroxantha. Interesting moths seen in much smaller numbers have been; Varied Coronet, Broad-barred White, Green Pug, Dusky Brocade, Magpie, Cream-bordered Green Pea, Udea prunalis, Scorched Wing, Oncocera formosa, Dichomeris marginella, Pyralis farinalis, Bird's Wing, Elephant Hawk-moth, Bordered White, Miller, Maple Prominent, Phoenix, Lozotaeniodes formosanus, Dark Sword~rass, Monopis weaverella and, new to the Suffolk Checklist, Lyonetia clerkella.

Bawdsey. Bawdsey may be cancelled!

Bawdsey Manor, on 25 September, has still to be confirmed so if you are thinking of going please phone Tony Prichard first to check if final arrangements have been made.