17 July 2018 A Moth Event at Brockenhurst

This week's Thursday walk was rather more sedentary than usual, which with the current heatwave was probably not such a bad thing! Some 22 members and a visitor met up in Angela's garden, where on the previous evening a tripod trap had been run for a couple of hours and two bin-type Robinson traps were left running overnight. With 125w bulbs they lured a good variety of moths to the traps along with some unexpected things like water boatmen and less welcome ones in the form of a few Hornets!

On the Thursday morning we sat around the tables in the shade where Richard and Mary talked their way through the moths that had settled on the egg trays that had lined the inside of the Robinson trap. Juliet showed their contents to the group. Some 49 species were noted, and one or two others might have been missed off the notebooks!

Not all were little brown jobs as some of their names indicated - Mother of Pearl, Ruby Tiger, Rosy Footman, Green Silver-lines, Purple Thorn and Brimstone Moth. Others with names like Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet and Bright-line Brown-eye helped to identify the species.

Once the traps had been emptied a number of obliging moths were encouraged to pose on logs for those with cameras. 

Richard would like to that Mary for the loan of her traps and her assistance in the morning, Juliet for taking the egg trays around and showing people the moths, Duncan - our load master, Julia and Angela for acting as waitresses, Angela and Robert for hosting the event and of course all the members whose enthusiasm helped make it a most interesting and enjoyable morning. 

If any one left a small magnifying glass with a pink ribbon, please contact Richard

Code        Scientific Name                      Vernacular                                 

                                                                                                    

                MICRO MOTHS                                                               

28.024	Tachystola acroxantha	Tachystola acroxantha
45.010	Amblyptilia acanthadactyla	Beautiful Plume
49.077	Acleris variegana	Garden Rose Tortrix
49.083	Acleris ferrugana	Acleris ferrugana
49.110	Agapeta zoegana	Agapeta zoegana
49.214	Ancylis badiana	Ancylis badiana
49.341	Cydia splendana	Cydia splendana
62.070	Synaphe punctalis	Synaphe punctalis
63.034	Udea prunalis	Udea prunalis
63.038	Pleuroptya ruralis	Mother of Pearl
63.074	Eudonia mercurella	Eudonia mercurella
63.080	Chrysoteuchia culmella	Garden Grass-veneer
63.081	Crambus pascuella	Crambus pascuella
63.115	Acentria ephemerella	Water Veneer
65.009	Macro Moths Habrosyne pyritoides	Buff Arches
69.016	Deilephila elpenor	Elephant Hawk-moth
70.013	Idaea biselata	Small Fan-footed Wave
70.016	Idaea aversata	Riband Wave
70.031	Cyclophora annularia	Mocha
70.052	Xanthorhoe ferrugata	Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
70.061	Epirrhoe alternata	Common Carpet
70.094	Ecliptopera silaceata	Small Phoenix
70.212	Macaria alternata	Sharp-angled Peacock
70.226	Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth
70.236	Ennomos erosaria	September Thorn
70.237	Selenia dentaria	Early Thorn
70.239	Selenia tetralunaria	Purple Thorn
70.241	Crocallis elinguaria	Scalloped Oak
70.252	Biston betularia	Peppered Moth
70.258	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty
72.010	Lymantria monacha	Black Arches
72.019	Spilosoma lutea	Buff Ermine
72.024	Phragmatobia fuliginosa	Ruby Tiger
72.035	Miltochrista miniata	Rosy Footman
72.044	Eilema griseola	Dingy Footman
73.032	Colocasia coryli	Nut-tree Tussock
73.096	Hoplodrina octogenaria	Uncertain
73.097	Hoplodrina blanda	Rustic
73.099	Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic
73.214	Cosmia trapezina	Dun-bar
73.267	Lacanobia oleracea	Bright-line Brown-eye
73.293	Mythimna impura	Smoky Wainscot
73.298	Mythimna ferrago	Clay
73.371	Agrostis exclamationis	Heart and Dart
73.329	Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder
73.359	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character
73.361	Xestia triangulum	Double Square-spot
74.008	Pseudoips prasinana	Green Silver-lines

Mesapamea secalis agg.

Common Rustic agg.

The following were caught at Pennington overnight and shown at the event

70.234	Ennomos almiaria	Canary-shouldered Thorn
72.030	Euplagia quadripunctaria	Jersey Tiger
73.015	Autographa gamma	Silver Y

Green Silver-lines

The CODE refers to the sequential numbering published in

Rosy Footman

Ruby Tiger

A checklist of the Lepidoptera of the British Isles by Agassiz, D.J.L., Beavan, S.D. & Heckford R.J. 2013

Brimstone Moth

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

Bright-line Brown-eye

And this one was from Pennington

Jersey Tiger

Walk: 05 July 2018 Pondhead Inclosure

Lesser Skullcap

In the midst of the driest spell of the year so far, 17 members met up for Adrian’s annual butterfly walk, which this year was at Pondhead near Lyndhurst. We were treated to an interesting walk beginning with a good variety of damp ground plants including Bog Pimpernel, Marsh and Water Speedwells, Marsh Ragwort and Lesser Skullcap showing through the masses of Lesser Spearwort that grew between our track and Park Grounds Inclosure to the right. Yellow Pimpernel and the straggling Greater Bird’s-foot Trefoil were there as well. As the sun broke through the first Meadow Browns appeared and as we explored the flora the grass moth we disturbed was identified as Crambus pascuella, a common member of the genus.

On reaching Pondhead Inclosure we joined Adrian, who held sway beside a large bramble patch in a clearing where Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, Ringlets, Large and Small Skippers flitted this way and that on the warm air. Soon we added magnificent Silver-washed Fritillaries and the more familiar Brimstone, Large, Small and Green-veined Whites and Speckled Wood to the list. However it was a superb White Admiral that stole the show gracefully flying and gliding between the bramble flowers, over the bracken and sometime upwards to cruise amongst the lower branches of the oaks that towered above.

White Admiral

Small White

Ringlet

After a while we left Adrian to his bramble patch and continued on for the rest of our circular walk. There were many more Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers along the grassy edged track and where there were more bramble patches more fritillaries and White Admirals appeared; the latter totally 6-7 by the time we returned to the car park. In shadier areas there were fewer butterflies, so flowers returned to the fore with the likes of Common Enchanter’s Nightshade, Hedge Woundwort, Tutsan, both Common and Water Figworts and Remote and Wood Sedges. Thanks to Duncan we noted Male and Broad Buckler Ferns. Birds were virtually non-existent apart from a few half-hearted snatches of song from a male Blackcap and the only dragonfly was a Golden-ringed that whizzed by.

Tutsan

There was one serious identification error when I kept calling Tina, Jo – I’d better stick to identifying feathered birds in future! RC

Photographs Lesser Skullcap and Tutsan © Richard Coomber; Small White, White Admiral and Ringlet © Richard Smith

Walk: 21 June 2018 Pond Dipping at Avon Water

Twelve Lym Nats joined Julian Sheppard, the Reserve warden, for a pond dipping session. It was a perfect warm sunny midsummer day.
 

Beautiful Demoiselle

Purple Loosestrife

Marbled White

Julian kitted us out with nets and trays and we were soon learning how to distinguish mayfly larvae from dragonfly and damselfly larvae, flatworms from small black leeches, and diving beetles, Whirligig Beetles and Lesser Water Boatmen. Pond snails crept about in the weed and many very small creatures emerged after a few minutes of sitting in the tray. Most of these were were too small for us to identify but it was very satisfying to discover the myriad of life that exists unconsidered in a pond. Someone found a childhood favourite, stickleback, and we were pleased to see caddisfly larvae encased in twigs and very small stones with just their heads sticking out.

The fine weather brought out the butterflies: Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Marbled White, and dragonflies: Southern Hawker and Broad-bodied Chaser, and damselflies: Beautiful Demoiselle and the Common Blue Damselfly.

 
The Reed Warbler was very conspicuous by its song, also Raven, and two Common Buzzards circled on the thermals overhead. Among the wildflowers noted were Wild Carrot, Hop Trefoil and Purple Loosestrife. AM

Photographs © Richard Coomber