MOTHS IN A SICKLESMERE GARDEN

February 2002

February was quite a mild month, but it rained on 14 days. The 23rd was a real misery of a day: Sicklesmere experienced rain, sleet and snow. The temperature ranged from a high of 60.1°F (15.6°C) on the 28th to a low of 26.6°F (-3°C) on the nights of 14th and 16th. The average daytime temperature was 51.37°F (10.8°C) and the average nightime temperature 37.2°F (2.9°C).

The month started with only 2 moths in the garden trap, both of them micros, Acleris notana and Agonopterix arenella. The following day saw an increase to 9 moths, all of them common for this location: The Chestnut, Conistra vaccinii, Common Quaker, Orthosia cerasi; Pale Brindled Beauty, Apocheima pilosaria, and one of my favourite early moths, Spring Usher, Agriopis leucophaearia. A single Small Quaker, Orthosia cruda, among a total of 3 moths, greeted the 3 February. The first Early Moth, Theria primaria, of the year appeared on 4 February. Angle Shades, Phlogophora meticulosa, Dotted Border, Agriopis marginaria, Hebrew Character, Orthosia gothica, and March Moth, Alsophila aescularia, all put in a first appearance on 8 February. The first plume moth this year, Emmelina monodactyla, was recorded on 17 February. On 22 February I fractured my ankle and was confined to recording solely in my garden for the next six weeks. The remainder of February was brightened only by the appearance of The Satellite, Eupsilia transversa, and Grey Shoulder-knot, Lithophane ornitopus. A total of 103 moths of 20 species were recorded during this month. This compared with a total of 78 moths of 12 species in 2001.

March had a high of 64.7°F (18.2°C) on 29 March and a low of 26.1°F (-3.3°C) in the night of the 1st. An Oak Beauty, Biston strataria, broke the usual run of noctuids; a Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata, and a Shoulder Stripe, Anticlea badiata followed this, on 16 March. The remainder of the month brought nothing more exciting than Twin-spotted Quaker, Orthosia munda, Early Grey, Xylocampa areola, Red Chestnut, Cerastis rubricosa, Pine Beauty, Panolis flammea, Twenty-plume Moth, Alucita hexadactyla and The Herald, Scoliopteryx libatrix. I was saved from going completely bonkers by the antics of an immature male Zebra Spider, Salticus scenicus, which kept me company in my conservatory throughout March. The total of 522 moths recorded during March showed an increase over the 267 total for March 2001, although the number of species dropped from 22 to 20.

The first day of April was also the warmest in Sicklesmere, 68.4°F(20.2°C). The lowest was the night of the 6th when the temperature dropped to 30.7°F (-0.7°C).

The best moth night was, undoubtedly, 2 April, when a total of 41 moths entered the trap. Of the 14 species recorded, the newcomers for the year were Early Thorn, Selenia dentaria, and Powdered Quaker, Orthosia gracilis. A Streamer, Anticlea derivata, made an appearance on 10 April. The larvae of this moth feed on the flowers and leaves of wild rose. The adult moth is on the wing during April and May. A single Muslin Moth, Diaphora mendica, made a timely appearance on 17 April. This was followed over the next few days by: Brimstone Moth, Opisthograptis luteolata, Iron Prominent, Notodonta ziczac, Marbled Brown, Drymonia dodonaea, The Nutmeg, Dicestra trifolii, Swallow Prominent, Pheosia tremula, Waved Umber,Menophra abruptaria, and Chocolate-tip, Clostera curtula.

After an increase in March, the total of 360 moths in April dropped from the 489 recorded in 2001, but with a slight increase in species: 32 compared to 24.

The warmest day in May was the 16th when the temperature reached 73.8°F (23.2°C), with the lowest night temperature being on the 1st and 2nd of the month at 38.1°F (3.4°C).

A Frosted Green, Polyploca ridens, was a very welcome visitor on 4 May. This moth is local in Suffolk and is a regular at Sicklesmere - one of the many whose larvae feed on the oak at the bottom of the garden. The Pebble Prominent, Notodonta ziczac, Swallow Prominent, Pheosia tremula, and Pale Prominent, Pterostoma palpina, each made an early visit during May. The first of the Pyralidae, The Garden Pebble, Evergestis forficalis, appeared on 7 May. This species has at least two broods each year, in May and June, and August and September, with a third generation occasionally in the autumn. The Pug moths started to build up in numbers on 10 May with Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata, Lime-speck Pug, Eupithecia centaureata, Oak-tree Pug, Eupithecia dodoneata, all of them common.

However the same could not be said for Pauper Pug, Eupithecia egenaria: this is a RDB3 species and was last recorded at Sicklesmere in 2000. The larva feed on the flowers of both small-leaved and large-leaved lime. Common Carpet, Epirrhoe alternata, Garden Carpet, Xanthorhoe fluctuata, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Xanthorhoe spadicearia, and Silver-ground Carpet, Xanthorhoe montanata, represented the Geometridae at this time, as did Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Xanthorhoe ferrugata, later in the month. Agonopterix arenella, Epiblema cynosbatella and a superb member of the Oecophoridae, Esperia sulphurella represented the micromoths.

A run of Least Black Arches, Nola confusalis, beginning on 19 May, was a heartening sight. This moth is local throughout the British Isles and over the past 5 years has become more common at Sicklesmere and other places. A Light Brocade, Lacanobia w-latinum, on 23 May appeared at the usual time. The first record of this one has always been in May, the earliest record being 13 May and the latest on 31 May. A Sycamore, Acronicta aceris, on 25 May, is a regular visitor to the garden. Contrary to the common name the larvae of this moth feed on oak at Sicklesmere, although, elsewhere, they also feed on Horse Chestnut, Field Maple and Sycamore. The Buff-tip, Phalera bucephala, was on time, appearing as it did on 27 May. A Light Emerald, Campaea margaritata, on 30 May and a Scorched Wing, Plagodis dolabraria, on 31 May ended a very poor month. It proved to be the worst May since 1996 with a total of 430 moths of 68 species. Compare this with May 1999 when a total of 895 moths were recorded with 111 species.

Stan Dumican

Anglezarke
Sicklesmere
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk IP30 0TJ

 

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