October started with reasonable temperatures, a high of 20.3°C (68.5°F) on the 1st was a good start. However even with a low of 10.2°C (50.4°F) during the night I only recorded a total of 20 moths of 15 species. The highlight being a Large Ranunculus, Polymixis flavicincta, a local moth, regularly recorded at Sicklesmere. The 6 October brought one of my favourite moths to the trap, a single Merveille du Jour, Dichonia aprilina. This is a common moth, but the combination of black and green colour makes it a real picture. A Deep-brown Dart, Aporophyla lutulenta, on 7 October was welcome, as it is not regularly recorded at this location. After a run of common and not unexpected moths during October, I was pleased to see The Sprawler, Brachionycha sphinx, appear on 25th of the month.Another local moth, which is not uncommon at Sicklesmere, it is normally recorded during the first week of November and this date is the earliest I have ever recorded it. The only other October moth worthy of comment was a single Ashy Button, Acleris sparsana on the 30th. It is not a particularly well-recorded moth in Suffolk. The Suffolk Moth Group’s checklist shows that it has been recorded in 3 tetrad squares in the County: it is surely much more common than that. It is widely distributed in woodland containing beech and sycamore.
November started with a surprise. A pristine Poplar Hawk-moth, Laothoe populi, was recorded on the first day of the month. This is a moth that is usually recorded between mid-May and mid-July, with a peak in mid-June. There is an occasional second generation in August and September. This is the latest date on which I have ever recorded this moth, the previous one being 24 September 1999. This is an exceptionally late date for this moth and is probably the result of the pupa being formed in a sheltered sunny location. The resulting warmth may have fooled the moth and encouraged an out of season emergence. Another unusual moth for Sicklesmere turned up on 7 November, when The Brick, Agrochola circellaris, was recorded. This is the first appearance of this moth since 9 October 1998. It is a common enough moth in other locations, but its food plant, wych elm, is not plentiful in the area and this obviously accounts for its absence. More common moths, such as December Moth, Poecilocampa populi, Feathered Thorn, Colotois pennaria, Scarce Umber, Agriopis aurantiaria, and Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata, put in an appearance on or about their expected dates.
December was almost a complete washout with rain of varying amounts occurring on 20 days. A total of 9 nights produced temperatures either at or very close to freezing point. It was no wonder, then, that I only recorded a total of 20 moths of 4 species, these being Angle Shades, Phlogophora meticulosa, The Chestnut, Conistra vaccinii, Mottled Umber, Erranis defoliaria, and Winter Moth.
January was no better with rain, frost and snow dominating the weather. The month started well enough with The Chestnut and Winter Moth appearing during the first two nights. I then had to wait until 20 January before I saw any more moths, singles of The Chestnut and Early Moth, Theria primaria. The remainder of January fared no better with the only new moth being a single Pale Brindled Beauty, Apocheima pilosaria, on the 26th. This month was the worst January since 1999 when I recorded 7 moths of 4 species. I beat that total by 4, with 11 moths of 4 species this time around.
As I write this article the garden is covered in snow and the daytime temperature down to 1.7°C (35°F). The thought of sunshine and a few more moths are all that keeps me from total despair.
Stan Dumican
Sicklesmere
Bury St Edmunds
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