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No. 46 NEWSLETTER Summer 2000
WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION
1999
WEST MIDLANDS
BUTTERFLY AND MOTH
ANNUAL REVIEW (4)
County Moth Reports
Herefordshire
1999, after the mildest winter that I have seen in 35 years, then ushered in a
prolonged cold and wet spring and early summer from March to early July. A warm
spell of weather then ensued lasting into August.
In 1998, Phyllis King of Little Dewchurch recorded a single example of a
Peacock Moth which appeared at her light trap on 9th August. This is a
welcome return of a moth for which I have only a few records during the 1960s
with the last seen in 1975. I must apologise to her and readers for my failure
to report this last year.
The two colonies of the Scarlet Tiger reported in 1998 were seen again
during 1999 but no new colonies were seen. Much of the Comfrey searched in April
grows near or on the edge of the River Wye and suffers from annual winter
flooding which may prove to be a limiting factor in distribution of the moth, as
well as the importance of a very warm microclimate.
Despite the tribulations of the weather, several new or rediscovered moths, many
indigenous, were seen during 1999. Of interest was the first sighting of the
small Phyllonorycher ulicolella when several were seen flying around
Gorse on 14th June near the village of Dinmore. Curiously, there were only five
or six bushes of Gorse on the limestone grassland site but, despite the paucity
of foodplant, the moths were undoubtedly of indigenous origin. The same can be
reasonably claimed for the following two micros: first the Occophorid,
Denisia similella, a single fresh specimen of which was found on an Alder
trunk in the Olchon Valley in July, which must be the most southerly station to
date in the UK; and second, Assara terebrella, a nationally rare Pyralid
moth which was recorded at light by Ian Duncan and myself at High Vinnalls near
Ludlow in August, a site dominated by commercial coniferisation but containing
still some old Norway Spruce. The larva feeds over two years in the cones of
this tree only.
Another species of Phyllonorycter P. leucographella, and a recent
coloniser of the county, first appeared in Ledbury in October 1998. This moth is
spreading rapidly and I have seen mines of leaves in Pyracantha bushes
from towns and villages in eastern Herefordshire from Ross to the city of
Hereford.
Cherry Greenway continues to record interesting species at light near Storridge
which have included in 1999 the local Dingy Shell and the Waved Black.
Visits to Haugh Wood in June and July and to the Great Doward on 28th July with
Butterfly Conservation and colleagues produced interesting species including
Buff Footman at both sites and also the rediscovery of
Lesser-spotted Pinion at the latter site after a period of 31 years absence
from the county.
A monitoring night of trapping at Queens and Dymock Wood was held on 7th July in
order to contrast oak mature forest in Gloucestershire and mixed young coppice
in the Herefordshire side of the wood. We failed to see the Great Oak Beauty
on either side and this remains unrecorded now for many years. The Orange
Moth, however, was seen in both sectors, while the Beautiful Snout
and the Lead-coloured Pug were seen on the Herefordshire side, the former
is a new record for the wood. Roger Gaunt, the Gloucestershire recorder, saw
White-line Snout on the Gloucestershire sector of Dymock Wood. This last
species was also seen for the first time in Bears Wood near Haugh Wood in August
1999.
On 12th July and accompanied by Ian Duncan a two day field trip in the Olchon
Valley was held and two M/V traps were used in the valley. On the second day, a
single fairly fresh male Silurian was found in a trap situated at 300-400
metres altitude. This is a new record for Herefordshire and also for England!
Discovered originally in 1972 near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire by Dr. Neil
Horton, he suggested many years ago that the Olchon high ground could prove to
harbour the species and he has been proved correct. The same night also
attracted single moths of the Scarce Silver Y and the Northern Rustic,
both of which are only occasionally seen at this site but good confirmation that
they are likely to be breeding here.
Michael Harper
Shropshire
The survey at Royal Ordnance in Wyre Forest was concluded this year, although
unfortunately a number of nights were adversely affected by the weather
including a spectacular electrical storm in July. Standout species for the year
included Leopard moth, Satin Lutestring, Clay Triple Lines,
Bilberry Pug, Alder moth, Beautiful Hook-tip and
Beautiful Snout (AGB, FL).
Other county records of note include Lobster moth seen at Dudmaston, a
species hardly known in the county outside Wyre. Obscure Wainscot was again seen
at Hopton Heath after the first county record in 1998. A county first amongst
the micros was Lobesia littoralis whose larvae feed on thrift.
Perhaps not surprisingly this moth is mainly coastal in distribution and its
appearance in a garden at Alveley suggests that the moth was accidentally
imported on thrift plants bought from a south Yorkshire garden centre (AGB).
Jenny Joy has embarked on a moth survey of the Stiperstones NNR with funding
from English Nature. This is a two year project and a report will be produced at
the end of 2000. Considerable management work is underway on this site as part
of a major heathland restoration project supported through the Heritage Lottery
Fund and it will be interesting to assess the impact of this on moth
populations.
I am grateful to Godfrey Blunt and Frank Lancaster for providing the information
on which this report is based.
Mike Williams
Staffordshire
No report.
Worcestershire
Last year two new species of Macrolepidoptera and six new species of
Microlepidoptera were recorded in Worcestershire and quite a number of other
important and interesting records were made by an increasing number of
recorders. Also the Butterfly Conservation Worcestershire Mothers’ Group started
a programme of countywide recording meetings which succeeded in finding some of
our target species and making a number of other excellent records.
Cypress Pug, seen by Peter Holmes at actinic light at Malvern Wells on
17th August was a first for the county and was either a migrant or just possibly
has now arrived here courtesy of global warming. At least twelve Small Rufous
flying at dusk and coming to light at Wilden Marsh on 30th July (Mothers’ group)
was also a county first. The Dotted Chestnut seen by Peter Holmes
at Malvern Wells on 23th March was last recorded in 1834 and was listed as
extinct by myself but has been spreading into Monmouthshire and Herefordshire in
the past three years and has now arrived with us. It will be interesting to see
if it continues to move north and east.
The Mothers’ Group also succeeded in confirming that the Festoon still
occurs at Trench Wood with two on 10th July as well as five Mere Wainscot.
Two Square-spots, courtesy of Peter Holmes, at Shrawley Wood on 14th May
were only the second records for the county.
Migrants were few but by far the best was a Four-spotted Footman at
King’s Heath (D. Grundy) on 20th September and only our second record. He also
had Convolvulus Hawk on 17th September and there was another near
Pershore (J.W. Meiklejohn) on 27th September. There was one Bordered Straw
at Holywood near Birmingham on 10th September (G. Fellows).
Among other good non-migrant records were Dark Pinion at King’s Heath and
Heath Rustic, Pine Carpet, Clouded Magpie and
Light Brocade, all at Willow Bank near Bewdley (R. Winnall). Six-belted
Clearwing was swept at Lower Smite by Harry Green and by myself at Windmill
Hill in July.
Amongst the micros, the six new species to the county list were:
Phaulernis dentella 6/6/99 on Chaerophyllum flowerheads at Tiddesley
Wood.
Commophila aeneana 6/6/99 on Lias and Rhaetic clay roadside banks near
Craycombe Hill and Windmill Hill, both near Evesham.
Cochylis atricapitana 30/7/99 to light at Wilden Marsh.
Sitochroa palealis 14/8/99 caught by Peter Garner at Castlemorton Common.
Phycitodes maritima 29/5/99 at Windmill Hill
Salebriopsis albicilla 11/9/99 & 15/9/99 five larvae found at Shrawley Wood
on Small-leaved Lime by Michael Harper and myself were the first records outside
the Lower Wye Valley area of Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire.
Also Cochylimorpha straminea was found at Windmill Hill on 29th May, the
last record being 1902 in Wyre Forest.
All in all a good year in the county for moth recording despite much wet weather
and the paucity of migrants.
Tony Simpson
Acknowledgements
JA Jeff Andrews
PL Pat Lancaster
MJW Mike Williams
AGB Godfrey Blunt
RM Rob Mabbett
PAW Phil Williams
TBu Trevor Bucknall
CCM Charles Morgan
DWh Dave White
PD Peter Darch
BP Beryl Petters
DJW Digby Wood
C&HD Colin & Helen Dowling
CP Corinna Philpott
SY Sue Young
IGD Ian Duncan
AN Andy Nicholls
GF Gary Farmer
MTO Matthew Oates
PG Peter Garner
TS Tony Simpson
PH Paul Healy
DSw Debbie Southwell
TJH Terry Higgins
RSw Richard Southwell
FH Frank Hill
RSt Bob Steele
PH Phil Hopson
MT Mike Taylor
DJ Dave Jackson
JT Jim Timms
JJ Jenny Joy
CET Claire Turner
JK Joan King
KHT Ken Thomas
FL Frank Lancaster
MEW Mary Williams
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