14th July 2012: Rye Meads RSPB Nature Reserve,
Herts
This was our input to the “Bioblitz” organised by the
RSPB on their nature reserve. The night
session was combined with a trap opening the following morning when we were
accompanied by a hordes of kids who had camped out in the visitor centre
overnight. So, we drove in the Landrover to the farthest point of the reserve
and set out the first light - a Robinson trap that we planned to ignore until
the morning. Just as we pulled the cord on the generator the rain started. We
drove back towards the visitor centre, dropping off lights as we went, but by
the time number three was running the rain was so heavy that we thought the sky
had collapsed. Nine of us spent 20 minutes huddled in the Landrover until we
remembered that there was a coffee machine in the visitor centre .... so off we
went to use it. An hour later, after having also taken on board a free baked
potato with beans and cheese, kindly provided by the RSPB volunteers, we decided
that the rain had passed and set off out again to put up another three light
traps. The rain did hold off, apart from a few spots, but in the morning it was
clear that the first three traps had caught rather more than the last three.
Could this be habitat? Or could it be that the moths flew just before the rain?
RSPB staff ran another trap
near the visitor centre catching just one species (Agonopterix alstromeriana) that we did
not see in our own traps.
Joan Childs, the RSPB Reserve Manager and also a Herts Moth Group
member, has asked me to convey her thanks to those who turned up and helped out
with the event (and her apologies to Roger, who
got locked out of the car park!).
A total of 103 species was recorded, plus 1 pug and 2 tortrix, currently with other people, still to be
named. The number sounds good, but in a “normal” year we might easily record 100
macros rather than needing the micros to get the numbers up. There was, unsurprisingly, a good complement of wetland
species. Those marked * in the list
were named by genitalia dissection. Two species were recorded as pupae
(noted in the list). As seems to be the norm this year, most species were
represented by single figure numbers, though Southern wainscot seemed more
plentiful than others. I gather that the youngsters who "helped" to open that
traps in the morning were suitably impressed by the catch - especially the hawk
moths! Perhaps my future replacement as County Recorder might be amongst
them? The full list is below.
Depressariidae
0695
Agonopterix alstromeriana (Clerck, 1759)
Gelechiidae
0819
Scrobipalpa costella (Humphreys & Westwood, 1845)
0866
Brachmia blandella (Fabricius, 1798)
0868
Helcystogramma rufescens (Haworth, 1828)
Blastobasidae
0874
Blastobasis lacticolella Rebel, 1940
Tortricidae
0926
Phalonidia manniana (Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1839) *
0937
Agapeta hamana (Linnaeus, 1758)
0972
Pandemis heparana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix
0993
Clepsis spectrana (Treitschke, 1830)
Cyclamen Tortrix
0998
Epiphyas postvittana (Walker, 1863)
Light Brown Apple Moth
1010
Ditula angustiorana (Haworth, 1811)
Red-barred Tortrix
1032
Aleimma loeflingiana (Linnaeus, 1758)
1063
Celypha striana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
1076
Celypha lacunana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
1082
Hedya pruniana (Hübner, 1799)
Plum Tortrix
1086
Hedya salicella (Linnaeus, 1758)
1115
Ancylis achatana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
1159
Rhopobota naevana (Hübner, 1817)
Holly Tortrix
1175
Epiblema uddmanniana (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bramble Shoot Moth
1178
Epiblema roborana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
1201
Eucosma cana (Haworth, 1811)
1205
Spilonota ocellana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Bud Moth
Lobesia abscisana
Lobesia abscisana
Crambidae
1290
Chilo phragmitella (Hübner, 1805)
1292
Calamotropha paludella (Hübner, 1824)
1293
Chrysoteuchia culmella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Garden Grass-veneer
1328
Schoenobius gigantella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
1329
Donacaula forficella (Thunberg, 1794)
1344
Eudonia mercurella (Linnaeus, 1758)
1354
Cataclysta lemnata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Small China-mark
1376
Eurrhypara hortulata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Small Magpie
Pyralidae
1424
Endotricha flammealis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
1439
Trachycera advenella (Zincken, 1818)
1470
Euzophera pinguis (Haworth, 1811)
Pterophoridae
1504
Platyptilia pallidactyla (Haworth, 1811)
Lasiocampidae
1640
Euthrix potatoria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Drinker
Thyatiridae
1652
Thyatira batis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Peach Blossom
1653
Habrosyne pyritoides (Hufnagel, 1766)
Buff Arches
Geometridae
1669
Hemithea aestivaria (Hübner, 1799)
Common Emerald
1682
Timandra comae (Schmidt, 1931)
Blood-vein
1690
Scopula imitaria (Hübner, 1799)
Small Blood-vein
1699
Idaea rusticata Lempke, 1967
Least Carpet
1702
Idaea biselata (Hufnagel, 1767)
Small Fan-footed Wave
1705
Idaea fuscovenosa (Goeze, 1781)
Dwarf Cream Wave
1713
Idaea aversata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Riband Wave
1738
Epirrhoe alternata (Müller, 1764)
Common Carpet
1758
Eulithis pyraliata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Barred Straw
1777
Hydriomena furcata (Thunberg, 1784)
July Highflyer
1802
Perizoma affinitata (Stephens, 1831)
Rivulet
1862
Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haworth, 1809)
Double-striped Pug
1887
Lomaspilis marginata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Clouded Border
1906
Opisthograptis luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Brimstone Moth
1907
Epione repandaria (Hufnagel, 1767)
Bordered Beauty
1917
Selenia dentaria (Fabricius, 1775)
Early Thorn
1921
Crocallis elinguaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Scalloped Oak
1922
Ourapteryx sambucaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Swallow-tailed Moth
1931
Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Peppered Moth
1937
Peribatodes rhomboidaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Willow
Beauty
1955
Cabera pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common White Wave
1956
Cabera exanthemata (Scopoli, 1763)
Common Wave
Sphingidae
1981
Laothoe populi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Poplar Hawk-moth
1991
Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758)
Elephant Hawk-moth
Lymantriidae
2030
Euproctis similis (Fuessly, 1775)
Yellow-tail
2031
Leucoma salicis (Linnaeus, 1758)
White Satin
Arctiidae
2035
Thumatha senex (Hübner, 1808)
Round-winged Muslin
2044
Eilema griseola (Hübner, 1803)
Dingy Footman
2047
Eilema complana (Linnaeus, 1758)
Scarce Footman
2049
Eilema depressa (Esper, 1787)
Buff Footman
2050
Eilema lurideola (Zincken, 1817)
Common Footman
2061
Spilosoma luteum (Hufnagel, 1766)
Buff Ermine
2064
Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
Ruby Tiger
2069
Tyria jacobaeae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Cinnabar
Noctuidae
2089
Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Heart and Dart
2098
Axylia putris (Linnaeus, 1761)
Flame
2102
Ochropleura plecta (Linnaeus, 1761)
Flame Shoulder
2107
Noctua pronuba Linnaeus, 1758
Large Yellow Underwing
2109
Noctua comes Hübner, 1813
Lesser Yellow Underwing
2126
Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Setaceous Hebrew Character
2128
Xestia triangulum (Hufnagel, 1766)
Double Square-spot
2160
Lacanobia oleracea (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bright-line Brown-eye
2192
Mythimna conigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Brown-line Bright Eye
2197
Mythimna straminea (Treitschke, 1825)
Southern Wainscot
2198
Mythimna impura (Hübner, 1808)
Smoky Wainscot
2199
Mythimna pallens (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Wainscot
2318
Cosmia trapezina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dun-bar
2321
Apamea monoglypha (Hufnagel, 1766)
Dark Arches
2322
Apamea lithoxylaea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Light Arches
2336
Apamea ophiogramma (Esper, 1793)
Double Lobed
2361
Hydraecia micacea (Esper, 1789)
Rosy Rustic
2368
Celaena leucostigma (Hübner, 1808)
Crescent
2369
Nonagria typhae (Thunberg, 1784)
Bulrush Wainscot (as pupae in reed stems)
2371
Archanara dissoluta (Treitschke, 1825)
Brown-veined Wainscot
2373
Archanara sparganii (Esper, 1790)
Webb's Wainscot (as pupae in reed stems)
2381
Hoplodrina alsines (Brahm, 1791)
Uncertain
2382
Hoplodrina blanda ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Rustic
2387
Caradrina morpheus (Hufnagel, 1766)
Mottled Rustic
2391
Chilodes maritimus (Tauscher, 1806)
Silky Wainscot
2434
Diachrysia chrysitis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Burnished Brass
2441
Autographa gamma (Linnaeus, 1758)
Silver Y
2450
Abrostola tripartita (Hufnagel, 1766)
Spectacle
2469
Scoliopteryx libatrix (Linnaeus, 1758)
Herald
2477
Hypena proboscidalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Snout
2489
Zanclognatha tarsipennalis (Treitschke, 1835)
Fan-foot
2492
Herminia grisealis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Small Fan-foot
Bordered Beauty |
Chilo phragmitella |
Schoenobius gigantella (male) |
Donacaula forficella |
Helcystogramma rufescens |
Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana |
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