8th June 2013: Braughing Friars, Hertfordshire

8^th June 2013: Braughing Friars, Hertfordshire

 

As written by Colin Plant (Herts County Recorder)

 

In spite of my earlier pessimism, and threats to take a book to read between moths, we didn’t do too badly at Braughing Friars last night. Don’t confuse this with me becoming positive again – we have a long way to go yet to return to normal moth numbers, but at least it is a lot better than all previous nights this year in Hertfordshire. A total of 6 traps and the vertical sheet were run from around 9.30 pm to somewhere between midnight and 1 am. There was a definite feeling of determination – not least because our friends in the Bedfordshire Moth Group had just posted on the Internet a list of 43 species recorded at one of their site the previous night!. Could we beat this? After all, we are just that bit nearer the Equator! Sadly, the answer was “no” – but only just. I make our total 39 species (which includes 2 yet to be named).  Not impressive, but much better than the utterly dire catches so far this year. Interestingly, many (most?) moths appeared to be freshly emerged.

 

The unidentified Agonopteryx is with Ben Sale – it may need dissection. Did anybody collect the Prays specimen? It was almost certainly Prays ruficeps, but might just have been the melanic form rustica of Prays fraxinella (take a look in the micro book by Sterling, Parsons and Lewington, page 116). Unfortunately, we will have to reduce to 38 species if nobody has that specimen to check.

 

The list follows; if I missed any, please do let me know. If I missed 5 we beat Bedfordshire and I’ll buy you a pint for telling me!

After the list I have done a quick analysis of the dates of each species, in case anyone is interested.

 

Colin

 

Moths at Braughing Friars, Hertfordshire on 8^th June 2013

 

Numbers approximate – as a guide only.

 

Hepialidae

0017  Hepialus lupulinus (Linnaeus, 1758)                             Common Swift                     few 

Praydidae

Prays ruficeps OR fraxinella                                                      NAME TO FOLLOW           1

Depressariidae

Agonopteryx sp.                                                                           NAME TO FOLLOW           1

Tortricidae

0936  Cochylimorpha straminea (Haworth, 1811)                                                                1     

0966  Cochylis atricapitana (Stephens, 1852)                                                                         1     

1076  Celypha lacunana ([D.& S.], 1775)                                                                                1     

Crambidae

1301  Crambus lathoniellus (Zincken, 1817)                                                                           1     

1376  Eurrhypara hortulata (Linnaeus, 1758)                        Small Magpie                        1     

Geometridae

1724  Xanthorhoe spadicearia ([D.& S.], 1775)                     Red Twin-spot Carpet         1      ♂ gen. det.

1727  Xanthorhoe montanata ([D.& S.], 1775)                      Silver-ground Carpet           few 

1728  Xanthorhoe fluctuata (Linnaeus, 1758)                       Garden Carpet                      1     

1768  Thera obeliscata (Hübner, 1787)                                   Grey Pine Carpet                  1     

1776  Colostygia pectinataria (Knoch, 1781)                         Green Carpet                         sev  

1819  Eupithecia exiguata (Hübner, 1809-13)                       Mottled Pug                           3     

1834  Eupithecia vulgata (Haworth, 1809)                             Common Pug                        1     

1837  Eupithecia subfuscata (Haworth, 1809)                       Grey Pug                                1     

1883  Acasis viretata (Hübner, 1799)                                       Yellow-barred Brindle         1     

1887  Lomaspilis marginata (Linnaeus, 1758)                       Clouded Border                    1     

1888  Ligdia adustata ([D.& S.], 1775)                                    Scorched Carpet                   1     

1894  Chiasmia clathrata (Linnaeus, 1758)                            Latticed Heath                     2     

1904  Plagodis dolabraria (Linnaeus, 1767)                            Scorched Wing                      1     

1906  Opisthograptis luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758)                   Brimstone Moth                   1     

1931  Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758)                                  Peppered Moth                     1      f. carbonaria

1958  Lomographa temerata ([D.& S.], 1775)                        Clouded Silver                      1     

Arctiidae

2069  Tyria jacobaeae (Linnaeus, 1758)                                 Cinnabar                                1     

Noctuidae

2089  Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758)                       Heart and Dart                     1     

2102  Ochropleura plecta (Linnaeus, 1761)                            Flame Shoulder                    1      4

2126  Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758)                                  Setaceous Hebrew Character     2         

2173  Hadena bicruris (Hufnagel, 1766)                                 Lychnis                                  2     

2278  Acronicta megacephala ([D.& S.], 1775)                      Poplar Grey                           1     

2302  Rusina ferruginea (Esper, 1785)                                     Brown Rustic                        1     

2333  Apamea anceps ([D.& S.], 1775)                                   Large Nutmeg                       3     

2334  Apamea sordens (Hufnagel, 1766)                                Rustic Shoulder-knot           4     

2337  Oligia strigilis (Linnaeus, 1758)                                       Marbled Minor                     2      1♂ gen. det.

2339  Oligia latruncula ([D.& S.], 1775)                                   Tawny Marbled Minor        1      ♂ gen. det.

2380  Charanyca trigrammica (Hufnagel, 1766)                   Treble Lines                           2     

2425  Colocasia coryli (Linnaeus, 1758)                                 Nut-tree Tussock                  1     

2450  Abrostola tripartita (Hufnagel, 1766)                            Spectacle                               1     

2477       Hypena proboscidalis (Linnaeus, 1758)         Snout     1