Amazing A-roads

Quite often, the habitats that are closest to polluting cars and litter strewn verges, somehow seem to carry on, despite the fact that we are throwing everything at them (quite literally in some cases).

An area of scrubland that was formed when a new A-road was dug out 15 years ago in 2004 has been left to flourish.

When the highways agency replanted the area between the new A10 and the old A10 (Ermine Street) they clearly didn't skimp.

I came across this site two years ago

At roughly 5 acres it is a susbstantial plot of mixed deciduous trees including Oak, Elm, Cherry, Apple, Hawthorn, Sloe and Dog-Rose, it is also home to a wide variety of flora including Trefoils, Knapweeds, Ox-eye Daisies, Thistles, Tares, Speedwells to name only but a few.

It has also brought me some very good moth species over the years, and so far this year...it's been no different!

Two species are exceptional and are probably over-looked elsewhere.

John Chainey and Jenny Spence added Coleophora amethystinella to the Herts list, a few days before I found at least 10 individuals flying in the sunshine around Smooth Tare, which seems prolific at the site. 

Another very good Coleophora record and one which the adult isn't on the wing yet, Coleophora conspicuella feeding evidence on Knapweeds was also observed, a few old cases were swept, but now i've found this years larvae. This is a moth that I added to the Herts list last year from my garden, with further adult records from Ashwell Quarry and at this site last year.

Last year I added 5 new species from this small site to my UK moth list.

This year so far i've added two already during two short trips, both Orthotaenia undulana and Coleophora amethystinella are new to me.

Here are some recent lists of sightings.

22/05/19

Macro Moths

Burnet Companion 1

Common Carpet 2

Latticed Heath 5

Micro Moths 

Spuleria flavicaput 1
Dicrorampha Flavidorsana/alpinana 4
Dicrorampha petiverella 1

Dichrorampha plumbagana 2

Cnephasia sp 10
Cauchas fibulella 2

Coleophora amethystinella 10 [NEW!] 

Epiblema cirsiana/scutulana 2

Glyphipterix simpliciella 5

Grapholita compositella 1

Hedya pruniana 1

28/05/19

Macro Moths

Burnet Companion 1
Cinnabar 5

Clouded Border 1

Common Carpet 1

Green Carpet 2

Latticed Heath 5

Mother Shipton 1

Silver-ground Carpet 1

Micro Moths

Adela fibulella 1

Argyresthia conjugella 1 

Cochylimorpha straminea 5

Coleophora amethystinella 5

Coleophora conspicuella 5 cases

Crambus lathoniellus 5

Dichrorampha acuminatana 1 

Dichrorampha plumbagana 2

Dichrorampha sequana 10 

Elachista argentella 1

Epiblema cirsiana/scutulana 1

Glyphipterix simpliciella 1

Hedya pruniana 2

Micropterix aruncella 1 

Nematopogon swammerdamella 1

Nemophora deegerella 1

Notocelia cynosbatella 5

Orthotaenia undulana [NEW!] 4

Phyllonorycter harrisella 1

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 3

Psyche casta 1

Scoparia pyralella 1

Habitat

Burnet Companion

Coleophora amethystinella

Coleophora conspicuella

Crambus lathoniellus

Dichrorampha acuminatana

Dichrorampha plumbagana

Dichrorampha sequana

Epinotia cirsiana/scutulana

Grapholita compositella

Orthotaenia undulana

Spuleria flavicaput

Scoparia pyralella