The
SuffolkArgus
February
good to see new records from parts of Suffolk as far apart as Mildenhall Woods and the Beccles area. This is a species that not enough recorders seek out-only 15 out of 167 saw it in 1998. To balance this, several
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Swallowtail by DouglasHammersley
was unearthed in moth records, thanks to Tony Prichard's diligence. The national opinion from Nick Bowles was that double-brooded species tended to suffer from the weather in 1998. This certainly affected the Brown Argus but it was still recorded in 24 new tetrads. Rob Macklin's comment that the Ringlet 'would appear to be well suited to cool, damp conditions' was borne out by most records and Ron Hartley had his best season at Acton for Speckled Wood. This butterfly seems to be on the verge of a proper colonisation of the Ipswich area, at last: one from Chantry Park Qune Summerfield 23rd August) and five at the Ipswich Golf Course (Neil Sherman, 21 st August). Silver-studded Blues were out early at Blackheath, Wenhaston on 24th June (Glenn Rae) and I recorded my highest ever total of 311 at Purdis Heath on 8th July. Unfortunately count totals were not received from Minsmere at the rime of writing nor from the annual count at Martlesham. The White Admiral had an indifferent year but it was
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difficult of access and not
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The Butterflies of Hockley Wood
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report-Steve Goddard's garden, well within the Ipswich boundary, welcomed an Essex Skipper as the 23rd species and Rob Macklin at Snape recorded 24 for the year, and that without the Painted Lady. At St Olaves Glynnis Crouch(formerly Jenner) reported counts of20 and more for Comma, Painted Lady and Red Admiral. Migrants were seen in good numbers: 55 recorders included Painted Lady and the pick of the 27 recorded sites for Clouded Yellows was the six seen by the Johnsons at Orford on 4th September. A flurry of Swallowtail sightings in Ipswich during July and early August led to two definite identifications of caterpillars, one of which has pupated. Swallowtails were also recorded at Minsmere and North Warren, the Waveney Valley near Beccles and at Woodbridge, where one landed just a few feet away from veteran former County Recorder, Sam Beaufoy, out with daughter Anne. Even rarer were single records of Queen of Spain at Minsmere on 23rd July (Pete Etheridge and Dale Newton) and Camberwell Beauty on Burley Marshes (9th August-Reg Snook). To compensate for the poor summer the season was extended well into Autumn, heralded by a second brood Large Skipper at Baylham on 20th August (Paul Gilson and
by GrahamBailey
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Purple Hairstreak
by Angie Steele Over the past twenty years I have personally noted 26 species of butterfly for Hockley Woods, quite an impressive total for anywhere in Essex at the best of times! In addition, I recorded the wall Brown back in the early 1980's but unfortunately not since. Undoubtedly the most important species now is the Heath Fritillary, introduced from Thrift Wood in 1987 and with its origins therefore in the Blean Woods complex in Kent. The Hornbeam coppice management is principally directed at maintaining the population of this enchanting insect within the woods by removing a one hectare block of trees each winter. The areas to be coppiced are decided
1999
annually, these sites being dependent on the distribution and suitability for regeneration of the cow-wheat, the fritillary's larval foodplant here. Some removal of Oak standards is also performed to increase the sunlight reaching the ground; undergrowth is also cut where necessary to encourage the growth of cow-wheat by leaving large patches of bare ground. All these measures are vital for the survival of the butterfly without them the insect would die out within three or four years. Afi:er their initial release, numbers reached a rapid peak in 1991 and 1992, with easily 200 butterflies on the wing at the height of the flight period. The population appeared to dip quite markedly for a season or two following this, but the colony has gained momentum once again and can generally be seen flying plentifully in June. One particularly interesting facet of the Heath Fritillaries here is their tendency to have what is almost certainly a second brood. I count myself extremely fortunate to be one of very few people in this country (to my knowledge) who has witnessed this phenomenon, although it certainly occurs on the Continent. .. Having told my friend Don Down of my sightings he explored the site on the 12th September and found two flying; these are possible the latest ever Heath Fritillaries seen in the wild - unless someone out there knows differently of course! Of the other butterflies present, those with grass-feeding larvae are the most numerous; these include the Hedge and Meadow Browns and also the three Skipper species. The Speckled Wood can be very common but the droughts of recent years have not helped it here as elsewhere. Strangely, the Ringlet appears to have only a very tenuous hold, despite it faring much
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