The National Moth Conservation Project - Paul Waring

Moths have always been part of the remit of Butterfly Conservation but it is fair to say that little has been achieved during the first 25 years. The National Moth Conservation Project is project was developed by myself with the fonner Nature Conservancy Council (NCC). Since 1987 the Joint Nature Conservancy Committee (JNCC) has funded the work and now Butterfly Conservation has entered the frame, my position as National Moth Conservation Officer is providing an excellent opportunity to put moths finnly on the conservation map.

We have some 2,500 species of moth in Britain compared with 200,000 worldwide and it is our nature reserves, both local and national, which offer the best means of conservation study. With so many species and limited conservation funds it has been necessary to focus our attention closely on what we have identified as the 250 rarest species oflarger moths. National distribution maps have been developed and will soon be published in the fonn of an atlas.

Our infonnation is supplied by a national network of dedicated county moth recorders and is entered onto our computer database. Infonnation is also provided by the larger organisations such as the JNCC, the Biolo!,11cal Records Centre, Monks Wood and the Rothamsted Insect survey. At the moment, details are entered manually. The aim over the next few years is to transfer this activity to county level and to exchange data on disk which should enable more efficient manipulation of data for all.

Roger Kendrick is your Moth Conservation Officer, and if you want to get involved, contact him. He has an overview of all Branch moth-related activities and how they fit in with those of the other local conservation organisations. All moth records collected by Branch members should however, be sent to the County Recorder, Arthur Watchman (see back cover-Ed) .

Suffolk Branch can play a vital part in support of the pn:-.ject particularly as.the county is home to the following 'Nationally Scarce' and 'Red Data' 1 species: Barberry Carpet, Bright Wave, Four-spotted Moth, Forester Moth, Grey Carpet, Wonnwood, Goat Moth, Small Eggar, Marsh Moth as well as various Clcarwings.

The endangered Barberry Carpet in particular, could be a good figurehead for moth work within the Branch. It is k11own from only three sites in Britain, one of which is in Suffolk where even here survival is in doubt due to serious habitat damage caused by stubble burning in August, 1991. English Nature will be supporting work this year to assess its current status and development of a close working relationship can only enhance its conservation.

1 Red Data Book (RDB) species are found in fewer than IS 10 km squares in Britain. Nationallyscarce species are those which can be found in 16-100 of these grid squares 7 lHl~ SUFF()f,K ARGUS Vo/ 2

Wonnwood

Cucullia absinthii

0 Before. 1980 1980 Onwarlh

• lat"V;II tc00rd • Several &dull records • Single adult troord • J1 f•

The Marsh Moth, sadly, has not been recorded since 1968 when a singleton was recorded at Redgrave Fen, but who knows, organised field trips using the special location techniques which this species requires may yet reveal a lost colony!

Good luck with moths as well as butterflies in 1994. Paul Waring

Last summer, I carried out a survey of the Hawk moths of West Suffolk to the south of Bury St. Edmunds. My objective was to see if our resident Hawk-moths had suffered the same decline in numbers as butterflies since my schooldays in the late fifties. In those days, our garden shed and even my bedroom, was filled with sweet -jars and shoe boxes in which thrived several types of Hawk-moth caterpillars. In the midsixties, my long-suffering wife, then my fiancee, often had to endure sudden emergency stops in our old Ford Prefect simply because I had spotted a denuded twig in the hedgerow which betrayed the presence of a large Hawk-moth caterpillar.

I considered that a fairly regular and intensive search for caterpillars would give the best idea of population densities and secondarily, to record those adult species which visited my mercury vapour lamp in the garden. Of necessity, the former had to be limited to the stretch of the Al34 road to Sudbury, where I work, with the occasional detour through the villages ofLawshall, Cockfield and Stanningfield.

A start was made in mid-July. This is when one would expect to find the first follygrown caterpillars of both Poplar and Eyed Hawk-moths. Most years, these species are double-brooded, when the second generation of caterpillars are easy to find from early- to mid-September. When very small, most Hawk-moth larvae can be obtained easily by beating but later, they cling so tightly to their food plant that to dislodge them is impossible.

The first searches were somewhat disappointing; the only incident of note was that eighteen Eyed Hawk larvae were seen on one sallow bush next to the lay-by between Alpheton and Bridge Street. This was probably caused by a crippled female as most Hawk-moths lay their eggs singly or in pairs. Later in the summer, most Sallow bushes on this route yielded an Eyed-Hawk caterpillar or two. In spite of their good camouflage on this foliage, they are easy to find because of the large amount of leaves they consume although Lappet, Puss Moth and companies of Buff Tip larvae create the same effect.

Eyed l la\\'k-moth

In September, these same bushes became host to Poplar Hawk caterpillars which, although superficially similar in appearance, are much plumper and often adorned with reddish-brown patches along their backs. Both these species have very rough skin, almost like coarse sandpaper to touch. Other Poplar Hawks were foW1d on a weeping willow which overhangs a concrete area and their presence was betrayed by their droppings on the floor!

Privet Hawk-moth Shrubby grovvths of Ash in the hedgerows seem to be the prefexrnd food plant of the Privet Hawk in this area. Of the seventy or so caterpillars that I noted this year, only three were on Privet, three on Lilac and one each on Holly, Lonicera Nitida and Snowberry. I kept one or two caterpillars from each site and all twenty are still alive and healthy as pupae in March. This is quite different to those 1 kept as a schoolboy when many had been 'stung' by parasites.

I had a quick look early in the season arow1d the growth surrounding the stems of the avenue of Lime trees in Nowton Park. Small holes in the leaves usually meant a tiny Lime Hawk caterpillar was lying on the midrib underneath the leaf. They were in their dozens but tragically, on return to the site when the larvae should have been fully grown, I found all this growth had been completely cleared away. One wonders how many Lime Hawks perished in the interests of tidiness. However, I did find a few at the base of Lime trees at the approach to Sudbury Railway Station and a solitary specimen feeding on Birch on the disused Railway line walk in Great Whelnetham.

The same walk appears to be a good site for many moth larvae and here, I found three Large Elephant Hawk larvae on willowherb. I received reports of these being commonly fow1d, even in gardens in the middle of Sudbury, feeding on fuschia or grapevine. Strangely, these are caterpillars found most easily at night as they are very conspicuous in torchlight. Its near relative, the Small Elephant Hawk, I did not find in this area but in drier _

Breckland areas they are often quite common. This last species incidentally, will often feign death if handled and will hang limply over its food plant for up to an hour before resuming feeding

Elephant 1-lawk-moth

The Pine Hawks also seem to favour the drier Breckland areas in this county. One adult briefly visited my MV lamp but I noted them in the West Stow/Barton Mills/Mildenhall area sitting, sometimes in pairs, on pine tnmks during the day, usually at about eye-level. Those who operate portable moth traps in the King's Forest area, tell me that Pine Hawks often arrive in large numbers on a suitable night.

Our two remaining residents, the Broad- and Narrow-Bordered Bee Hawk-moths are both now regarded as threatened species. I have never found the latter but in previous years I had seen adult Broad-Bordered Hawks in Bradfield Woods, Haughley Park and at Fritton Lake, so I had assumed that this was largely a woodland species. However this year, on a day visit to Dunwich Heath, I was watching male Oak Eggar and Fox ' Moths dashing erratically over the heather close to the toilets and Coastguards Cottage. One plummeted into low honeysuckle growth and quite by accident, I found four Bee Hawk larvae feeding in a very exposed way on this same bush. A further wide search revealed others, very conspicuous because of their bright green overall colouring and reddish-brown undersides. I took a few home and like the Puss Moth caterpillar they turned into a dull maroon colour before pupating.

Just a comment or two on the mif,rrant Hawk Moths. One or two Bedstraw Hawks have visited the light in my garden but that was in 1992. The day-flying Hummingbird Hawk came to Buddleia and Jasmine even when it was raining hard ! Last year my wife planted Nicotiana (Tobacco Plant) and we were duly rewarded by a visiting Convoivulus Hawk-moth feeding whilst hovering at dusk. At that time of day, the erratic movement of the long white flowers in the still evening and the sound of rapid wing beats gave away its presence. However, I got too close and the moth just seemed to vanish in an instant. The Death's-head Hawk seems to be absent in some years, then reappears in moderate numbers. This was the case in 1992 but I did not see it last year.

Finally, I must just mention the highlight of all my moth-watching years which occurred in September, 1992. I was kneeling on the white sheet under a suspended

MV lamp and about to retire early, since half an hours watching had only produced two Angle Shades and a few of the inevitable late Silver Y's and Yell ow Underwings, when a large moth landed on the shoulder of my white Tee-shirt with quite a thump. I literally pinched myself to see if I was dreaming, because it was a perfect example of a Silver-striped Hawk - a very rare visitor indeed. It seemed quite mesmerised by the light and tamely settled down in a large cardboard box until I could photograph it next morning. In the evening it almost seemed reluctant to leave!

I hope the foregoing may indicate that our Hawk Moths have fared quite well in Suffolk over the years. Certainly the Privet, Poplar and Eyed Hawks are often abundant at the caterpillar stage this in spite of the comment from one livestock price list that these are 'seldom found in the wild now'. I hope one day to see the Spurge and the Striped Hawk Moths in this country but the beautiful Oleander Hawk might come my way during a Mediterranean holiday. However, I am trying to record the life - cycle of these fascinating insects on video tape, to watch during the long winter evenings. This year, 1994, I hpoe to carry out a similar survey of the Lasiocampidae the Lackeys, Lappets, Drinker and Eggars etc. and would be pleased to hear from other readers concerning both groups of moths. Mervyn Crawford

Jl_{tfiou/Jfi. I am a tlirougli and tliroug!i Cum6rian, I liave a specia( fondness for Sujfo(l 'My Cove of 6utterjfus first suifacetf tliere and two of my cliiUren were 6om in <Bury St. <Etfmurufs. I first remem6er tlie pface from way 6aci.)n tlie 1960's wlien I went to see my native Carfisfe p(ay a Cup - tie at <Portman <I(oatf an.a I we(( remem6er tliinfjng tfiat <East )1.ngfia was a woruf away. £ittfe auf I f._,now tlien tliat my fwme for 13 years wouU 6e in Cfure, West Sujfo(l

Jl_nyway, 6ac{to 6utterjftes and wliere it aff 6egan. I was watcfiinlJ a qreen 'Wooapecfisr in a Suffo({ woocffand and in fact was waiting for it to reappear wlien two 6utte,fftes caU[Jfit my eye in a sliaft of sunf1f}fit in a cCeari.ng. I watclied' tliem spira( up and aown for severa( minutes a6so(ute{y fascinatetf 6y tliem. Pinaffy, tliey settfea aruf 6egan to d'o wliat nature intended'. <[fie Wooapecfisr was soon forgotten and tlie /off.owing d'ay I 6oU[Jfit a 6utte,j[y identification guufe. rrfiey were 6utteif[tes I liad' never seen 6efore; mind you a([ 6utterjftes t<> a fuyman sucfi as I was., were aff Ca66age 'Wfiites or <Rja Jl_amiraCs. I quiclijy iaentifad' tliem as

I Speck_fetf Woods. Soon I was travellitl{J tlie fetl{Jtfi anti 6reatftli of Sujfof/i.;, (joinino tlie (B(JJCS as it was tlien) anti tlie Suffo[k, 'Wi[d[ife 'Trust. <Tliis was a6out 1977 wlien tliere was no effective Suffo(k,<Brancli of <Butterfly Conservation. Later I started to venture out a 6it furtlierinto tlie surrounai111J counties anti u[timate[y a[[ over tlie VJ( anti 6eyontf.

So, wliere inSuffo[{tfo I reca[[ as 6eitl{J my favourite 6utteif[y liaunts? <Tlie (J)evi['s (J)itcfi in :Newmarl<gt (See Events List. Ed.) lias to 6e top of my fut, not 6ecause of its profusion of 6utte,jfies 6ut 6ecause I was cfrawn to it li.k.§ a magnet. It is of great 6otanicaf interest 6ut lias sucfi 6utteif[y species as <Brown }trgus, (Jreen Jfairstreat Comma, Watr <Brown af.ong witfi a[[ tfie more common species. I reca[[ seei111J 13 aifferent insects tfiere on a good tfay. It was pfeasino to reatf tliat we liave recent[y fount£ tlie Cliaff_,fii[[ <B{ue aoain tfiere.

rrlietford (forest is a&o we[[ up on my fut of favoured sites. }t[tfiou.gfi main[y conifers, enou.gli. oufer 6roatf-Ceavecf wootffanti lias 6een Ceft to 6e of interest anti tfiere are many witfe ritfes anti cfeari711Js. Species sucfi as (Jrizz{ec{ SR;jpper certain[y used to 6e tliere, afotl{J witli. (J)i711Jy SR;jpper, Sma[[, <Essex.anti Large SR;jppers. (Jrayli.111J anti Comma, Speck,fed Woods 6y tfie fiuntiretf, Smaff Coppers anti qreen Jfairstreaf?J. Cavenham Jfeatli. was tfie pfuce for (Jrayli.nos fiowever, anti it afso Cook.§d good for Sifver-studaed <B{ue tfiou.gli none_. were ever fount£, anti nor liave tliey 6een tliere as far as I k,now. }t li.igfiftgfit of every season li.owever, was tfie annua{ tret or tref?J across to <East Suffo{{to see tfie Sifver-studs on :M.artfesliam Jfeatli.. %ere were not many fiouses tfien anti tliere were <Bf ues 6y tfie fiuntf recf afo711J witli. great num6ers of otfier species. I fast visited:M.artfesliam in 1992 wli.ifst in tfie area on 6usiness anti managed to see tfie fast few Si{ver-studaed <B{ues of tfie season. It Cooi<gd to me as if tfie fwuse 6uiufi.1llJ lias now 6een curtaif.ed 6ut not witfiout serious f.oss of quali.ty lia6itat. It now remains to 6e seen wfietfier tliey can survive tfie greater presence of li.umans, clogs, 6il<gs et a[ ff'rom :M.artfesliam I a{ways went up to <Rstuffesliam anti 'Tunstaff (6efore tfie gafes 6few tfiem clown) in tfie fiope of seei711J Wli.ite }tdmira[ in Suffo[li.:, I never auf see one.

I returnee[ to five in Soutli. Lal<gfunti fiere in Cum6ria in 1989 anti I 6rou.gfit witfi me my Cove of 6utte,jfies wli.icli. lias grown even stronoer O'Ver tfie years. It is a tfeligli.t to 6e a6fe to see 3 7 species now in Cum6ria antf 29 of tfiem witliin a few mifes of my fiome. Species sucfi as Scotcli.}trgus, <DarfiJ}reen ff'ritiffary antf tfiere are so many

Jfigfi <Brown <Fritiffaries a6out you wouuf wotu:ferwfiat aff tlie fuss was a6out conceming tlieir survival Large Jfeatfis j[y just across tlie river an.1" up in tlie <Feffs are :Mountain (Rjngfets.

I spena mucfi of my time now doing conservation worli_,in Cum6ria witfi tlie :Nortfz of <Eng [a.,u[ CBrancli. 'We are on[y just 18 montfis oU 6ut afreatfy nave 4 major 6utteif[y conservation projects under way. 'We are focusing on tlie :Marsfz <Fritiffary (my specia[ interest) and fzope to expand tlie present num6er of 4 sites. Otlier major projects ongoing are in respect of tfie <DuR.§ of <Burgundy anaJ{igfz <Brown <Fritiffaries and tlie :Mountain CJ?j:ngfet. 'We cfesperate[y want to work,on tlie fast declining <PearC-6ortferea <Friti«ary and tlie (])ark, green <Friti«ary afong witfz tlie Smaff <B[ue 6ut fack,of liuman resources restricts our progress.

If any mem6ers stray up to Cum6ria, I wiff 6e on[y to pfeasea to give you news of sigfztings or sites for some of our speciafi.ties e~ept for tlie :Marsli <Fritiffary wfiicli is so tlireatened tfiat we try to ~ep its presence under wraps. Jfave a good 1994 season, I for one am foofjng forward to it ( as tlie strong wina and rain 6atter my window on tliis dank,6f.eak,'.M.arcli day!). Steve (J)oyfe

Where might you expect to find around two-thirds of the County's butterflies on one site? Wolves Wood? Maybe the King's Forest? Minsmere? Almost certainly. But how about a small site which is not even an SSSI, let alone a well known Nature Reserve? The place to which I refer is a small part of Rushmere Heath known as Bixley Fann, situated between Ipswich and Kesgrave. It is a well-walked area of rough grassland. gorse and mixed hedgerow (including both Oak and Elm) close to residential development.

As the list below shows, personally I have encountered 21 of the 31 species we may see in Suffolk in an average year. My records consist of: Small, Essex and Large Skippers; Large, Small and Green- veined Whites; Green, Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks; Small Copper; Common and Holly Blues;. Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock & Comma; Grayling, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Sm11II Heath & Ringlet. Perhaps surprisingly, I have yet to record Orange Tip, Wall or Painted Lady. In a good year, I might even see Clouded Yellow and could expect the count to increase still further. This could mean a remark.able 25 of the potential 31 species on one small suburban site, which clearly reflects the im:>artance of this magical little spot. It is perhaps worth noting the 6 species one would not expect to see: Dingy Skipper. Brimstone. Silver-studded Blue. Brown Argus, White Admiral or Speckled Wood.

Fortunately, Suffolk Coastal District Council, who have recently taken possession of this land as Public Open Space, are drawing up a management plan to conserve the natural interest whilst allowing continued use for informal recreation. We have been in touch with them about the site and its management. and look forward to helping with it in future.

Why not pop along yourself or come and see the area with other members of the Group on 23rd July ? It should be well worth it. (See Events List). In the meantime, tell us abou: your own favourite spot and we will be delighted to include your observations in a future issuP. of the SUFFOLK AR6US. Steve Goddard

SUFFOLK BRANCH CONT ACTS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Any of our members who feel they would like to contribute to the growing work of the committee, in however small a way. If you feel you could coordinate our show programme, run a small sales operation, produce the newsletter, keep the books or just help out now and then, contact Andrew Phillips on 0206 322908

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

Ron Bridle, Brook Hall Cottage, Grays Lane, Wissett, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 0JT (0986 781392)

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Steve Goddard, 47 Colchester Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 3BT (0473 252598)

PRESS OFFICER (OPERATION BUTTERFLY)

Diane Firmin, 11 Rowan Close, Stanway, Colchester, Essex CO3 5QJ (0206 331183)

CONSERVATION OFFICER (MOTHS)

Roger Kendrick, c/o BSc Conservation Mgt, Otley College, Otley, Suffolk (0473 785543)

CONSERVATION OFFICER & COUNTY RECORDER (BUTTERFLIES) Richard Stewart, 63 Belstead Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 8BD (0473 688725)

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Adrian Hart, Wood Cottage, High Corner, Butley, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP4 SAQ (0394 450994)

Alan Johnson, 28 Medway Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 0QH (0473 715701)

Michael & Jenny Kelsey, 25 Prospect Place, Leiston, Suffolk IP16 4AL (0728 830975)

Janice Pritchard, 89 Leopold Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 4RN (0473 718137)

CHAIRMAN

Andrew Phillips, Swallow House, Long Road West, Dedham, Essex CO7 6ES (0206 322908)

PRESIDENT

Howard Mendel, c/o Ipswich Museum, High St, Ipswich, Suffolk IPI 3QH (0473 213761)

COUNTY RECORDF:R (MOTHS)

Arthur Watchman, Onchan, Back Lane, Monks Eleigh, Suffolk IP7 7BA

Published by the Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation (The British Butterfly Conservation Society Ltd ). Reg. No. 2206468. Registered address: Tudor House, Quorn, Loughborough, Leics LE12 8AD. Reg. Charity No. 254937. Head Office PO Box 222, Dedham, Essex CO7 6EY. Tel. (0206) 322342. Edited by Steve Goddard. Printed by Greg Herbert & Sons. Logo Silver-studded Blue by Doug Hammersley. Designed and produced by Andrew Phillips. © 1994 All rights reserved.