SUFFOLK LEPIDOPTERA IN 1980 H. E.
CHIPPERFIELD
Although it was generally considered to be a late season, Apocheima pilosaria D. & S., the pale brindled beauty, put in an appearance at Walberswick on 9th February. This was followed by the emergence of Theria primaria Haw. (rupicapraria auct.), the early moth, on the 16th and Xylocampa areola Esp., the early grey, on the 29th. The first Biston strataria Hufn., oak beauty, came to my M.V. light on 27th March and my second Suffolk specimen of Acleris cristana D. & S., whitetufted button, a tortrix moth, on the 28th. This small insect emerges in the autumn and hibernates in blackthorn thickets, wrapping its wings partly round a twig, and appears on the wing again in the early spring. D체ring the last few days in March the commoner Orthosia species, the "Qu채kers", were in their usual numbers. In addition to being attracted to bright light these moths are commonly found feeding at sallow blossom after dark. The day-flying moth Archiearis parthenias Linn., orange underwing, was about in Blythburgh Fen Wood on 5th April and I saw the first Gonepteryx rharnni Linn., brimstone butterfly, at Walberswick on the 6th. Whilst beating a sallow bush in the Suffolk Trust's Reserve at Redgrave/Lopham Fen on the 19th of the month I was surprised to find a specimen of the tiny moth Heliozela sericiella Haw.. satin Lift, on my beating tray. Celastrina argiolus Linn., the holly blue butterfly, and Anthocharis cardamines Linn., the orange-tip, were both quite common in Suffolk, appearing first at Walberswick on the 4th and 13th May respectively. The holly blue was also quite common as a second brood in August. On 24th May the noctuid moth Lacanobia w-latinum Hufn.. light brocade. came to my M. V. trap and it proved to be rather more plentiful than usual. Chloroclystis chloerata Mab., the sloe pug, was first discovered in the British Isles in Surrey by Mr. E. C. Pelham-Clinton of the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, in May 1971. Hitherto it had been confused with its commoner relative C. rectangulata Linn., the green pug. Since its discovery it has been found in many counties in the southern half of England, but to date has escaped detection in Suffolk. However, I beat a larva out of blackthorn blossom at Brockdish just over the Norfolk border which produced a specimen of the moth on 3 Ist May. Surely this species only awaits discovery in Suffolk? On the way to a field meeting of the society at Lakenheath on 17th May I stopped for a while at Elveden and found larval casesof the coleophorid moth Coleophora laricella H체bn., the larch case-bearer, commonly on the larches and saw a Pararge aegeria Linn., the speckled wood butterfly, in the woods. Mr. R. Eley said this butterfly was very common in the King's Forest in 1980. D체ring 1979 and this year I have paid several visits to Rookery Farm. Monewden, at the invitation of the Honorary Warden Mrs. Evangeline Dickson, who is anxious to make as comprehensive a list as possible of all the wild-life on this reserve of the Suffolk Trust for Conservation. The meadow where insect recording takes place is rieh in interesting flora and has also a Trans. Suffolk
Nat. Soc. IS part 3.