Some moths of 1930

108

S O M E MOTHS O F

1930.

SOME MOTHS OF

1930.

ALL Ipswich, Monks' Eleigh, Hemley and Bentley captures were made by the Bishop (Bp.) ; all the Revd. A. P. Waller's are from the Waldringfield district (W.) ; and the few from Brandon, Gorleston, etc., were secured by the Hon. Secretary (M.).

Four additions to the Suffolk List (Trans, i. 1929, p. 30) have been effected by Dr. Whittingham :—Sericoris fuligana, Haw., at Waldringfield ; Gelechia junctella, Dougl., at Ipswich ; Ergatis brizella, Tr., Hemley ; and Anacampsis vorticella, Scop., also at Hemley.

SPHINGES.

Acherontia Atropos, L., larva was found in Monks' Soham during September and went to earth on 13th. ; Sphinx convolvuli, L., taken in the same village and given to me dead and stiff on l l t h October (M.). Macroglossa fuciformis, L., Aying at bügle flower in Old Hall wood in early June (Dr. Vinter).

Liparis monacha, L., larva beaten at same place and time (Doughty).

NOCTUJE.

One fine Cymatophora ocularis, L., at sugar in July ; Senta ulvae, Hb., a few Aying over reeds in July (W.) ; Leucania favicolor, Barr., one only at WaldringAeld in July (Wiltshire) ; L. lithargyria, Esp., Cerigo cytherea, F., Caradrina cubicularis, WV. and Cosmia affinis, L., were upon sugar at Gorleston in early August (M.) ; many of the common Orthosiids came to ivy, their favourite pabulum, in October for a few nights, then the attraction seemed to fall off (W.) ; one Calocampa vetusta, Hb., at ivy in October at Burgh Castle (Doughty) ; Mania typica, L., at light in Southwold during September (M.). One Toxocampa pastinum, Tr., taken at Waldringfield in July by Revd. Trevor Waller [very rare with us : Tuddenham and Elmswell in 1897 (Sparke) ; Norton (Norgate) ; Herringswell Fen at light, vii, 1903 (Morley).—ED.], GEOMETRIE.

Saw several Acidalia trigeminata, Haw., which C. G. Barrett considered rare in Suffolk and I had not seen in any plenty for many years (W.) ; Macaria notata, L., at Bentley, with Eupithecia linariata, WV., at Monks' Eleigh and E . exiguata, Hb., E . sobrinata, Hb., and E . coronata, Hb., all at Ipswich (Bp.) ; Coremia quadrifasciaria, L., was unusually common ; this season (W.).

SOME MOTHS OF 1930.

109

Pyralides.

Cleodobia angustalis, WV., was fairly common in marshes and Herbula caespitalis, WV., in dry pastures (W.) ; both Hydrocampa stagnata, Don., and H. nymphaeata, L., at Brandon staunch, with Scopula lutealis, Haw., at Lackford bridge, late in July (M.) ; one or two Crambus falsellus, WV., came to light; a few Chilo phragmitellus, Hb., were taken ; and Homaeosoma sinuella, F., came to light with Phycis betulae, GĂśze (W.).

Pterophori.

Platyptilia Bertrami, Ross., was taken at dusk at Brandon on 31st July ; Pterophorus pterodactylus, Hb., occurred at Foxboro' Wood in Blythburgh on 3rd October and in Monks' Soham House on both 15th and 29th October (M.).

Tortices.

Tortrix Forsterana, Dup., at Ipswich ; Peronea sponsana, F., and Teras caudana, F., in Blythburgh woods (Bp.) ; a nice series of Antithesia salicella, L., was taken during July in a confined area round one willow-tree (W.) ; Spilonota ocellana, WV., Ipswich (Bp.) and abundant on Gorleston palings in early August (M.) ; Stigmonota internana, Gn., plentiful but decidedly local among gorse at the end of May ; Pyrodes Rheediella, Cler., a few Aying over hawthorn (W.); Phoxopteryx lactana, F., at Ipswich ; Grapholitha ramella, L., in Blythburgh woods and G. trimaculana, Don., at Hemley ; Paedisca bilunana, Haw., at Bentley [Pyett took this species at Ipswich in both 1897 and 1898-—Ed.] and very dark forms of P. corticana, WV., at Hemley (Bp.) ; Halonota cirsiana, Zell., on a Brandon wall in July (M.) ; both H. nigricostana, Haw., and H. faenella, L., at Hemley (Bp.) ; three Dicrorampha quaestionana, Zell., at Ramsholt and D. simpliciana, Haw., was common at Hemley among Artemisia (W.), as well as on Gorleston palings in early August (M.). Coccyx nanana, Tr., at Ipswich ; Catoptria candidulana, Nolck, at Hemley; and Eupaecilia notulana, Zell., also at Hemley (Bp.).

Tine^e.

Scardia cloacella, Haw., Waldringfield ; a number of Tinea tapetzella, L., in my stable, hitherto unnoticed there ; T. semifulvella, Haw., at light in June ; Incurvaria musculella, WV., abundant on hawthorn hedges in early May (W.) ; I. (Ehlmanniella, Hb., one in Monks' Soham hedge on 6th June (M.) ; several Nemophora Schwarziella, Zell., noticed at end of May (W.) ; Plutella cruciferarum, Zell., abundant on Gorleston

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SOME MOTHS OF 1930.

palings in early August (M.) ; Depressaria atomella, Hb., Ipswich ; Gelechia semidecandriella, Threl., Hemley ; G. (Teleia) vulgella, Hb., Ipswich (Bp.) and on hawthorn (W.) ; G. (Recurvaria) leucatella, Cler., Ipswich (Bp.) and one at Waldringüeld (W.) ; G. (Nannodia) stipella, L., Ipswich (Bp.) and several among Atriplex at Sutton ; G. Hermannella, F., end of May ; G. (Tachyptilia) populella, L., bred from larvae on aspen (W.) ; G. (Parasia) lapella, L., Ipswich ; G. (Sophromia) semicostella, Hb., Hemley ; (Ecophora lunaris, Haw., Ipswich [Felixstow in 1901 and Orford in 1902 (Gibbs) ; common at Ipswich in 1898 and 1901 (Pyett)—ED.] ; (E. lambdella, Don., Waldringfield (Bp.); CE. minutella, L., on wall in Southwold on 2nd October (M.); (Ecogenia quadripuncta, Haw., one at light (W.) ; Argyresthia ephippiella, F., and A. Brochella, Hb., both common on Gorleston palings on 4th August (M.) ; A. spiniella, Zell., Ipswich; Batrachedra pinicolella, Dup., Ipswich; Elachista Gleichenella, F., Hemley ; E. rufocinerea, Haw., Ipswich (Bp.) ; E. cerussella, Hb., among reeds (W.) ; Bucculatrix maritima, Stn., Hemley salterns (Bp. and W.).

S E A K A L E ON S H I N G L E . — F o r the last twenty years I have been familiar with that dreary waste of shingle which lies between the mouth of the River Blyth and the Dunwich cliffs ; but it was not until October 1919 that I noticed a luxuriant growth of Vegetation, then sere, which proved to be Seakale (Crambe maritima, L.). Hind's Flora of Suffolk refers to it as formerly occurring on Dunwich beach, but believed in 1889 to be extinct in the county.

I have an explanation, which may or may not appeal to our botanists : during the war our soldiers excavated quite a substantial dug-out with approachtrenches among the shingle—no mean achievement ! — and it was in the immediate neighbourhood of their Operations that the Seakale sprang up. My theory is that the seeds of yore are yet on the beach, but so overwhelmed with the thickness of superimposed shingle that they cannot germinate ; and that, when the military redan decayed, enough of the adjoining shingle feil into the excavations to enable the seeds at that place to germinate and produce the growth I noticed.

The following year I could find only five or six plants; and the year after I found none, nor have I seen one since that time.

This particular part of the beach was, I think, piled up with shingle some years ago, and looks as if it had not been reached by the sea since then.

As the Seakale is said to be perennial, its speedy disappearance after 1919 seems to require explanation.—C. G. DOUGHTY.