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Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 46
afternoon of the meeting was spent at Hinderclay Fen where among the fifty plus species recorded were the more localised Coleophora milvipennis Zeller and C. follicularis (Vallot), both poorly recorded species in the county. A species that proves very elusive for many moth recorders is the Early Long-horn Adela cuprella (D. & S.). Nationally, this species is very localised and erratic in appearance, abundant one year and then scarce or absent for several years after. Where it does occur, the adults can be seen flying around the flowers of sallow bushes in early spring. The eggs are laid on the sallow flowers and the larva later feeds in a case on withered leaves underneath the sallow bushes. It is a species I have made repeated searches for in the county over the years without success. The appearance of the moth at Ipswich Golf Course in April this year [NS, 2–12 April] is the only modern Suffolk record of the moth that I am aware of. NS reported that at its peak about 100 individuals were seen flying around flowering sallow bushes. It is unlikely to have been over-looked previously at this well-recorded site. The status of the Goat Moth Cossus cossus (L.) in the county is a cause for some concern with records now appearing to come from two main areas only – from the north-west of the county around Mildenhall and Lakenheath and in the south-east of the county around Ipswich, Woodbridge and the area up to Aldeburgh. The moth was recorded at two of the moth group events in the north-west of the county during 2009, the first at Maidscross Hill, Lakenheath on 12 June, when two adults were attracted to light, and a little later at Lakenheath RSPB Reserve on 3 July when a singleton was recorded. I later received a report from a member of the public of a wandering caterpillar of this species being found in the town of Lakenheath itself. This would seem to indicate that a reasonable population in the area. The county distribution of the Forester Moth Adscita statices (L.) seems now to be limited to Breckland, almost certainly due to a loss and degradation of open grassland habitats over a long period of time. Even in Morley’s time the species was thought to have declined and be restricted to north-east Suffolk but I have no further records of the moth from this area. Sharon Hearle (SH) of Butterfly Conservation has been doing some work on various management regimes to promote the Grey Carpet Lithostege griseata (D. & S.) in Breckland and this has had some unexpected benefits as the thistles and Viper’s Bugloss Echium vulgare growing on the strips of disturbed ground produced as part of the management regime have attracted the Forester Moth. SH observed the moth from the following sites in 2009 - West Stow, Barnhamcross Common, Maidscross Hill, Mildenhall, parts of the King’s Forest, Cavenham Heath and Wangford. This has helped alleviate to an extent some of the concerns about this species as it has not been recorded that frequently in recent years and at some known sites for the moth the habitat appears degraded, in one case at least due to conservation work undertaken. It could well be that this species is more widespread than thought but poorly recorded, it can be hard to see when flying with its dark hindwings and green forewings, being more reminiscent of a flying beetle. If a site lacks nectar sources on which the moth may be seen feeding it may well be over-looked. Over the years I have given the occasional thought to the value of an alltime moth list for the county - and a particular question that keeps recurring is
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 46 (2010)