COMMENTS AND NOTES ON SOME SUFFOLK MOTHS 2012
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COMMENTS AND NOTES ON SOME SUFFOLK MOTHS IN 2012 A. W. PRICHARD The year started with a generally mild and dry spell and March was particularly warm and sunny. This was followed by a cold and wet April and it was not until the latter part of May that conditions improved with increasing spells of sunshine and warmer night. Conditions deteriorated as summer approached and the period to September was dominated by long periods of cool wet weather. September and October saw an easing of the rainfall and a return of some sunny weather but by this time the peak of the recording season was over and it was mainly the coastal stations that benefited from the warm autumnal nights with an influx of migrants. Many recorders commented that this was the worst recording season in memory and not only were numbers of adult moths appearing at light in low numbers but searches for larvae and leaf-mines were not as productive as expected. With all the gloom during such a poor recording season and worries about collapsing moth populations there were still observations of note and the discovery of several species new to the county. During a visit by Paul Bryant to Wolves Wood RSPB Reserve on 21 May with the objective of searching for Micropterix tunbergella (Fab.), as it was known to occur ar the site, some Micropterix were found on hawthorn blossom but on closer examination these proved to be M. mansuetella Zeller. Both of these species of Micropterix have been rarely recorded in the county, particularly the latter species, which has not been recorded since its only sighting at Stowmarket in 1859. A subsequent visit by Neil Sherman found that the moth could be more readily found feeding on sedge flowers and it may well be that future searching of sedge flowers in May and June could lead to the discovery of further colonies at other sites. The Suffolk Moth Group held one of its moth nights at Old Hall Wood near Bentley on 29 June, which was intended as a general survey meeting. Weather conditions on the night were reasonably favourable despite a breeze and several lights were spread out amongst the more deciduous parts of the wood. The recording of twelve adults of Olive Crescent Trisateles emortualis (D. & S.) was rather unexpected, especially as the moth group had previously visited this site and other sites in the area to look for this species and failed to find any evidence of it. The conclusion drawn was that the species was likely to have colonised the wood recently.Three Red-necked Footman Atolmis rubricollis (L.) were also recorded and probably indicates that there is a local population of this species in the wood. Other species of note recorded at the meeting included Shaded Fan-foot Herminia tarsicrinalis (Knock), Spatalistis bifasciana (HĂźbner), Dioryctria sylvestrella (Ratzeburg) and a single Assara terebrella (Zincken). The latter species is infrequently recorded in Suffolk but with plenty of its foodplant Norway Spruce Picea abies in the wood the habitat would appear suitable. A short survey for the larvae of Olive Crescent was carried out in late September to gain further evidence of colonisation of the wood and other nearby woods. Several larvae were found at Old Hall Wood (NS and TP, 22 September) and also at Great Martins Wood (TP, 23 September) and
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 49 (2013)