Wildlife in Depth – Moths

Moth recording in 2000

A total of 433 moth species (333 macros, 100 micros) were recorded within the vicinity of the Rye Harbour SSSI during 2000. Twenty of these (16 macros, four micros) were new to the site list, including Poplar Lutestring Tethea or, Oak Lutestring Cymatophorima diluta, Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe desinata, Sharp-angled Carpet Euphyia unangulata, Slender Pug Eupithecia tenuiata, Lunar Thorn Selenia lunularia, Clouded Buff Diacrisia sannio, Marbled White Spot Lithacodia pygarga, Scarce Silver-lines Bena prasinana and Pinion-streaked Snout Schrankia costaestrigalis.

A summary of migrants and scarcer resident species follows. County status information is taken from ‘A Revised History of the Butterflies and Moths of Sussex’ by C. Pratt.

Festoon A. limacodes. One on 6 August was the first site record.

Diamond-back Moth P. xylostella. Recorded between 2 June and 19 September, with frequent records for most of this period. Peak counts were 51 and 54 in two different traps on 3 June and 30 on 24 July.

Platytes alpinella. Two records: singles on 20 July and 7 August.

Cynaeda dentalis. Recorded on nine dates between 5 July and 13 August with a maximum of five on 24 July.

Rusty-dot Pearl U. ferrugalis. Frequently recorded between 2 June and 22 October, although scarcer during July. Additionally, two were trapped on 28 November. Peak counts were 16 on 9 September and 14 on 24 and 25 August.

Mecyna flavalis. One flew off an eggbox before being chased frantically around a Winchelsea Beach garden on the morning of 9 August. Fortunately it was recaptured, providing the second confirmed Sussex record away from its one known site at Wilmington in over 60 years.

Rush Veneer N. noctuella. Frequently trapped between 7 June and 26 October, although none in early July. Peak trap-counts were 254 on 22 September and 139 on 28 September.

Melissoblaptes zelleri. One recorded on 7 August.

Pempelia genistella. Singles recorded on 20, 24 and 25 July are the 6th to 8th site records.

Sciota adelphella. Two were attracted to separate mv traps on 28 June, providing the first Sussex records.

Gymnancyla canella. One was trapped on 7 August – the second site record.

Pale Grass Eggar L. trifolii flava. Two larvae were found on 19 June. Adults were recorded on six dates from 19 July to 12 August. Peak counts were 17 on 6 August and 12 on 12 August. These records are especially significant considering that only 22 individuals had been previously recorded, all from 1995 onwards.

Scarce Hook-tip S. harpagula. One trapped on 26 August appears to be the first British record away from its breeding area in Gloucestershire/ Monmouthshire.

Vestal R. sacraria. One recorded on 1 July followed by five on 26 August and singles on 27 and 31 August and 22 September.

Gem O. obstipata. Recorded on 16 dates from 3 June to 22 October with a maximum of four on 4 August.

Cypress Carpet T. cupressata. One trapped on 28 November was the first site record and the second in E. Sussex.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth A. convolvuli. Singles were recorded on 17 July, 24 September and 28 September. A fully grown larva was also found in the autumn.

Humming-bird Hawk-moth M. stellatarum. Singles were observed during the day on 21 and 30 June, 5 July, 9 September and 21 October, and one was attracted to mv light on 9 September.

Bedstraw Hawk-moth H. galii. One trapped on 5 July was three years to the day after the previous site record, and at the same trap site.

Pygmy Footman E. pygmaeola. Recorded on 13 dates from 3 July to 13 August with maxima of 30 on 24 July and 20 on 30 July. A record year. The previous best day total was eight.

Four-spotted Footman L. quadra. One on 19 June and two the following day were the first site records.

Jersey Tiger E. quadripunctaria Recorded for the fourth consecutive year, with the flight period significantly later than in previous years. Occurred in August on 21st, 26th (2), 27th and 28th, and on 7 September. All were attracted to mv light. The ten previous records fell between 3 and 21 August.

Dark Sword-grass A. ipsilon. Recorded from 21 April to 23 October, although only four records prior to 2 June. By far the best day was 9 September which produced 146 including 76 in one mv trap. This influx was the largest recorded in Sussex for over 40 years and was not apparent further west in the county.

Pearly Underwing P. saucia. Frequently recorded during two periods: 16 June to 5 July and 27 August to 26 October. There were no records during the intervening period. Peak counts were seven plus on 20 June and seven on 19 October.

White-point M. albipuncta. Frequent records, all within two periods: 2 to 24 June and 8 August to 20 September, with a maximum of five on 26 August.

Delicate M. vitellina. One recorded on 26 August, then on nine dates from 20 September to 4 October with a maximum of three on 4 October.

White-speck M. unipuncta. Singles trapped on 29 September, 19 October and 21 October were the 2nd to 4th site records.

The Cosmopolitan M. loreyi. One trapped on 4 October was the second site record.

Flame Brocade T. flammea. Singles at the same trap site on 18, 19 and 22 October perhaps involved two different individuals. There is one previous site record from 1997.

Small Mottled Willow S. exigua. Ten individuals noted in total: on 15 and 20 June, five dates from 12 August to 9 September, and 23 September.

Scarce Bordered Straw H. armigera. Singles appeared at the same trap site on 25 and 29 September and 3 and 4 October.

Bordered Straw H. peltigera. One or two were noted on five dates, 19-30 June, then singles on 31 July and 25 August, two on 26 August and singles on 25 and 28 September. Larvae were fairly common during early August on Sticky Groundsel Senecio viscosus.

Small Marbled E. parva. One trapped on 29 June was the first site record.

Buttoned Snout H. rostralis. One on 15 June was the first site record, and only the fourth Sussex record in 30 years.

Butterflies included good numbers of Clouded Yellow Colias croceus, with the first two noted on 9 June, then frequently from mid June to early October with highest numbers from August onwards, although all reports were in single figures. Painted Ladies Cynthia cardui were also in moderate numbers from early June. A Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae on 14 June was a good site record, as was a Marbled White Melanargia galathea on 27 July. Brown Argus Arisia agestis appeared to be in good numbers, and breeding was confirmed with the discovery of a larva on Common Stork’s-bill Erodium cicutarium.