A single specimen of Oxyptilus laetus was recorded to light on in St John, Guernsey on 29th June. A male confirmed by dissection

I don't know how far the species has spread in W Sussex but Jersey Tiger recorded here the night of 5th August

Male Clouded Yellow (C. croceus) in my Highworth garden on 7 August.

Atropos migrant insect review – end July/early August 2011

The weather during the second half of July was largely unsettled with occasional warm and sunny spells. The first few days of August have been rather humid in the south producing some interesting sightings. It was generally quite poor for immigration with low numbers of regular migrants although a few exciting rarities appeared.

The dragonfly highlight has been the moderate influx of Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope with frequent records from Kent (mainly at the Long Pits, Dungeness) until at least 5 August. Records also came from Windmill Hill N.R., Cornwall, on 30th July; Blashford Lakes, Hampshire, until at least 3 August and Moors Valley C.P., Dorset, on 25th July. Well inland were singletons at Wintersett Reservoir, West Yorkshire, on 1 August and near Morton Bagot, Warwickshire, on 15th July – the latter the first County record.

Up to two male Southern Migrant Hawker Aeshna affinis were providing good views again at Hadleigh Marshes, Essex, until at least 1 August with a further record of a female on the Kent marshes the same day. Two Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii were seen at Windmill Hill N.R., Cornwall on 30th July and a male at Southampton Common, Hampshire on 1 August.

Damselflies included a Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus reported from Bulworthy Ponds, Devon, on 31st July. Willow Emerald Damselfly Lestes viridis were recorded at Moors Valley C.P., Dorset, on 30 July; at Hadleigh Marshes, Essex, on 1 August and at various sites in Suffolk including Staverton Lakes, Bromeswell and Alton Water.

Few migrant butterflies were reported – the odd Clouded Yellow Colius croceus and Painted Lady Vanessa cardui with higher numbers of Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta including 18 at Bradwell, Suffolk, on 19 July. On the Channel Islands Large Tortoiseshell Aglais polychloros put in a good showing with dozens seen on Sark, although on Alderney five were seen, which is about average.

Late July saw the tally of Small Marbled Eublemma parva exceed a hundred individuals. The majority of records have come from Dorset. However new County records were made when singles appeared in Norwich, Norfolk on 18th July and one well north on Bute, Argyll and Bute, on 27 July.

The most exciting immigrant moth recorded during this period was the Three-humped Prominent Notodonta tritophus at Dymchurch, Kent, on 2 August (John Owen). Most of the recent records of tritophus have come from south-east Kent. This was the second capture of tritophus for the observer at Dymchurch – one of the previous dozen or so British records was recorded at this site in July 1998.

Quite an influx of Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles gallii occurred mainly in the second half of July with records from Lerwick and Scatness, Shetland, on 12th and 18th; Tynemouth, Northumberland, on 15th; Spurn, East Yorkshire, on 17th, 20th and 22nd; Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire, on 1 August; St. Margaret’s at Cliffe, Kent, on 26th; Dungeness, Kent on 27th; Portland, Dorset, on 20th and 21st and well inland at Woodnewton, Northamptonshire, on 30th. Associated with this influx was a small arrival of immigrant Great Brocade Eurois occulta but not on the scale we have seen in recent years. A record from Alsager, Cheshire on 20 July is noteworthy.

One Striped Hawk-moth Hyles livornica light-trapped at Higher Poynton, Cheshire, on 19 July was an excellent record so far north. Immigrant Dark Crimson Underwing Catocala sponsa were recorded on the night of 2 August at Dungeness, Kent; in Essex and Landguard, Suffolk. A Bright Wave Idaea ochrata away from the Kentish localities at Lovedean, Hampshire, on 20 July followed hot-on-the-heels of the Portland record earlier in the season.

Further records of the rare immigrant plume moth Oxyptilus laetus came from Bishop’s Hill, Warwickshire, on 15 July and from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on 2 August.

Atropos would like to thank you for your contributions to the Flight Arrivals webpage. Please keep posting your migrant news and we look forward to an exciting August.

Night of Friday 5 August (with John Chainey & Jenny Spence):

Rest Harrow - one to twin 30W actinic light - the second site and fourth County record.

Dark Sword-grass - 1

Tree-lichen Beauty - 2 (almost certainly resident here).

Ant-lion - 3 at light

Night of 5th August, White-point in garden trap.

Night of 5th August - White-point 3 to MV in garden

Night of 05 August
Two Metalampra italica and a Four-spotted to MV

Night of 4/8/11 : Monopis monachella found in our bathroom last night attracted to light - presumably from a local population but never recorded in our garden before.

Night of 4th August 2011 - Dotted footman to 125w Robinson trap in the garden.