3 more Rannoch Loopers here to light at Wadhurst, East Sussex last night.

Andy

2 Rannoch Loopers in garden last night and this morning.

4 Rannoch Loopers in my garden traps in Ramsgate Kent half a mile form the coast on night of 4/6/2011

Atropos migrant insect review – end-May/early June 2011

Following the excitement of the first half of May, the latter half was somewhat disappointing, mainly due to the predominantly westerly winds. There was a north/south divide concerning rainfall with the south experiencing very dry conditions and the north plenty of rain. Insect migration was restricted to a handful of the more regular species. As there was little to report for late May and June has already begun in fine style, this summary includes updates from the first few days of June.

Mid to late May was an excellent time to get out and see resident Odonata, wiith many species on the wing earlier than usual. Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isoceles were showing at various East Anglian sites (near Beccles, Suffolk, and at Strumpshaw, Norfolk) and White-faced Darters Leucorrhinia dubia were at Whixall Moss, Shropshire. Following the rediscovery in Britain of Dainty Damselfly Coenagrion scitulum last year, the species has appeared again on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, in the first few days of June, thus enabling many observers to see this mythical damselfly for the first time. A single Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope was noted at Land’s End, Cornwall, on 3 June.

Migrant butterflies were restricted to small numbers of the regular species. With the warm, dry and sunny conditions it too was a good time to be out in the field to enjoy the scarcer residents. Swallowtail Papilio machaon were giving great views at Strumpshaw and other Norfolk localities and on the south coast Glanville Fritillaries Melitaea cinxia were out in numbers. Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja was flying in Derbyshire and High Brown Fritillary Argynnis adippe in Devon – both on the very early date of 19 May.

Rare and scarce immigrant moths really were in short supply in the latter half of May; the highlights being Vestal Rhodometra sacraria at Docking, Norfolk, on 20 May and a Delicate Mythimna vitellina at Portland, Dorset, on 26 May. A widespread arrival of Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum was evident and then it was down to the level of common immigrants like Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon and Silver Y Autographa gamma. A single Dewick’s Plusia Macdunnoughia confusa at Hayling Island, Hampshire, on the night of 1 June was the second record we have heard of this year.

You will have read the many postings of Rannoch Looper Itame brunneata sightings on the website. For the third successive year observers in the south have had the chance to catch one. This widespread arrival between Cornwall and Suffolk (including Dorset, Somerset, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Essex and the Channel Islands) is still ongoing. As in previous years, their arrival has coincided with a marked arrival of Red-necked Footman Atolmis rubricollis – with the first records of this species on Portland, Dorset, on the night of 3 June. Also presumably emanating from the same source was the Bordered Gothic Heliophobus reticulata at Landguard, Suffolk, and Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles galii at Holmbury St. Mary, Surrey, on the night of 3 June.

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 June. Immigrant moths can include Gem Orthonama obstipata, Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua or Bordered Straw Heliothis peltigera in June or possibly something rarer like Small Marbled Eublemma parva or Purple Marbled Eublemma ostrina.

1 TOADFLAX BROCADE TO 22 WATT ACTINIC IN MY EASTBOURNE GARDEN, ON THE EVENING OF JUNE 4TH.

Friday, 3rd June

A Rannoch Looper came to my Light Pyramid at a joint Cornwall Moth Group trapping session here.

Good Hunting Everybody!

Tony

1 RANNOCH LOOPER TO 22 WATT ACTINIC IN MY EASTBOURNE GARDEN, ON THE EVENING OF JUNE 4TH. MY FIRST RECORD OF THIS SPECIES.

21 Rannoch Loopers to four 125w MV Skinners at Orlestone Forest, Kent last night between dusk and 01:30; also 3 Red-necked Footman
Steve Whitehouse, David Jackson and Roger Wasley

Night of 4th June saw 2 Rannoch Loopers plus 2 Plutella xylostella and 1 Silver Y.
Also for the first time in 14 years trapping here have been getting Large Nutmeg (7 so far)

Night of 4 June:

Sizewell: Suffolk Moth Group event resulted in capture of four Rannoch Loopers and two Ortholepis betulae.

At Bawdsey also four Rannoch Loopers and a single Ortholepis betulae. There is no Birch at Bawdsey.

This is the first time in many years of moth trapping I have seen betulae in Suffolk. These are presumably migrants coming in the the Rannoch Loopers. Did anyone else catch any?