Atropos migrant insect review – Mid-November 2010

Late season butterfly sightings included a Painted Lady Vanessa cardui at Gosport, Hampshire, on 1st with a dozen Red Admiral V. atalanta at the same locality nectaring on the16th (Dr D. Tinling). Good numbers of Red Admirals were around Portland Bill, Dorset, on 1st with Southbound movement noted at this migration 'hot-spot'.

Records of late season Odonata included Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta in Hampshire on 1st and Norfolk on 7th; Southern Hawker A. cyanea from Hampshire on 3rd and Berkshire on 12th and widespread reports of Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.

The opening days of November saw a small flurry of moth immigrants including another of the tropical pyrale Hymenia recurvalis – at Walditch, Dorset, on 2nd (M. Parsons). This must have arrived with the same weather that brought the Silver-striped Hawk-moth Hippotion celerio to Romney Marsh at the very end of October. Further records of Flame Brocade Trigonophora flammea came from St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, on 1st and 3rd (M. & W. Scott).

An Oak Rustic Dryobota labecula at Pagham, West Sussex, on 9th (I. Lang) was a good local record. This recent arrival to our shores continues to extend its range.

The best of the scarcities included a Cosmopolitan Mythimna loreyi at Puddletown, Dorset, on 12th. White-speck Mythimna unipuncta were trapped at Lizard, Cornwall and Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, on 3rd with 29 on St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly the same night (where the species is also resident). A unipuncta was also on Portland, Dorset, on the night of 7th.

The only late record of Scarce Bordered Straw Helicoverpa armigera came from Broadwey, Dorset, on 3rd, with single Vestal Rhodometra sacraria at Maenporth, Cornwall, the following night. Gem Orthonama obstipata included singles at Dungeness, Kent, on 1st and Buryas Bridge, Cornwall, on 5th (with three on St. Mary’s, Scilly, during this period).

Two late Pearly Underwing Peridroma saucia were trapped at Dungeness, Kent, on 1st, with records from Portland, Dorset, on 7th and 10th with a very few Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon, Silver Y Autographa gamma, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella and Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis thrown in.

The season does look like it’s almost over. However, please continue to post late migrant records on this website and any resident species you feel may be of interest (perhaps even early emergences) during the quieter low season.

It is now a good time of year to sort out your records for 2010. Please send in any migrant insect news for 2010 not already reported on this website to news@atropos.info and also remember to send to the relevant county recorders.

16th Nov:12 Red Admirals taking nectar from ivy or Elaeagnus ebbingei.

Night of 13/11/10 : Silver Y (2) & Large Wainscot (1).

Friday night, 12/11: One Cosmopolitan.

10th Nov 2010:8 Red Admirals(taking ivy or Mahonia nectar) & a Common Darter.

8th Nov 2010

Despite a really misable night I was surprised to catch any moths at all. but come this morning and the trap had 6 moths of 6 sppecies in including an Oak Rustic fm albomacula also a late Large Yellow Underwing which I presume is a Migrant

Night of 5th.
1 Gem
1 Silver Y
2 Rusty Dot Pearls

Night of 3rd Nov; 1 white speck

2 Silver Y and a Vestal

Two Fresh Dark Sword-Grass