Night of Nov 21st: 11 RDP being the only migrants in the traps here.

Night of 21 November:

Three Palpita vitrealis (G. Evans)

Night of 21 November:

Singles of Palpita vitrealis and Gem at Portland (M. Cade).

A single Palpita vitrealis at East Lulworth (L. Hill).

Another unseasonal record to report was the capture of a Common Pug on 19 November in a light trap at Balsall Common,Warks,by Geoff Wheeler.

Night of 21st

Silver Y 3, Gem 1, RDP 1, Palpita Vitrealis 1

Night of 21st Nov. 5 Silver Y and a dark arches

Red-headed Chestnut this am - 1st site record. Still getting a trickle of Silver Y's & Diamond-backs in the migrant department.

Atropos migrant insect review – end October/mid November 2011

The weather during the second half of October and the first half of November was that of predominant southerly airstreams and above average temperatures for the time of the year. However, this was not for everyone, as the north and the west experienced some high rainfall at times. The majority of insect immigration was noted in the southern half of the United Kingdom, particularly in south west England, although there was some exciting news from the south east too.

In what has been a record year for Vagrant Emperor Anax ephippiger further October records of this strongly migratory dragonfly came from St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, on 15th, near Dunbar, Lothian, on 16th; Fife on 23rd and from West Cornwall on 28th. Just two November sightings have been logged so far – one at Port Talbot, Glamorgan, on 10th and a female at Pett Levels, East Sussex, on 13th. As we head towards winter further records may well materialise.

Late reports of Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii came from the Lizard, Cornwall, on 25th October and from the Isles of Scilly in early November. A Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta was still on the wing on 16th November at Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk. Unseasonable November temperatures resulted in some late dates for some of our resident species with Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum reported quite extensively until mid-November. Black Darter Sympetrum danae was noted flying at Thursley Common, Surrey, on 13th November and Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea still on the wing at Buchan Country Park, West Sussex, on 15th November.

Migrant butterflies included Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus reported from Lowestoft, Suffolk, on 11th October and three from the Isles of Scilly: singletons on St. Mary’s on 13th October and St. Agnes on 12th and 27th October. Around twenty late Clouded Yellow Colius croceus included a rare capture at light at Lizard, Cornwall, on the night of 22nd October (M. Tunmore). Small numbers of Painted Lady Vanessa cardui and Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta continue to be reported, with both species seen at Ipswich, Suffolk, on 18th November.

The incredible run of rare moth immigrants continued with the highlight being yet another first for Britain – Black-spotted Chestnut Conistra rubiginosa recorded at Dartford, Kent on 6th November (Norman Winterman). Originally identified as a Red-headed Chestnut Conistra erythrocephala – this species had been predicted to arrive in Britain and is rapidly spreading north through the near continent. Viewing arrangements were announced on this website and a dozen enthusiasts turned up to the event kindly hosted by James Hunter. Incredibly whilst the moth was being photographed inside the garden shed at the bottom of James’s garden on 8th November, a second rubiginosa flew to the actinic light trap just outside the shed! The occurrence of two moths so close together in Dartford (the first a female, the second a male) would suggest a local establishment. However efforts so far to locate a colony in the area have proved fruitless, so it may be that these two moths were primary immigrants?

Britain’s seventh Egyptian Bollworm Earias insulana was light-trapped at Portland, Dorset (M. Cade) on 8th October and was amazingly the second island record – the previous being in 1999. A Radford’s Flame Shoulder Ochropleura leucogaster on St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly, on 3rd November (M. Sedgman) is the only one of the season so far. In the same archipelago, a Porter’s Rustic Proxenus hospes on St. Mary’s on 8th October is equally the sole record for the year. It is thought this species had become temporarily established at several south coast localities in recent years – these ‘colonies’ being obliterated by the past two hard winters.

Crimson Speckled Utetheisa pulchella records for this autumn are now approaching forty with the last of the autumn at John Owen’s trap in Dymchurch, Kent on 4th November. A few more Purple Marbled Eublemma ostrina were recorded from Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and Dorset with the last noted on 12th November at East Lulworth, Dorset, by Les Hill with further reports of Small Marbled Eublemma parva from the south coast. Two more Dark Mottled Willow Spodoptera cilium were light trapped on 8th October on St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly and Talybont, Gwynedd.

A pristine Silver-striped Hawk-moth Hippotion celerio attracted to a lit window in Hollesley, Suffolk, on 15th October (R. Watson) was followed by three November records: singles at Bracklesham, West Sussex, on 3rd (D. Lee); Alderholt, Dorset, on 14th – the 700th species for the observer’s garden and the only moth in the trap! (T. Morris) and at Lizard, Cornwall, on 20th (T. Thirlaway).

Death’s Head Hawk-moth Acherontia atropos included records from Elgin, Morayshire, on 10th October and a late record at Broadwey, Dorset, on 11th November from a very excited Paul Harris and rightly so. It is great to see such enthusiasm from a regular contributor to the Atropos Flight Arrivals over the years.

It has been a good autumn for Red-headed Chestnut C. erythrocephala with records from Portland, Dorset, on 31st October and 4th November; Bracklesham, West Sussex, on 3rd November; Dungeness, Kent on 4th November, Ruckinge, Kent, on 10th November and the Isle of Wight on 16th November (one) and 19th November (two).

Rare plusias included a late Ni Moth Trichoplusia ni at Hockwold, Norfolk, on 30th October and quite an influx of Dewick’s Plusias MacDunnoughia confusa totalling at least half a dozen. This included one light trapped by David Brown on the Isle of Wight on 28th October – his first in more than forty years of moth trapping! Golden Twin-spot Chrysodeixis chalcites still eludes young David however, despite trying for many an autumn! This year the majority were on the Isles of Scilly and away from the traditional areas of East Anglia and the south east.

‘Tropical’ pyralids seen during this period were a single Musotima nitidalis at Crawley Downs, West Sussex, on 26th October (J. Clarke) – representing only the second British record of this Australasian species. Further records of Spoladea recurvalis included County ‘firsts’ for both Suffolk and Norfolk and a late one at Sandy Point, Hampshire, on 29th October. A late Diasemiopsis ramburialis was light-trapped on Guernsey on 8th November and Uresiphita gilvata were noted at St. Buryan, Cornwall, on 22nd October and Sissinghurst, Kent, on the last night of October. Of a total of at least five Etiella zinckenella this autumn the last was at Maenporth, Cornwall, on 9th October. Small numbers of Antigastra catalaunalis and Old World Webworm Hellula undalis were recorded mainly in the south with a couple of records of the latter in East Kent. Palpita vitrealis also put in a good showing with some forty individuals reported. A Tebenna micalis seen by day at Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, on 12th November was only the fourth confirmed record for Wales.

Decent numbers of the regular immigrants continued to arrive with widespread reports of Gem Orthonama obstipata, Vestal Rhodometra sacraria, Delicate Mythimna vitellina, White-speck Mythimna unipuncta, Scarce Bordered Straw Helicoverpa armigera. Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli, Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua, Bordered Straw Heliothis peltigera and Cosmopolitan Mythimna loreyi arrived in lower numbers.

One of the features of the unseasonable temperatures for the time of the year has been the appearance of some spring species emerging already! A handful of Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica and Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi have been recorded along with a Spring Usher Agriopis aurantiaria – the latter in Ipswich, Suffolk on 30th October.

Other oddities, some of these presumably second or third broods or tricked into thinking spring has arrived appearing included Chalk Carpet Scotopteryx bipunctaria cretata at Flamborough, East Yorkshire, on 29th October; Kent Black Arches Meganola albula at Portland, Dorset, on 16th October; Sharp-angled Peacock Macaria alernata at Lizard, Cornwall, on 20th November; several reports of Chamomile Shark Cucullia chamomillae nationwide, Mullein Shargacucullia verbasci on Alderney on 18th November; Tawny Shears Hadena perplexa perplexa at Wadhurst, West Sussex, on 24th October; Ingrailed Clay Diarsia mendica mendica at Rudston, East Yorkshire, on 8th November and widespread reports of Large Nutmeg Apamea anceps.

Atropos would like to thank you for your contributions to the Flight Arrivals webpage. Things are still happening and we look forward to hearing about your migrant sightings as well as unseasonal records of resident species. There is still time for further records of Vagrant Emperor A. ephippiger, Silver-striped Hawk-moth H. celerio, Radford’s Flame Shoulder O. leucogaster or Red-headed Chestnut C. erythrocephala with a chance of Levant Blackneck Tathorhynchus exsiccata the longer these conditions go on.

night of 20th
4 dark sword grass, 5 rusty dot pearl

also martin elliott at sennen had

9 gem, 4 dark sword grass, 1 turnip,
1 palpita vitrealis, 35 rusty dot pearl,
3 rush veneer, 9 silver y

Night of 20 November: 1 Silver-striped Hawk-moth, 1 Gem, 1 Palpita vitrealis