Atropos migrant insect review – End of June 2010

A Camberwell Beauty Nymphalis antiopa showing well around the picnic area at Titchwell RSPB reserve, Norfolk, on 28 – 30 June has been without doubt the most exciting migrant butterfly seen in the second half of June. The regular migrant Clouded Yellow Colias croceus was reported from Cornwall and the Channel Islands with Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta and Painted Lady V. cardui generally in short supply.

Migrant Odonata reports picked up with the hot and sunny weather in the latter part of June with an intriguing report of a female Dainty Damselfly Conagrion scitulum from the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, on 21 June (Gill & John Brook). This former resident species was last recorded in the British Isles in the 1950s from the Norfolk Broads. A Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope was at Dungeness, Kent, on 28th.

The more regular immigrant moths were generally in short supply with just a handful of the commoner species noted at coastal stations. A Delicate Mythimna vitellina at Land’s End, Cornwall, on 21st was one of few reported.

The latter half of the month was dominated by the influx of Rannoch Looper Itame brunneata again this year. After 5,000 noted at a single Dutch site in mid-June, good numbers appeared in Kent between 14 – 27 June including 25 at Densole and 22 in the Dungeness area on the night of 18th. There were also records from the Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Surrey during this first wave. A second wave was to arrive in Suffolk with five recorded between 26 – 28 June.

Arriving at the same time as the Rannoch Loopers were impressive numbers of immigrant Red-necked Footman Atolmis rubricollis in Essex, Kent and Suffolk and the tortrix Cydia inquinatana was recorded from Bawdsey, Suffolk, on 28 and 30 June (M. Deans) – only the second and third British records and hot-on-the-heels of the first at Minsmere, Suffolk, last June.

A Silver Barred Deltote bankiana at Dungeness Bird Observatory, Kent, (D. Walker) on 30th was amazingly the first site record. Another exciting first was a Double Line Mythimna turca light trapped at The Raven, Co. Wexford, on 25th (Philip Strickland) – the first Irish record.

The final week of the month brought two goodies to Sandwich Bay, Kent - an Orache Moth Trachea atriplicis on 25th and a Spurge Hawk-moth Hyles euphorbiae on 30th.

As we look forward to July it is a good time for Queen of Spain Fritillary Argynnis lathonia in the south and east. Odonata may include Willow Emerald Damselfly Lestes viridis and Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus with further records expected of Lesser Emperor A. parthenope.

Immigrant moth activity usually steps up a gear in July with many rare species noted. It is a good month for rarities like the Dusky Hook-tip Drepana curvatula, further records of Orache Moth T. atriplicis are likely or even a Three-humped Prominent Notodonta tritophus.

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