Atropos migrant insect review – Mid-July 2010

Migrant butterfly sightings included the Camberwell Beauty Nymphalis antiopa lingering at Titchwell RSPB reserve, Norfolk, only until 1 July showing well around the picnic area. Further records of antiopa came from Lackford Lakes, Suffolk, on 5th and Holme, Norfolk, on 11th. A Queen of Spain Fritillary Argynnis lathonia on Alderney, Channel Islands on 9th was only the second island record (D. Wedd). A Swallowtail Papilio machaon flew through at Berry Head, Devon, on 14th.

Odonata sightings included reports of Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope at Dungeness, Kent, on 9th & 10th. A male Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus was noted in Kent on 12th; with the closely related Willow Emerald Damselfly Lestes viridis noted at several sites in Suffolk (the River Deben at Campsea Ashe is a good locality) in the first half of July.

Immigrant moths included the first reports of Vestal Rhodometra sacraria of the season, both from Kent: Sandwich Bay on 9 July and Ruckinge on 11th. There were a few scattered reports of Gem Orthonama obstipata and Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua and a small influx of Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum. A Scarce Bordered Straw Helicoverpa armigera at Bishops Tisha, Warwickshire, on 5th was an excellent inland record and the only one reported. Just one Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli was noted: at Portland, Dorset, on 5th.

Muggy conditions on Alderney, Channel Islands at the start of the month produced hundreds of Red-necked Footman Atolmis rubricollis (D. Wedd). A sizeable number must also have made it to the British mainland as there were frequent reports from Suffolk, Essex and Kent.

Rare immigrants included no fewer than five Splendid Brocade Lacanobia splendens, they were recorded at Sandwich Bay, Kent, on 1st; Portland, Dorset, on 2nd & 5th; Thanet, Kent, on 6th and New Romney, Kent, on 13th. Scarce Black Arches Nola aerugula also appeared with three in the Dungeness area and one on Thanet, Kent, between 3rd and 7th. Hot-on-the heels of last month’s Orache Moth Trachea atriplicis another was recorded in Kent, this time at Dungeness on 10th (B. Banson). The first Dewick’s Plusia MacDunnoughia confusa of the season appeared at St. Osyth, Essex, on the night of 11th (C. Atkins).

There were several reports of Tree-lichen Beauty Cryphia algae and Clancy’s Rustic Platyperigea kadenii from East Anglia and the south-east – some were no doubt migrants and others from transitory populations.

Pyralid moths of interest included a Boxworm Moth Diaphania perspectalis at Densole, Kent, on 13th and several reports of Evergestis limbata – which now appears to be resident in parts of Kent, Sussex and Suffolk.

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 second half of July.