Atropos migrant insect review – End-August 2010

Butterfly highlights included five Swallowtail Papilio machaon at Alderney, Channel Islands on 30th. Clouded Yellow Colias croceus were in low numbers with one at Portland, Dorset, on 30th the first noted for several weeks. Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta and Painted Lady V. cardui numbers were generally low in number too.

Odonata included at least one Southern Migrant Hawker Aeshna affinis at Hadleigh Castle Country Park, Essex, until 18 August. Another affinis was noted, this time in Norfolk, at Winterton on 22 August with a Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus noted again at the same site (having first been seen on 7th). Sightings of the superb Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope came from Smallhangar (Drakelands), Devon, on 30 August, where up to three were present.

Willow Emerald Damselfly Lestes viridis numbers exploded in Suffolk with high counts of up to 60 at Alton Water, near Ipswich on 28th (area immediately adjacent to Lemon’s Hill car park North). This species was also reported from Strumpshaw, Norfolk (four on 22nd) and up to three at St. Nicholas at Wade, Kent, from 28 – 31 August (Chamber’s Wall car park on bush near bridge over stream).

The undoubted immigrant moth highlight was the Tamarisk Peacock Chiasmia aestimaria recorded at Newhaven, East Sussex, on 23 August (S. Teale) – the first away from East Kent and only the sixth British record. Almost as exciting was the belated report of a Pine-tree Lappet Dendrolimus pini from Totland, Isle of Wight on 11th (S. Knill-Jones).

Rare geometers included Blair’s Mocha Cyclophora puppillaria at Ventnor, Isle of Wight, on 31st with the same island hosting two Jersey Mocha Cyclophora ruficiliaria at Bonchurch on 16th and 22nd (J. Halsey).

The two immigrant male Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar recorded during the month were noted on the same night - 21 August - 120 miles apart at Dunwich Heath, Suffolk (C. Moore) and Friston, East Sussex (M. Blencowe) – both to 125W MV light.

Following the larva of a Death’s-head Hawk-moth Acherontia atropos reported in the previous summary, an adult was light trapped at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, on the night of 27th (J. Halsey) and another was discovered on a wall at Clane, Co. Kildare, on 29th (S. Nagorski). James Halsey also light trapped a Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles gallii at Bonchurch on 18th! The only other gallii report came from Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, on 27th (J. Scanes). A single Striped Hawk-moth Hyles livornica was reported, at Densole, Kent, on the night of 26th (T. Rouse).

The highest number of Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli all season were reported during the latter half of August with sightings in Cornwall, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Kent and as far north as Berwickshire – where four were nectaring on Tobacco plants nicotiana at Eyemouth during the evening of 27th August (A. Patterson). A wave of Vestal Rhodometra sacraria also arrived with records from Dorset, East Sussex and Kent.

It has been a lean year so far for Scarce Bordered Straw Helicoverpa armigera – several were trapped at Portland, Dorset and at several Kentish localities. Portland also produced a Small Mottled Willow Spodoptera exigua on 24th and Delicate Mythimna vitellina on 28th. A single Gem Orthonama obstipata was caught at Sissinghurst, Kent, on 31st and a Cosmopolitan Mythimna loreyi at Pegwell, Kent, on 22nd.

Rare immigrant micro-moths included Euchromius ocellea at Bowleaze Cove, Dorset, on 21st (I. Machin) and single Cydia amplana at Rye Harbour, East Sussex on 21st; Thanet, Kent, on 22nd and Portland, Dorset, on 23rd.

As we look forward to September, keep a look out for the immigrant moths Clifden Nonpareil Catocala fraxini and Dewick’s Plusia MacDunnoughia confusa.

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 month ahead.