Macro-moth highlights from 2009

Below is a selection of highlights from the 2009 season. As additional records are sent to us or are confirmed these will be added. All photos either Andy or Melissa Banthorpe unless otherwise credited and where there is a single record mentioned the photo is of that moth, in other cases there is a caption to indicate the site. Not all species have photos available to use for illustration.

Rannoch Looper: new VC30 record. Trapped at Eaton Ford 30th May (Tony Lawrence).

Obscure Wainscot: new VC30 record. 1 trapped at Chalton STW 13th June (Graham Buss). Also recorded 3 there 20th June (AMB, MGB, & GB).  
Chalton STW 20th June

Raspberry Clearwing: new VC30 record. Feeding signs and larva seen 22nd March in Studham with the adult moth having emerged 18th July (4 further individuals seen 16th August) (Charles Baker). The first adult, though, was seen at lure at Clifton 14th July (Alan Outen). Also recorded at another site in Clifton (Keith Tailby & Mark Hammond ) and Dunstable Downs (Charles Baker).  
Clifton 14th July

Jersey Tiger: new VC30 record. 1 trapped at Biggleswade 8th August (Kathy, Pete, & Rachel Sims).  
Photo by K, P & R Sims

Water Carpet: new species for Maulden Wood 22nd March. Also trapped there on 9th April and 2nd May. Total trapped 12 (AMB & MGB). Also recorded in NW Beds (Tony Smith), Bromham (Peter Almond), Cockayne Hatley and Potton Wood (Ian Woiwod).

Emperor: larvae collected in 2008 in Beds emerged in April 2009 – 2 males and a female. The female was used to attract a male at Cooper’s Hill on 25th April (AMB & MGB). There were also two larval records – Sharnbrook Summit (Hugh Griffiths) and Sharpenhoe Clappers (Ian Small).
Male
Female

Great Prominent: 8 were trapped at Stockgrove CP 1st May (Beds Moth Group meeting) (AMB & MGB).  

Early Tooth-striped: 6 were trapped at Stockgrove CP 1st May (AMB & MGB).

Peacock Moth: 1 trapped at Stockgrove CP 1st May (AMB & MGB).  

White Pinion Spotted: 1 trapped at Stockgrove CP 1st May (AMB & MGB). Also recorded at Maulden Wood (AMB & MGB).
Stockgrove CP 1st May

Seraphim: singletons recorded at Cockayne Hatley 2nd May (Ian Woiwod), Chicksands Wood 6th May (AMB & MGB), and Marston Vale CP 30th May (AMB & MGB).
Chicksands Wood 6th May

Poplar Lutestring:  a singleton at Potton Wood 23rd May, 24th June and 7th August (Ian Woiwod). Also recorded at Cockayne Hatley Wood (Ian Woiwod), Maulden Wood and Sandy RSPB (AMB & MGB). The Sandy RSPB record is the first at the site since 1959.
Maulden Wood 2009

Barred Hook-tip: trapped at Studham 25th May (Charles Baker). Also recorded at Maulden Wood (AMB & MGB).  
Maulden Wood 2009

Mullein: 1 adult trapped at Lower Stondon 25th May (AMB & MGB). All other records were of larvae.  

Silky Wainscot: 1 trapped at Marston Vale CP 30th May was the 4th VC30 record (Beds Moth Group meeting) (AMB & MGB).  

Marsh Pug: a singleton recorded at Totternhoe during the day 2nd June (David Withers). Determined by dissection by David Manning. First record since 1986.

May Highflyer: singletons at Lower Stondon 2nd June (AMB & MGB), Southill 29th June (Paul Donald) and Turvey 3rd June (Br. John).  
Lower Stondon 2nd June

Red-necked Footman: second VC30 record, the other being 1 in 1820! Recorded during the day at Potton Wood 10th June (Ian Woiwod).
Photos by Ian Woiwod

Ruddy Carpet: first recorded at Biggleswade 12th June (Peter McMullen). Also recorded Cockayne Hatley (Ian Woiwod), Potton (Dave Buckingham), Southill (Paul Donald), Turvey (twice) (Tony Smith) and Waterloo Thorns (Dave Buckingham) – all singletons.  
Photo by Peter McMullen

Currant Clearwing: 1 to lure Sandy 15th June (David Dench & Mel Lloyd).

Orange-tailed Clearwing: first recorded to lure at Clifton 15th June (Alan Outen). Also recorded at another site in Clifton (Richard Bashford, Alan Outen), Cockayne Hatley (Ian Woiwod), and Marston Vale CP (AMB & MGB).  
Marston Vale CP 2009

Yellow-legged Clearwing: recorded at lure at Maulden Wood 16th June (AMB & MGB) and Sandy RSPB 16th July (Richard Bashford & Alan Outen).
Maulden Wood 16th June

Red-tipped Clearwing: first recorded to lure at Clifton 16th June (Alan Outen). Also recorded at Arlesey Old Moat NR (AMB & MGB), Biggleswade Common (Richard Bashford), Bromham Lake NR (AMB), Felmersham NR (AMB), Harrold-Odell CP (AMB), and Lower Alders (AMB & MGB).  
Lower Alders 2009

Lobster Moth: 1 trapped at Maulden Wood 16th June (AMB & MGB).  

Barred Red: recorded at Maulden Wood 16th June and 2nd July (AMB & MGB). Also recorded at Ampthill Park (Beds Moth Group meeting) (AMB & MGB), Biggleswade (Peter McMullen), Sandy RSPB (Nigel Willits), and Studham (Charles Baker).
Maulden Wood 2009

Blotched Emerald: highest count of 15 at Maulden Wood 16th June (AMB & MGB).

Blackneck: 1 recorded during the day at Old Warden Tunnel NR 19th June (Judith Barnard). Also recorded at Eaton Bray (Mark Telfer), Maulden Wood (AMB & MGB), near Sharnbrook (Tony Smith), Sharpenhoe Clappers, also during the day (Lol Carman 28th June, Dave Ball & Martin Palmer 25th July x 2), and Turvey (Br John).
 Old Warden Tunnel 19th June by Judith Barnard

Dingy Shell: 1 trapped at Biggleswade 27th June (Peter McMullen). Also lots seen during the day at Lower Alders NR (AMB & MGB) and also recorded at Flitwick Moor (AMB & MGB).  
Lower Alders 2009

Beautiful Carpet: 1 trapped at Studham 28th June (Charles Baker).

Dark Spectacle: 1 trapped at Studham 28th June (Charles Baker).  

Oak Eggar: 4 larvae reared from eggs in 2007 finally started emerging from pupae in late June 2009, Lower Stondon . The final one – a male emerged 15th July. One further larval record at Cooper’s Hill 25th April (AMB & MGB).  

Rosy Footman: recorded at Sandy RSPB at the end of June and early July (Nigel Willits). Also recorded at Maulden Wood (AMB & MGB).  
Maulden Wood 2nd July

Grey Arches: 1 trapped at Maulden Wood 2nd July (AMB & MGB).

Common Lutestring: 4 trapped at Maulden Wood 2nd July (AMB & MGB).  

Clay Triple-lines: 30 trapped at Maulden Wood 2nd July and just 1 there 5th Oct (AMB & MGB).  
1st generation, Maulden Wood 2nd July
2nd generation Maulden Wood 5th October

Small Seraphim: 5 trapped at Flitwick Moor 5th July (AMB & MGB). Only 7 previous records of this species in VC30.

Scallop Shell: a new species for Flitwick Moor with 3 trapped 5th July (AMB & MGB). Only 5 previous records.

Concolorous: a putative record of 1 at Turvey Abbey 8th July (Br John).

Olive: singletons at HOCP 25th July (Beds Moth Group meeting), St Mary’s Church Clophill 31st July (AMB & MGB), and Turvey (Br. John)
Harrold-Odell CP 25th July

Chevron: 1 trapped at Harrold-Odell CP 25th July (AMB & MGB). Not seen since 2002 and is believed to be declining in Bedfordshire.

Scarlet Tiger: 1 seen during the day at Luton 31st July (J Fisher). Unable to eliminate captive bred stock as to the origin of this moth.

Twin-spotted Wainscot: 1 trapped at Top End Renhold 5th August (T&A Yates). Also at Stockgrove CP on 7th August (AMB & MGB).
Top End Renhold 5th August by Tom & Ace Yates

White-spotted Pinion: 3 trapped at near Carthagena Golf Course 6th August (Paul Waring – leading a training workshop). Also recorded at Cockhayne Hatley (Ian Woiwod), Potton (John Day), and Upper Caldecote (Matt Burgess).
Upper Caldecote by Matt Burgess

Dark Spinach: 1 trapped at Haynes 9th August (Simon Knight).  

Gold Spot: 1 trapped in NW Beds 11th August (Tony Smith). Also recorded at Biggleswade (Peter McMullen) and Eaton Ford (Tony Lawrence).  
NW Beds 11th August

Merveille du Jour: this species seemed to have had a good year in 2009, though as yet the recorders have not caught it in the county! It was first recorded at Luton 5th September (Hugh Griffiths) and last recorded at Sandy RSPB in mid-late November (Nigel Willits).
The Lodge, Sandy, by Nigel Willits

Convolulus Hawk-moth: 1 recorded at Sandy 6th September (Jo Treverton).

Autumnal Rustic: 1 trapped at Haynes 7th September (Simon Knight). Also recorded at Eaton Bray (Mark Telfer), Heath & Reach (James Clark), Lower Stondon and Maulden Wood (AMB & MGB).  
Maulden Wood 2009

Large Thorn: two records this year – 1 in NW Beds 7th September (Tony Smith) and 1 at Sandy RSPB 11th September (Nigel Willits).
NW Beds 7th September

Pink-barred Sallow: 1 trapped at Maulden Wood 18th September (part of NMN and Beds Moth Group meeting). Also recorded at Biggleswade (Lionel Burgess), Cockayne Hatley Wood (Ian Woiwod), Eaton Bray (Mark Telfer), Eaton Ford (Richard Bashford), Flitwick Moor (AMB & MGB). Potton Wood (Ian Woiwod), Sandy RSPB (Nigel Willits) and Turvey (Br. John).  
Maulden Wood 18th September

Dusky Lemon Sallow: 1 trapped at Eaton Ford 24th September (Tony Lawrence). Also recorded at Biggleswade (Peter McMullen), Cockayne Hatley (Ian Woiwod), another site in Eaton Ford (Richard Bashford), Southill (Paul Donald), Stotfold (Glen Castle), Turvey (Br. John) and Upper Caldecote (Matt Burgess).  
Eaton Ford 24th September

Juniper Carpet: First recorded at Bromham with 1 on 13th October and then on 5 further occasions (Peter Almond). Also recorded at Cockayne Hatley (Ian Woiwod), Luton (Hugh Griffiths) and Maulden Wood (AMB & MGB).
Maulden Wood 2009

Streak: 1 at Sandy RSPB 28th October (Nigel Willits et al), the first since 2006.
Photo by Nigel Willits

Scarce Bordered Straw: 1 at Biggleswade 29th October (Lionel Burgess).

NOTE: Summary based on records received and processed 1st Feb 2010 including some details from emails.