Dichrorampha sylvicolana

            Earlier this year I obtained permission to survey for moths at Black Meadow in Chaddesley Woods, conveniently situated not far from home and a site I could visit whenever I wished.

            I had always felt there was the potential for ‘something good’ at the site but that does not mean I can take any credit for the discovery of the nationally scarce Dichrorampha sylvicolana by Steve Whitehouse on the 13th June. In some ways it was a rather sad state of affairs, with neither of us realising that a dark Dichrorampha, with contrasting orange irroration, netted from an area containing sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica) in a damp woodland meadow was highly likely to be sylvicolana. Our only excuse being that it is a scarce moth, never previously recorded anywhere near Worcestershire so far as I can tell and had consequently never been ‘on our radar’.

          When Steve passed it to me for dissection I did think it looked a bit different and I intended to photograph it even though it was rather worn, however, it was a busy time and after a couple of days it was euthanized for dissection. So it was not until 21st June I dissected the specimen and discovered it’s true identity resulting in a flurry of emails and an agreement to meet on site the following afternoon when we managed to net two more specimens. Despite being past their best, one was in good enough condition to warrant a couple of photographs, though I shall be hoping to photograph a pristine specimen next year.

Patrick Clement

  

Dichrorampha sylvicolana 22.6.20

Dichrorampha sylvicolana 22.6.20

sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica)

Anarsia innoxiella

The night of the 12th June here at Warndon was mild with some drizzle and the best macros were Small Emerald and Barred Straw. A micro potted off the first egg tray took my eye as I had found it before in Suffolk and at Wicken Fen, Cambs. A very different shape to most common Gelechids I get here. Later detailed examination by Patrick Clement confirmed it was indeed a male Anarsia innoxiella - a first county record. The species arrived in Wilts at Swindon in 2016 so I guess it was expected here at some stage.

Anarsia innoxiella

Kings Acre, Hereford.

On the 26th At my MV 125w I had a Boxworm moth, I hadn't realised it was a county first! Hence the delay in posting.

Also firsts for my trap 

Carcina quercana

Laburnum leaf miner

Scalloped Oak

Not new, but liked pic! Shame their in pot! Yellow-tail

Some from the 25th

Wood sage plume

Small yellow wave

Short-cloaked moth

I've pretty much ID'ed these my self, but thanks goes to Peter Hall for all his help with general moth related queries and ID'ing anything that isn't blatantly obvious.

A Bilateral Gynandromorph

On opening the trap this morning, amongst the usual suspects was a Poplar Hawk-moth, not uncommon in my trap but when moving it out I noticed something unusual. To cut a long story short it is a Bilateral Gynandromorph! That means that one side of the moth is male and the other side is female, in this case the left side is male and the right side is female.

When the egg cell or ovum is fertilised by the sperm it forms a single cell which would normally develop into the caterpillar and so on. The usual pattern of cell division 2, 4, 8, 16 occurs until certain cells start to differentiate at a different rate to form nerve cell, gut cells and so on. In a Bilateral Gynandromorph the first cell division produces the usual two cells but something has happened to the sex chromosomes during this cell division and the resulting two cells each have a different arrangement one male and one female! The two cells produced normally go on and produce the left hand and the right hand halves of the moth so the same happens here and the moth ends up one side male and one side female.

Here endeth the first lesson. Once a Biology teacher always...."

I was asked the question "How often does it happen?

"I suspect with the size of your average moth and the fact that with things like Heart and Darts where all you are doing is counting them plus the fact that many moths do not show any sexual dimorphism (ie male and female look the same) it is not spotted that often even when it does happen. The antennae as seen here may be the best place to see feather male as against plain female, but even that it is not obvious at first sight with this Poplar Hawkmoth. It is only when you look at the antennae carefully or through photographs that you see that they are, in fact, different. I know in many of the older Butterfly books photographs of Gynandromorphs sometime appear, the Orange Tip or Blue butterflies are favourites again more easy to see."  Martyn Davies

 

Oncocera semirubella

Oncocera semirubella was the highlight of a recent visit to Penny Hill land fill site. Not one but two specimens, new for Worcestershire.

Patrick Clement

Oncocera semirubella

Wigmore Rolls June 24th

My permissions have arrived to return to the woods, so last night, with it being so warm, I ventured out to Wigmore Rolls for a 3 hour session. At lights on it was 23 degrees and lights off around 2am it was 17 degrees, so a warm night. And a slow but steady arrival of moths too. Topping the bill (unusually I think) was Satin Beauty with 56 individuals. Minor Shoulder-knot also did well (35) and it was good to see Satin Lutestring. All full list (wth a few still to id later in the year) is below. I think there are 122 species. Peter Hall

Site Tally
SpeciesName	OtherName
Tinea semifulvella
Argyresthia brockeella
Argyresthia glaucinella
Teleiodes vulgella
Blastobasis lacticolella
Platyptilia gonodactyla
Amblyptilia punctidactyla
Olindia schumacherana
Epagoge grotiana
Archips xylosteana	Variegated Golden Tortrix
Ptycholomoides aeriferana
Pandemis cinnamomeana
Pandemis cerasana	Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix
Clepsis consimilana
Spatalistis bifasciana
Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
Agapeta hamana
Apotomis turbidana
Apotomis capreana
Celypha lacunana
Ancylis diminutana
Ancylis achatana
Notocelia uddmanniana	Bramble Shoot
Notocelia trimaculana
Aphomia sociella	Bee
Dioryctria abietella
Phycita roborella
Ephestia woodiella
Anania lancealis
Udea olivalis
Pleuroptya ruralis	Mother of Pearl
Evergestis forficalis	Garden Pebble
Eudonia lacustrata
Eudonia mercurella
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Acentria ephemerella	Water Veneer
Peach Blossom	Thyatira batis
Buff Arches	Habrosyne pyritoides
Satin Lutestring	Tetheella fluctuosa
Common Lutestring	Ochropacha duplaris
Drinker	Euthrix potatoria
Poplar Hawk	Laothoe populi
Elephant Hawk	Deilephila elpenor
Nemophora degeerella
Treble Brown Spot	Idaea trigeminata
Small Fan-footed Wave	Idaea biselata
Riband Wave	Idaea aversata
Blood-vein	Timandra comae
Silver-ground Carpet	Xanthorhoe montanata
July Highflyer	Hydriomena furcata
Spruce Carpet	Thera britannica
Northern Spinach	Eulithis populata
Barred Straw	Gandaritis pyraliata
Small White Wave	Asthena albulata
Small Yellow Wave	Hydrelia flammeolaria
Blomer's Rivulet	Venusia blomeri
Small Rivulet	Perizoma alchemillata
Sandy Carpet	Perizoma flavofasciata
V-Pug	Chloroclystis v-ata
Foxglove Pug	Eupithecia pulchellata
Common Pug	Eupithecia vulgata
Grey Pug	Eupithecia subfuscata
Clouded Magpie	Abraxas sylvata
Clouded Border	Lomaspilis marginata
Scorched Carpet	Ligdia adustata
Tawny-barred Angle	Macaria liturata
Scorched Wing	Plagodis dolabraria
Brimstone Moth	Opisthograptis luteolata
Swallow-tailed	Ourapteryx sambucaria
Peppered	Biston betularia
Willow Beauty	Peribatodes rhomboidaria
Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing	Noctua fimbriata
Satin Beauty	Deileptenia ribeata
Mottled Beauty	Alcis repandata
Common White Wave	Cabera pusaria
Common Wave	Cabera exanthemata
Light Emerald	Campaea margaritaria
Large Emerald	Geometra papilionaria
Common Emerald	Hemithea aestivaria
Lobster	Stauropus fagi
Iron Prominent	Notodonta dromedarius
Swallow Prominent	Pheosia tremula
Lesser Swallow Prominent	Pheosia gnoma
Pale Prominent	Pterostoma palpina
Snout	Hypena proboscidalis
Beautiful Snout	Hypena crassalis
Buff Ermine	Spilosoma lutea
White Ermine	Spilosoma lubricipeda
Fan-foot	Herminia tarsipennalis
Small Fan-foot	Herminia grisealis
Beautiful Hook-tip	Laspeyria flexula
Spectacle	Abrostola tripartita
Beautiful Golden Y	Autographa pulchrina
Plain Golden Y	Autographa jota
Marbled White Spot	Deltote pygarga
Poplar Grey	Subacronicta megacephala
Coronet	Craniophora ligustri
Mottled Rustic	Caradrina morpheus
Uncertain	Hoplodrina octogenaria
Rustic	Hoplodrina blanda
Brown Rustic	Rusina ferruginea
Small Angle Shades	Euplexia lucipara
Small Dotted Buff	Photedes minima
Clouded Brindle	Apamea epomidion
Dark Arches	Apamea monoglypha
Middle-barred Minor	Oligia fasciuncula
Minor Shoulder-knot	Brachylomia viminalis
Dingy Shears	Apterogenum ypsillon
Grey Arches	Polia nebulosa
Bright-line Brown-eye	Lacanobia oleracea
Dot	Melanchra persicariae
Brown-line Bright-eye	Mythimna conigera
Clay	Mythimna ferrago
Shoulder-striped Wainscot	Leucania comma
Heart & Dart	Agrotis exclamationis
Flame	Axylia putris
Purple Clay	Diarsia brunnea
Ingrailed Clay	Diarsia mendica
Large Yellow Underwing	Noctua pronuba
Lesser Yellow Underwing	Noctua comes
Green Arches	Anaplectoides prasina
Double Square-spot	Xestia triangulum

Wigmore Rolls: Satin Beauty

Wigmore Rolls: Beautiful Snout

Wigmore Rolls: Pandemis cinnamomeana

Wigmore Rolls: Blomer's Rivulet

Wigmore Rolls: Satin Lutestring

Wigmore Rolls: Clouded Magpie