Monday 29 June 2020

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)

Sunday 28 June 2020

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

Saturday 27 June 2020

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


 

Friday 26 June 2020

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

Thursday 25 June 2020

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