Birds aren’t the only things flying in January; there are a few moths too. Today I trapped two Pale Brindled Beauties at Rye, one melanic (monacharia) and one the normal form. Both are males, as the females are wingless. Melanics were unknown in East Sussex until the 1960s but now comprise up to 5% of the population.
This afternoon on the saltings between Rye and Northpoint, a Pale-bellied Brent (B.b. hrota) with 40 Dark-bellied Brents and 30 Canadas. And the regular adult Common Sandpiper was in position by Monkbretton Bridge. Earlier today a Cypress Carpet by my moth trap was a nice surprise – yet another recent colonist since the first East Sussex record only 15 years ago.
Today in my trap I found this small moth of the family Tortricidae. Not recognising it, I posted the photo to the ukmicromoths Yahoo group. Majority opinion is that it is Acleris umbrana (a.k.a. Dark-streaked Button), which would be about the sixth Sussex record, all but one since 2006, so it’s another of those very recent colonists from across the Channel to southern coastal counties, nationally rare and proposed as Red Data Book Class 1. BUT, there are similar Acleris that can be highly variable, so closer examination is being arranged to confirm its identity.
Both the English and scientific names of Dewick’s Plusia (Macdunnoughia confusa) are quite bizarre, and it’s a pretty moth too, related to the familiar Silver Y but smaller and brighter with a gleaming silver mark on the wing. First found in the UK by A.J. Dewick at Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, in October 1951, it remained a rare vagrant until the last decade. Now it’s thought to be well established with at least four colonies in Sussex alone. Chris caught one at Rye Harbour on 2nd October, the fifth reserve record, but the one in my trap this morning was my first ever.
The last few days of September and early October have been good with four Clifden Nonpareils, a Scarce Bordered Straw and a Vestal in my garden trap near Staplecross, but last night this Dotted Chestnut was the highlight. This Nationally Scarce B species seems to be expanding its range and is described by Colin Pratt in his book as ‘a Sussex speciality, but even here it has always existed at a low density, and has been very local, elusive, and episodic in appearance’.
Despite the warm weather it has been pretty quiet in the Lime Kiln moth trap of late, so it was a nice surprise when I came across a Dewick’s Plusia (Macdunnoughia confusa) while emptying the trap this morning. This species is a relatively uncommon vagrant from the continent, with only a few records a year annually. The last time I saw it here was in 2008 (when there were two) and overall this is only the fifth reserve record. Nice moth.
Dewick’s Plusia - this particular individual was trapped at Lime Kiln Cottage in 2006.
Today I had 3 of the above in my Winchelsea garden. We’ve had them every year around about this time, but never 3 at the same time! Report by Robbie Gooders
One at lavender in my garden in Rye today.
According to Colin Pratt’s excellent 3 volume book on Butterflies and Moths of Sussex, the Pale Eggar has a patchy distribution and the maps show few records from the east. This specimen was one of the few moths caught in my Robinson trap near Staplecross last night.
