National Moth Night, Broxbourne Woods results

REPORT OF HERTS MOTH GROUP TRIP

19 September 2009: Broxbourne Wood, Hertfordshire, TL 3207

The Countryside Management Service, who look after the wood, have asked us to provide moth data to help guide the long-term management plan and are to be heartily congratulated for this wise approach to conservation. If any HMG members want to run lights themselves in addition to programmed events (or if people want to record other invertebrate groups there), they are welcome do so, but please tell me first so we can coordinate effort and ensure that properly collated lists are submitted to CMS at the end of each year.

Anyway, back to last night. We put up the vertical sheet in a small clearing to the north-west of the main ride and we also scattered a total of four traps (two Skinner traps and two Robinson traps) about the general area, turning the lights on at around 19.45 hours. In spite of being calm and warm, with nearly 100% cloud cover and no moon, the moths were hard to find. Nevertheless, we probably caught all the expected common species at this time of year in this habitat, though we only caught very low numbers of each (only the Lunar Underwing made it to double figures). The traps were especially poor and indeed, unless I have overlooked anything, there was nothing in any of the traps that we did not also get at the sheet. At about 22.00hrs light rain started – as per the BBC weather forecast and, having probably caught already all the species we were likely to catch here at this date, we packed up and went home. The list is below (numbers are a guide only). Please advise me of any omissions (I am sure some of you will, but note that the ‘Ancylis’ was not – it was form costana of Epinotia ramella in the list below).

For the experienced, this may have been a disappointing night, but for the newcomers, especially the younger members, this was an interesting and fun experience and we hope to see them again.

Our next trip to the same site is on 17 October. Expect less moths – but of course these will be species you simply cannot see earlier in the year.

Colin Plant, Hertfordshire Moth Recorder

1044   Acleris ferrugana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), 1

1134   Epinotia ramella (Linnaeus, 1758). f. costana, 1

1398   Nomophila noctuella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Rush Veneer, 1

1760   Chloroclysta siterata (Hufnagel, 1767), Red-green Carpet, 2

1764   Chloroclysta truncata (Hufnagel, 1767), Common Marbled Carpet, 3

1768   Thera obeliscata (Hübner, 1787), Grey Pine Carpet, 1

1769   Thera britannica (Turner H J, 1925), Spruce Carpet, 1

1776   Colostygia pectinataria (Knoch, 1781), Green Carpet, 1

1867   Aplocera plagiata (Linnaeus, 1758), Treble-bar, 1

1906   Opisthograptis luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758), Brimstone Moth, 1

1961   Campaea margaritata (Linnaeus, 1767), Light Emerald, 1

2020   Diloba caeruleocephala (Linnaeus, 1758), Figure of Eight, 1

2107   Noctua pronuba Linnaeus, 1758, Large Yellow Underwing, 5

2109   Noctua comes Hübner, 1813, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 1

2134   Xestia xanthographa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Square-spot Rustic, 3

2248   Dryobotodes eremita (Fabricius, 1775), Brindled Green, 4

2262   Agrochola circellaris (Hufnagel, 1766), Brick, 1

2269   Atethmia centrago (Haworth, 1809), Centre-barred Sallow, 3

2270   Omphaloscelis lunosa (Haworth, 1809), Lunar Underwing, 12

2272   Xanthia aurago ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Barred Sallow, 1

2273   Xanthia togata (Esper, 1788), Pink-barred Sallow, 4

2297   Amphipyra pyramidea (Linnaeus, 1758), Copper Underwing, 2

2350   Chortodes pygmina (Haworth, 1809), Small Wainscot, 6

2364   Gortyna flavago ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Frosted Orange, 1

2477   Hypena proboscidalis (Linnaeus, 1758), Snout, 2

** Code number from the latest British check list (Bradley 2000) and the reference numbers used in Colin Plant’s book The Moths of Hertfordshire, available to purchase from HNHS.