Moths at Hartslock – 4 September 2021

Conditions on the night of Saturday 4 September were ideal for the annual mothing night, which was held this year at BBOWT’s Hartslock Nature Reserve near Goring. It was a warm, still, overcast night, dry apart from a brief sharp shower at about 2am. The event was organised by Norman Hall, ably assisted by Paul Black. Norman ran his lights in the lower field, near the entrance to the reserve, while Paul’s lights were up in the top field. While Paul was setting up his moth traps, he spotted a Common Toad on the open hillside, on the path up the steep slope below his traps. Both Norman and Paul stayed at the reserve overnight. A few members came to see the traps in action on the Saturday evening, while others, including two 8-year old girls, came to inspect the catch next morning. Norman commented that he had met 4-year olds in the past who had competed to put moths into glass tubes, but that this was the first time that he had watched 8-year olds competing to carefully remove moths from the tubes and let them fly away unharmed.

An amazing total of 110 species were identified, of which 90 were macro-moths, 11 were pyralid moths and 9 were micro-moths. Paul commented that his Hartslock catch had more species in a single night than he had ever seen anywhere in the whole of September before. His catch included over 1000 individual moths. Highlight of the night was a Dark Crimson Underwing. This is a large and spectacular moth which was new to the reserve and new to all the moth-trappers present. Until about three years ago, the only nearby breeding colonies of this moth were in a few areas of mature oak woodland in Hampshire and Wiltshire. It was otherwise known as a very rare migrant. Since then, it has been reported in small but increasing numbers. Other spectacular new species included two big Clifden Nonpareils, with striking blue hindwings, and four Jersey Tigers, with black and white striped forewings and red hindwings. Less welcome newcomers were Oak Processionary Moth and Gypsy Moth, both of which are considered to be pest species. In addition to the five species mentioned above, a further five species were new for the reserve – Currant Pug, Sharp-angled Peacock, Dotted Rustic, Pinion-streaked Snout and Eudonia palida.

The Society’s previous moth-trapping events at Hartslock had always been in high summer, so there were a number of late summer and autumn species which we had not seen there before. These included Red Underwing, Old Lady, Autumnal Rustic, Feathered Gothic and Black Rustic. Eleven specimens of Chalk Carpet, a Nationally Scarce moth of chalk and limestone grassland which we have found previously at Hartslock, were trapped. Wood Carpet is another uncommon moth which we have found at Hartslock previously. It is difficult to separate from Common Carpet, but both species were present in the catch and it was possible to see them side-by-side and note the subtle differences. Several species had unusually high counts, including 24 Hedge Rustics and 71 White-points, a moth which was formerly considered to be a rare migrant but which is now breeding regularly in our area.

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Pictures by Rob Stallard

Moths seen at Hartslock BBOWT Nature Reserve on 4-5 September 2021
Identifiers: Norman Hall and Paul Black
Location: SU61627954

Agassiz	Taxon	English Name	Count
03.001	Triodia sylvina	Orange Swift	10
16.002x	Yponomeuta padella agg.	Apple Ermine agg	4
17.005	Ypsolopha scabrella		1
41.002	Blastobasis adustella		1
49.024	Pandemis corylana	Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix	4
49.025	Pandemis cerasana	Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix	1
49.013	Archips podana	Large Fruit-tree Tortrix	1
49.039	Epiphyas postvittana	Light Brown Apple Moth	4
49.077	Acleris variegana	Garden Rose Tortrix	1
49.166	Celypha lacunana		1
63.089	Agriphila tristella		8
63.095	Agriphila geniculea		1
63.062	Scoparia subfusca		1
63.075	Eudonia pallida		1
63.007	Pyrausta purpuralis		4
63.038	Pleuroptya ruralis	Mother of Pearl	8
62.075	Hypsopygia costalis	Gold Triangle	1
62.001	Aphomia sociella	Bee Moth	1
62.021	Oncocera semirubella		4
62.032	Nephopterix angustella		4
62.048	Euzophera pinguis		1
65.002	Watsonalla binaria	Oak Hook-tip	6
65.003	Watsonalla cultraria	Barred Hook-tip	1
65.007	Cilix glaucata	Chinese Character	1
65.008	Thyatira batis	Peach Blossom	1
70.036	Cyclophora punctaria	Maiden’s Blush	5
70.029	Timandra comae	Blood-vein	1
70.049	Xanthorhoe fluctuata	Garden Carpet	3
70.043	Scotopteryx bipunctaria	Chalk Carpet	11
70.061	Epirrhoe alternata	Common Carpet	9
70.062	Epirrhoe rivata	Wood Carpet	2
70.059	Camptogramma bilineata	Yellow Shell	4
70.087	Cosmorhoe ocellata	Purple Bar	18
70.094	Ecliptopera silaceata	Small Phoenix	1
70.097	Dysstroma truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	2
70.100	Colostygia pectinataria	Green Carpet	12
70.128	Melanthia procellata	Pretty Chalk Carpet	12
70.173	Eupithecia centaureata	Lime-speck Pug	8
70.182	Eupithecia assimilata	Currant Pug	1
70.187	Eupithecia icterata	Tawny Speckled Pug	1
70.141	Gymnoscelis rufifasciata	Double-striped Pug	8
70.192	Aplocera plagiata	Treble-bar	1
70.193	Aplocera efformata	Lesser Treble-bar	2
70.200	Acasis viretata	Yellow-barred Brindle	6
70.208	Ligdia adustata	Scorched Carpet	2
70.212	Macaria alternata	Sharp-angled Peacock	1
70.214	Macaria liturata	Tawny-barred Angle	1
70.218	Chiasmia clathrata	Latticed Heath	2
70.226	Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth	54
70.233	Ennomos quercinaria	August Thorn	1
70.235	Ennomos fuscantaria	Dusky Thorn	8
70.236	Ennomos erosaria	September Thorn	6
70.258	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty	7
70.283	Campaea margaritaria	Light Emerald	9
71.018	Pheosia gnoma	Lesser Swallow Prominent	1
71.017	Pheosia tremula	Swallow Prominent	1
71.021	Ptilodon capucina	Coxcomb Prominent	2
71.001	Thaumetopoea processionea	Oak Processionary	1
72.011	Lymantria dispar	Gypsy Moth	1
72.035	Miltochrista miniata	Rosy Footman	1
72.044	Eilema griseola	Dingy Footman	10
72.047	Eilema caniola	Hoary Footman	2
72.046	Eilema complana	Scarce Footman	1
72.043	Eilema depressa	Buff Footman	26
72.024	Phragmatobia fuliginosa	Ruby Tiger	2
72.030	Euplagia quadripunctaria	Jersey Tiger	4
73.319	Agrotis segetum	Turnip Moth	2
73.327	Agrotis ipsilon	Dark Sword-grass	1
73.325	Agrotis puta	Shuttle-shaped Dart	2
73.329	Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder	7
73.339	Rhyacia simulans	Dotted Rustic	1
73.342	Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	70
73.345	Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	34
73.343	Noctua fimbriata	Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing	5
73.348	Noctua janthe	Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing	6
73.365	Eugnorisma glareosa	Autumnal Rustic	12
73.334	Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot	21
73.359	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character	283
73.358	Xestia sexstrigata	Six-striped Rustic	2
73.357	Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	77
73.255	Anarta trifolii	The Nutmeg	1
73.274	Mamestra brassicae	Cabbage Moth	3
73.267	Lacanobia oleracea	Bright-line Brown-eye	1
73.252	Tholera cespitis	Hedge Rustic	24
73.253	Tholera decimalis	Feathered Gothic	9
73.297	Mythimna albipuncta	White-point	71
73.291	Mythimna pallens	Common Wainscot	189
73.233	Aporophyla nigra	Black Rustic	1
73.219	Atethmia centrago	Centre-barred Sallow	41
73.038x	Acronicta psi/tridens	Grey/Dark Dagger agg	1
73.045	Acronicta rumicis	Knot Grass	1
73.082	Cryphia algae	Tree-lichen Beauty	3
73.062x	Amphipyra pyramidea agg.	Copper Underwing agg	14
73.064	Amphipyra tragopoginis	Mouse Moth	3
73.107	Mormo maura	Old Lady	1
73.109	Thalpophila matura	Straw Underwing	26
73.113	Phlogophora meticulosa	Angle-shades	15
73.169x	Mesapamea secalis agg.	Common Rustic agg	1
73.131	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic	24
73.099	Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine’s Rustic	13
73.012	Diachrysia chrysitis	Burnished Brass	16
73.015	Autographa gamma	Silver Y	2
73.002	Abrostola triplasia	Dark Spectacle	1
73.001	Abrostola tripartita	The Spectacle	2
72.076	Catocala fraxini	Clifden Nonpareil	2
72.078	Catocala nupta	Red Underwing	1
72.081	Catocala sponsa	Dark Crimson Underwing	1
72.002	Rivula sericealis	Straw Dot	9
72.003	Hypena proboscidalis	The Snout	23
72.061	Schrankia costaestrigalis	Pinion-streaked Snout	2

List by Norman Hall