Notice Board 2011

Site Images: We are keen to complete the species illustrations on the site, additionally some of the earlier photographs now look below par and could be improved. If anyone has photographs of the species that we have not yet pictured, or clear improvements, and does not mind us using them to fill some of our gaps will they please let John Ward know. Any photographs used will of course be acknowledged.

The up to date grid square coverage map is now available by clicking onto:
Request for Information/Records from the County Recorder

IDENTIFICATION AND NOTICE BOARD ENTRIES: Any member of the group is able to handle identification queries on moths at any of their stages and if in doubt will refer the matter on for a second opinion. At the outset the insect should be retained and a realistic photograph provided to confirm the identity. Due to the limitations sometimes imposed by photographic images of moths it is not always possible to identify difficult species from a photograph alone. Basically there is always a preference for a moth in the hand. Accordingly if there are still doubts the actual insect should then be seen by either Philip Horsnail, Mark Hammond, Pete Sharpe or John Ward who will act as determinators.

In general, at the time of recording we would like to hear of moths that are UK BAP species, new to the county, or are classified on the site as very local, scarce or rare for entry on the notice board. Additionally any exceptional or interesting captures, i.e. very high numbers, species seen months out of season and unusual extremes of variation or melanism etc. will be welcome. Any other records can wait until submission of the annual recorders list. To keep the project within reasonable bounds we will generally only enter the first recording from a locality on the notice board but would appreciate the actual numbers involved at the end of the season.

2011 Records and Notices:

It would be most helpful if all 2011 records could be sent to John Ward as soon as possible once recording for the season has finished with any new species for each site highlighted please. Any records received after the end of January will be too late for the 2011 season records update.

We are currently compiling a list of trips for 2011.  If anyone has any species or localities that they would like to target we would be pleased to hear from them; we are particularly thinking of sites that have not been worked previously or areas that are under-recorded.  We still think that there are resident populations of moths awaiting discovery in unrecorded areas of the county.  A good example of this in 2010 was the recording of White-line Snout in the unworked Sunderland Wood, never seen previously in Northants.  Please let Mark or John know if you have any suggestions.

23 September 2011. Please see late entry of new county record under 9 August 2011.

17 September 2011. The final Moth Group trip this year to Fermyn Woods Country Park (SP98) was well supported by, "The friends of Fermyn Woods Country Park." Despite the cool and variable weather there was a catch of in excess of thirty moths covering fourteen species. Unfortunately the evening was terminated abruptly with a heavy deluge of rain at around 9.30pm. Full list of moths to follow.

10 September 2011. Richard Baylis ran three lights overnight at Holdenby House (SP66) as part of ongoing survey work. A total of 20 species was recorded. Click here for full catch list.

31 August 2011. One False Mocha C. porata taken in an Oundle garden m.v. light trap (TL08) by Phil Horsnail. A new grid square record for this BAP species.

19 August 2011. James Skinner ran two lights at Sunderland Wood (SP77), part of the Kelmarsh Estate, as part of ongoing survey work. A total of 23 species was recorded. Click here for full catch list.

13 August 2011. One worn Wood Carpet E. Rivata taken at a garden m.v. light trap in Kingsthorpe (SP76) by Pete Sharpe.

12 August 2011. Two Marbled Green C. muralis taken in an m.v. light trap at Greatworth (SP54) by Terry Stokes. The first time seen in the county since 1970. A photograph of one of the moths will appear on the species write-up in due course.

9 August 2011. One Langmaid's Yellow Underwing N. janthina taken in a garden m.v. light trap in Kingsthorpe (SP76) by Pete Sharpe and photographically determined by Gerry Haggett. A new county record and the most inland record documented for the species to date. A photograph of the actual moth will be included with the species write-up in due course.

9 August 2011. Three Garden Dart E. nigricans taken at a garden m.v. light trap in Kingsthorpe (SP76) by Pete Sharpe. Pete informed me that he has taken around twenty of the species over the past few weeks, so there is hope that it is on its way back to regaining its former more common status within the county.

6 August 2011. The trip to Barnack Hills & Holes (TF00) yielded only 36 species, best of which was a single Square-spotted Clay, X. rhomboidea and one The Four-spotted T. luctuosa. . Click here for full catch list.

5 August 2011. One White-point M. albipuncta taken in a garden m.v. light trap in Pitsford village (SP76) by Angus Molyneux. A new grid square record for the species.

Nick Smith has taken a number of notice board moths recently at his m.v. light traps at Woodnewton (TL09). These are: -
3 August 2011. Two Webb's Wainscot A. sparganii, 2 August 2011. Two Garden Dart E. nigricans, 2 August 2011. One White-point M. albipuncta, 1 Augustt 2011. One The Four-spotted T. luctuosa. A further different example of this BAP species was taken the next day and 30 July 2011. One Bedstraw Hawk-moth H. gallii. This is the fifth county record for this species and follows the 2008 record at Glapthorn Cow Pasture also in TL09.

30th July 2011. Ron Follows ran a joint NMG/WT trap session at Ring Haw (TL09). 55 species were recorded, the highlights being two Nationally Notable moths - Mere Wainscot C. fluxa and Square-spotted Clay, X. rhomboidea. Click here for full catch list.

23 July 2011. Paul Waring ran a moth identification workshop at Old Sulehay / Ring Haw (TL09). A total of 33 species were recorded during the session, most notable being Square-spotted Clay, X. rhomboidea. Click here for full catch list.

18 July 2011. One Bedstraw Hawk-moth H. gallii taken at m.v. light trap at Maidford (SP65) by Jim Scott. A new grid square record for the species.

11 July 2011. One Small Marbled E. Parva taken in a garden m.v. light trap in Peterborough (TL19) by Mike Weedon. The second county record for this rare migrant that was seen in the county for the first time in 1953.

11 July 2011. Two Toadflax Brocade C. lunula taken in a garden m.v. light trap in Peterborough (TL19) by Mike Weedon. As an example of this species was recorded in this garden last August it appears that the moth could be temporarily established in the vicinity.

10 July 2011. Despite excellent weather conditions, a plentiful supply of old Apple trees and a brand new pheromone lure, we failed to record Red-belted Clearwing at Wilson's Orchard (SP76). Note however that a singleton of this species was recorded by Mark Hammond at Old Sulehay (TL09) on 20th June.

9 July 2011. One Small Ranunculus H. dysodea taken at m.v. light in a Corby garden (SP88) by Adam Homer. An update of the Victorian record from this grid square and further evidence that the moth is spreading rapidly within the county.

8 July 2011. One The Ni Moth T. Ni taken in an actinic light trap at Sywell (SP86) by Jim Dunkley. This example was smaller and rather differently marked than those that I have seen previously. Eventually it was determined by sight of the actual moth.

2 July 2011. A rare confluent form of Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Z. lonicerae was seen and photographed at Hackleton (SP85) by Jeff Blincow. A picture of the moth can now be seen on the species write-up.

28 June 2011. One Small Ranunculus H. dysodea taken at m.v. light in Old Stratford (SP74) by Andy Harding. A new grid square record for this recolonising species. A further Small Ranunculus H. dysodea was taken at light on the same night in a Peterborough garden (TL19) by Mike Weedon.

27 June 2011. One Garden Tiger A. caja was recorded in the Pitsford Water (SP77) light traps by Dave Francis. A much declined species in VC32.

22 June 2011. Two Small Seraphim P. sexalata one taken by net and the other in an m.v. light trap at Woodnewton (TL09) by Nick Smith.

14 June 2011. One The Concolorous C. extrema taken in an m.v. light trap at Geddington Chase (SP98) by John Ward. It is noticeable that the woodland is generally drying out once again and that the Calamagrostis is becoming less common. In the 1990's the same thing happened and the population of this species crashed with no moths recorded at this site for several years.

10 June 2011. The trip to Sunderland Wood (Kelmarsh Estates - SP77) on a what proved to be a moderately chilly night produced just twenty species. Click here for full catch list.

29 May 2011. One Red-necked Footman A. rubricollis observed at rest in grass at Bedford Purlieus (TL09) by S Hodgson.

28 May 2011. The group trip to Ring Haw (TL09) yielded 71 macro species, most significant of which was seven The Concolorous C. extrema. Click here for full catch list.

27 May 2011. One Red-necked Footman A. rubricollis taken in an m.v. light trap at Holdenby House (SP66) by Richard Baylis. A new grid square record.

20 May 2011. One The Concolorous C. extrema taken in a garden m.v. light trap in Woodnewton (TL09) by Nick Smith.

7 May 2011. One False Mocha C. porata taken in a garden m.v. light trap in Woodnewton (TL09) by Nick Smith.

2 May 2011. Thirteen The Four-spotted T. luctuosa seen at Werrington Brook Drain (TF10) by Paul Waring. This follows five seen on 27 April 2011 at the same site.

23 April 2011. One Scarce Prominent O. carmelita taken at m.v. light at Yardley Chase (SP85) by Pete Sharpe.

19 April 2011. One Red-line Quaker A. lota found alive inside Lings House (SP76) identified by James Skinner and confirmed by John Ward. The moth was in very fresh and certainly not overwintered condition looking as if it had recently emerged. This is a single brooded moth of the autumn months that is known to overwinter as an egg hatching and completing its growth in the spring and summer months. I have consulted all of the reference books that I hold back to Victorian times and the species is invariably shown as an autumnal moth. My thoughts on this phenomenon are that it was a late developing moth effected by the record low temperatures that we experienced at the end of 2010. The extreme cold delayed its emergence until the conditions were suitable to trigger its emergence this spring. A more experienced colleague shares this point of view but we welcome other explanations please.

19 April 2011. Pinion-spotted Pug E. insigniata taken at light in a Woodnewton garden (TL09) by Nick Smith. Seldom seen as a moth.

13 April 2011. One Scarce Prominent O. carmelita taken in an actinic light trap left overnight under birch in Bucknell Wood (SP64) by Terry Stokes. A new locality for the species.

2 April 2011. One Dotted Chestnut C. rubiginea taken at m.v. light in Yardley Chase (SP85) by Pete Sharpe.

2 April 2011. One Dotted Chestnut C. rubiginea taken at 15W Actinic Skinner trap by Richard Baylis in his East Haddon garden (SP66). This species was recorded here in 2010 also.

2 April 2011. The trip to Brigstock Country Park/Fermyn Woods (SP98) resulted in fifteen species being seen. Click here for full catch list.

25 March 2011. The first group outing to Glapthorn Cow Pasture (TL09) yielded twenty-two species, the highlight of which was two White-marked C. leucographa. Despite examples of the target species having been recorded within the past few days at sites within a few miles either side of this location, Small Eggar was not seen. Click here for full catch list.

25 February 2011. One Dotted Chestnut C. rubiginea taken at m.v. light at Pitsford Water (SP77) by Dave Francis. Previous records of singletons were recorded on the reserve on 16 March 2010, 23 February 2007 and 26 March 2005

23 February 2011. One Dotted Chestnut C. rubiginea taken at m.v. light in Irchester Country Park (SP96) by Derek Larkin. The species continues to expand its range within the county since first being seen in 2004. To date the moth has always been seen as a singleton.

11 February 2011. At the instigation of the Wildlife Trust we have to make a decision regarding the treatment of records submitted by recorders to the Moth Group and then onwards to other interested parties.  We are proposing the following:-
All records submitted to the County Recorder and Northamptonshire Moth Group (NMG), once verified, will be entered into our main database and will be available to third parties upon request.  In accordance with our joint agreement, at least once annually we supply the Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre (Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust) and National Moth Recording Scheme (Butterfly Conservation) with a full dataset of  confirmed records received and this data is then  incorporated into their databases along with those of the NBN Gateway.  The contact details you have provided will remain confidential at all times and we will continue to safeguard any sensitive species and locaities as we have always done.  Please notify the County Recorder directly if you have any concerns regarding the availability of this data within the next month.