Cheshire Macro-Moth Report - 1996


Like 1995, the spring of 1996 was very discouraging and few of us had many worthwhile records by the end of May. However, heralded by the mass invasion of Painted Ladies and Silver Y's at the beginning of June, things began to look up and records began to accumulate more rapidly than in any of the last three years. If things had not tailed off again in the autumn it would have been an even better year. As it was we had 141 new records which was more than in any other year since 1992; so much for the "law of diminishing returns" ! Perhaps this shows that we have been working harder and more systematically and that we have some new and very active recorders, but there is clear evidence that several species are extending their range and turning up for the first time in light-traps that have been run regularly for many years.

We did record two species new to the County and one of these was the rare immigrant, the Ni Moth, which was taken on Hilbre Island (SJ18) on the 21st June 1996 by Gavin Broad. One wonders how many other Ni Moths came in amongst the clouds of Silver Y's and were not detected. However, there were a good number of migrants recorded, particularly the Gem, Small Mottled Willow, Bordered Straw and Scarce Bordered Straw, as well as several Humming-bird Hawk-moths.

Gavin Broad was not the only new member of the recording team in 1996 as we welcomed Tom Edmondson of Chester, Richard Hall of Timbersbrook, Alexandra Russell-Moore of Mouldsworth, and very recently Simon Greenfield of Crewe who has worked a garden trap at home and also recorded in the Crewe Business Park and occasionally further afield. Of the established members, mention must be made of Paul Yarlett who managed the only Clearwing record during the year. Paul Hill is not a new name to us but his team of trappers working at Witton were certainly a new asset and they added eight (8) new species to the total for SJ67, as well as a couple of very welcome update records for that square.

The highlight of the year was unquestionably the discovery by Ian Wallace of the Sandhill Rustic on the coast at West Kirby in SJ28. This is just opposite the well known colony at the Point of Ayr, and we have expected to find it on the Wirral for some years. Its eventual discovery is most gratifying. Apart from this discovery of another resident species, the year was notable for the recording of several species for which we have had very few records in recent times. In this category I include the Scarce Footman, Marbled Coronet, Golden-Rod Brindle, Double Kidney, Large Nutmeg, Dusky Sallow, Brown-veined Wainscot and Blackneck. Whether these species are really increasing in numbers or were just casual specimens encountered we cannot yet tell but it is clear that there are some species that are extending their range within the County, in particular the Pale Pinion in SJ87, not previously recorded further east than SJ65, the Black Rustic which was recorded in four new squares in the eastern half of the County, and Blair's Shoulder-knot which managed five new squares and was very plentiful in some parts, Barry Shaw having had 34 in his trap in one night !!

When it comes to the commoner species, I tend to play the numbers game; at the start of 1996 there were just four squares with less than 250 species recorded, a clear incentive ! SJ68 at 230 was the lowest and a combination of larvae beating in High Leigh near the M6 coupled with light-trapping at Blundell's Nurseries has added 14 but still leaves 6 to find. In SJ86 we were more successful as the traps of Tom Davison and Richard Hall, together with a fair amount of field-work, has taken us up past the 250 mark. In the other two squares, 56 and 76, day work included larvae beating and sweeping, has reduced the deficiency but some night work might be needed to get the last four species in each square. Another numbers target that continues to elude us is that of proving that at least 100 species occur in all 31 of the 10 kilometre squares which make up Vice-County 58 (Cheshire). We added another five species in 1996 but are still about 5 short of the hundred.

C.I. Rutherford - (February 1997).


The following new records were received for Vice-County 58 (Cheshire) for 1996 (updated records are not given here and will be dealt with separately): - an asterisk (*) indicates a new species for the county; the number at the extreme left is the Bradley & Fletcher code from their publication: "A Recorder's Log Book or Label List of British Butterflies and Moths" - J.D. Bradley and D.S. Fletcher (1979) :-

CODE 

English Name 

10Km Square(s) (SJ)

15 

Orange Swift 

76

161 

Leopard Moth 

57

373 

Currant Clearwing 

38

1631 

December Moth 

37

1638 

Fox Moth 

97

1658 

Oak Lutestring 

64

1661 

Orange Underwing 

46

1667 

Blotched Emerald 

46

1673 

Small Emerald 

36

1690 

Small Blood-vein 

57

1702 

Small Fan-footed Wave 

29

1705 

Dwarf Cream Wave 

36

1707 

Small Dusty Wave 

64

1708 

Single-dotted Wave 

99

1709 

Satin Wave 

86

1715 

Plain Wave 

28

1720 

The Gem 

36, 57, 64

1746 

Shoulder Stripe 

55, 68

1747 

Streamer 

55

1750 

Water Carpet 

38

1754 

Phoenix 

29

1755 

Chevron 

38

1765 

Barred Yellow 

67, 68

1767 

Reddish Pine Carpet 

86

1769 

Spruce Carpet 

28

1771 

Juniper Carpet 

36

1778 

May Highflyer 

68

1797 

Autumnal Moth 

86

1800 

Northern Winter Moth 

64, 76

1811 

Slender Pug 

36

1821 

Valerian Pug 

68, 86

1825 

Lime-speck Pug 

67

1851 

Golden-rod Pug 

28, 76, 86

1854 

Juniper Pug 

28

1857 

Dwarf Pug 

68

1860 

Green Pug 

28, 56

1874 

Dingy Shell 

68

1902 

Brown Silver-Line 

46

1907 

Bordered Beauty 

29

1915 

September Thorn 

69

1930 

Oak Beauty 

69

1936 

Waved Umber 

47

1954 

Bordered White 

68

1979 

Lime Hawk-moth 

67, 86

1980  

Eyed Hawk-moth 

67

1984 

Humming-bird Hawk-moth 

86

1992 

Small Elephant Hawk-moth 

36, 86

1995 

Puss Moth 

66

1998 

Poplar Kitten 

37, 98

2003 

Pebble Prominent 

68

2008 

Coxcomb Prominent 

37

2028 

Pale Tussock 

29, 68

2038 

Muslin Footman 

36, 46

2040 

Four-dotted Footman 

36

2047 

Scarce Footman 

64

2050 

Common Footman 

68, 86

2063 

Muslin Ermine 

68

2078 

Least Black Arches 

46

2117 

Autumnal Rustic 

69

2138 

Green Arches 

36

2142 

Beautiful Yellow Underwing 

57

2163 

Broom 

38

2171 

Marbled Coronet 

87

2173 

Lychnis 

86

2177 

Hedge Rustic 

36, 75

2179 

Pine Beauty 

68, 69

2185 

Lead-coloured Drab 

57

2186 

Powdered Quaker 

37

2214 

Chamomile Shark 

56

2216 

Shark 

86

2221 

Mullein 

57

2232 

Black Rustic 

57, 68, 69, 87

2233 

Golden-rod Brindle 

64

2236 

Pale Pinion 

87

2237 

Grey Shoulder-knot 

57

2240 

Blair's Shoulder-knot 

28, 29, 57, 67, 69

2248 

Brindled Green 

69

2259 

Dark Chestnut 

57

2265 

Flounced Chestnut 

64

2268 

Suspected 

86

269 

Centre-barred Sallow 

69

2272 

Barred Sallow 

37

2273 

Pink-barred Sallow 

57

2280 

Miller 

67

2303 

Straw Underwing 

57

2311 

Double Kidney 

36

2314 

Dingy Shears 

67

2327 

Clouded Brindle 

67

2333 

Large Nutmeg 

36

2339 

Tawny Marbled Minor 

28

2343a 

Lesser Common Rustic 

28

2354* 

Sandhill Rustic 

28

2352 

Dusky Sallow 

64

2358 

Saltern Ear 

28

2369 

Bullrush Wainscot 

29

2371 

Brown-veined Wainscot 

36

2379 

Small Rufous 

36

2385 

Small Mottled Willow 

64

2400 

Scarce Bordered Straw 

36, 57

2403 

Bordered Straw 

28, 36, 77, 88

2422 

Green Silver Lines 

68, 86

2423 

Oak Nycteoline 

28, 57

2432* 

Ni Moth 

18

2452 

Red Underwing 

75, 86, 97

2462 

Mother Shipton 

38

2466 

Blackneck 

69

2469 

Herald 

56

2476 

Beautiful Snout 

86

2485 

Marsh Oblique-barred 

97



 

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