Cheshire Macro-Moth Papers

The following species of macro-moth are particularly associated with heathland; for most of them heather is the primary foodplant. Almost all are less widely recorded in Cheshire than might be expected from their general status in Britain. In each case the numbers that follow the name and remarks (if any) are the 10Km squares in the SJ block where they have been recorded in the last 30 years (as at 1991).

Code No.:	English Name:	Remarks:	10Km Squares:
1638	Fox Moth	Not entirely confined to heather but usually only found on heathland.	SJ27, 28, 29, 66, 88, 98.
1643	Emperor Moth	Usually on heathland.	SJ28, 29, 57, 65, 67, 87, 88, 97, 98, 99.
1694	Smoky Wave	Only from SJ78 & 79; needs confirmation.
1798	Autumnal Moth	A moorland insect.	SJ88, 98.
1831	Ling Pug	Not easy to distinguish from Wormwood Pug; identity usually based upon habitat.	SJ47, 65, 66, 76, 98.
1846	Narrow-winged Pug	Widespread, can probably survive on garden heathers.	SJ27, 28, 38, 45, 47, 56, 57, 58, 64, 65, 66, 69, 76, 77, 87, 88, 97, 98, 99.
1938	Bordered Grey	No recent records in Cheshire.
1952	Common Heath	Perhaps our best known heathland indicator but only recorded from about half of Cheshire's squares.	SJ28, 29, 45, 55, 56, 57, 65, 69, 75, 76, 77, 86, 88, 97, 98, 99.
1969	Grey Scalloped Bar	Only two records; needs confirmation.	SJ28, 88.
1970	Grass Wave	Only three records.	SJ28, 56, 66.
2059	Clouded Buff	Only known from Abbots Moss.	SJ56.
2118	True Lover's Knot	Although primarily heather feeding it is very widespread in Cheshire and is not restricted to heathland.	Missing only from: SJ36, 46, 55 & 68.
2132	Neglected Rustic	Several recent additional records.	SJ45, 55, 58, 65, 66, 76, 77, 87, 97.
2135	Heath Rustic	Probably under recorded.	SJ28, 56, 66, 76, 88, 98, 99.
2142	Beautiful Yellow Underwing	Obviously much overlooked in recent times.	SJ28, 38, 45, 58, 69, 87, 88, 97, 98, 99.
2162	Glaucous Shears	Not confined to heathland but mainly heather feeding.	SJ28, 44, 55, 87, 88, 97, 98, 99.
2447	Scarce Silver Y	No recent Cheshire records but it does occur on the Pennines and we should be able to find it.

It is difficult to summarise these results but there is some correlation between the squares with the greatest number of heather feeding moths and those with the better heathland habitats. There are however, plenty of anomalies; there must be more moths to be found and there must be heathland not revealed by the initial survey undertaken by Manpower Services Commission (MSC) people on behalf of Cheshire Wildlife Trust in the early 1980's.