Cheshire
Macro-Moth Papers - Paper 4
Moths Associated With Reed-Beds:
The species listed below are generally associated with Reed-beds and
have Phragmites as their principal food-plant. Most of them are less
common Wainscots which have been recorded much less than we would expect
in a county (Cheshire) with so many meres and ponds. There are, in fact,
quite a number of reed-beds which are noticeable as one travels around
Cheshire but many of them are not easily accessible and have not been
worked at night. These moths do not normally wander far from their habitat
and so do not get recorded in Garden traps. 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 thirty years (as
at 1991).
Code No.: |
English Name: |
Remarks: |
10Km Squares: |
2196 |
Striped Wainscot |
Not yet recorded although one observer thought he
saw one. Worth searching for. Found in Yorkshire so why not Cheshire? |
|
2197 |
Southern Wainscot |
Quite widespread. |
SJ27, 38, 47, 57, 58, 68, 77, 78. |
2204 |
Obscure Wainscot |
Recently discovered at the Moore site. |
SJ58, 97. |
2209 |
Flame Wainscot |
Only one record, Prestbury SJ97. Was it a vagrant
or is there a habitat in the Bollin Valley? |
|
2371 |
Brown-veined Wainscot |
Used to be at Hatchmere but not seen there in the
period in question. |
SJ29, 37, 54, 55. |
2375 |
Large wainscot |
Quite widespread, often flies further afield than
the smaller species. |
SJ27, 28, 29, 38, 46, 47, 54, 55, 58, 64, 65, 68,
77, 78, 88. |
2377 |
Fen Wainscot |
Only from Moore Nature reserve, Warrington where
it was recently found. |
SJ58 |
2379 |
Small Rufous Wainscot |
Not a Phragmites feeder but found in similar habitats. |
SJ28, 29, 37, 45, 46, 65, 76, 77, 78, 86, 87, 88,
97, 98. |
2391 |
Silky Wainscot |
Lives amongst reeds but seems to feed, primarily,
on other larvae etc. Only recorded from Rostherne. |
SJ78. |
To this list we should certainly add some 'micros' of which two which
come to mind are:
Code No.: |
Scientific Name: |
1290 |
Chilo phragmitella |
1328 |
Schoenobius forficella |
either of which is as big as many of the 'macros'.
I'm sure there is more to be found here (in Cheshire), the only real
effort devoted to reed-beds in the last few years was by Steve J. McWilliam
at Moore Nature Reserve near Warrington, and this effectively added
two species to our county list (if you discount the Obscure Wainscot
at Prestbury in 1976 as a vagrant). The only other reed-bed where I
know of a moth trap being run is Rostherne and that also produced an
addition to our list. When in Yorkshire I found all these species except
the Flame Wainscot at various sites around York.
C. Ian Rutherford.
February 1991
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