14th July 2012: Rye Meads RSPB Nature Reserve, Herts

This was our input to the “Bioblitz” organised by the RSPB on their nature reserve. The night session was combined with a trap opening the following morning when we were accompanied by a hordes of kids who had camped out in the visitor centre overnight. So, we drove in the Landrover to the farthest point of the reserve and set out the first light - a Robinson trap that we planned to ignore until the morning. Just as we pulled the cord on the generator the rain started. We drove back towards the visitor centre, dropping off lights as we went, but by the time number three was running the rain was so heavy that we thought the sky had collapsed. Nine of us spent 20 minutes huddled in the Landrover until we remembered that there was a coffee machine in the visitor centre .... so off we went to use it. An hour later, after having also taken on board a free baked potato with beans and cheese, kindly provided by the RSPB volunteers, we decided that the rain had passed and set off out again to put up another three light traps. The rain did hold off, apart from a few spots, but in the morning it was clear that the first three traps had caught rather more than the last three. Could this be habitat? Or could it be that the moths flew just before the rain? RSPB staff ran another trap near the visitor centre catching just one species (Agonopterix alstromeriana) that we did not see in our own traps.

Joan Childs, the RSPB Reserve Manager and also a Herts Moth Group member, has asked me to convey her thanks to those who turned up and helped out with the event (and her apologies to Roger, who got locked out of the car park!). A total of 103 species was recorded, plus 1 pug and 2 tortrix, currently with other people, still to be named. The number sounds good, but in a “normal” year we might easily record 100 macros rather than needing the micros to get the numbers up. There was, unsurprisingly, a good complement of wetland species. Those marked * in the list were named by genitalia dissection. Two species were recorded as pupae (noted in the list). As seems to be the norm this year, most species were represented by single figure numbers, though Southern wainscot seemed more plentiful than others. I gather that the youngsters who "helped" to open that traps in the morning were suitably impressed by the catch - especially the hawk moths! Perhaps my future replacement as County Recorder might be amongst them? The full list is below.

Depressariidae

0695 Agonopterix alstromeriana (Clerck, 1759)

Gelechiidae

0819 Scrobipalpa costella (Humphreys & Westwood, 1845)

0866 Brachmia blandella (Fabricius, 1798)

0868 Helcystogramma rufescens (Haworth, 1828)

Blastobasidae

0874 Blastobasis lacticolella Rebel, 1940

Tortricidae

0926 Phalonidia manniana (Fischer von Röslerstamm, 1839) *

0937 Agapeta hamana (Linnaeus, 1758)

0972 Pandemis heparana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix

0993 Clepsis spectrana (Treitschke, 1830) Cyclamen Tortrix

0998 Epiphyas postvittana (Walker, 1863) Light Brown Apple Moth

1010 Ditula angustiorana (Haworth, 1811) Red-barred Tortrix

1032 Aleimma loeflingiana (Linnaeus, 1758)

1063 Celypha striana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

1076 Celypha lacunana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

1082 Hedya pruniana (Hübner, 1799) Plum Tortrix

1086 Hedya salicella (Linnaeus, 1758)

1115 Ancylis achatana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

1159 Rhopobota naevana (Hübner, 1817) Holly Tortrix

1175 Epiblema uddmanniana (Linnaeus, 1758) Bramble Shoot Moth

1178 Epiblema roborana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

1201 Eucosma cana (Haworth, 1811)

1205 Spilonota ocellana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Bud Moth

Crambidae

1290 Chilo phragmitella (Hübner, 1805)

1292 Calamotropha paludella (Hübner, 1824)

1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella (Linnaeus, 1758) Garden Grass-veneer

1328 Schoenobius gigantella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

1329 Donacaula forficella (Thunberg, 1794)

1344 Eudonia mercurella (Linnaeus, 1758)

1354 Cataclysta lemnata (Linnaeus, 1758) Small China-mark

1376 Eurrhypara hortulata (Linnaeus, 1758) Small Magpie

Pyralidae

1424 Endotricha flammealis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

1439 Trachycera advenella (Zincken, 1818)

1470 Euzophera pinguis (Haworth, 1811)

Pterophoridae

1504 Platyptilia pallidactyla (Haworth, 1811)

Lasiocampidae

1640 Euthrix potatoria (Linnaeus, 1758) Drinker

Thyatiridae

1652 Thyatira batis (Linnaeus, 1758) Peach Blossom

1653 Habrosyne pyritoides (Hufnagel, 1766) Buff Arches

Geometridae

1669 Hemithea aestivaria (Hübner, 1799) Common Emerald

1682 Timandra comae (Schmidt, 1931) Blood-vein

1690 Scopula imitaria (Hübner, 1799) Small Blood-vein

1699 Idaea rusticata Lempke, 1967 Least Carpet

1702 Idaea biselata (Hufnagel, 1767) Small Fan-footed Wave

1705 Idaea fuscovenosa (Goeze, 1781) Dwarf Cream Wave

1713 Idaea aversata (Linnaeus, 1758) Riband Wave

1738 Epirrhoe alternata (Müller, 1764) Common Carpet

1758 Eulithis pyraliata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Barred Straw

1777 Hydriomena furcata (Thunberg, 1784) July Highflyer

1802 Perizoma affinitata (Stephens, 1831) Rivulet

1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haworth, 1809) Double-striped Pug

1887 Lomaspilis marginata (Linnaeus, 1758) Clouded Border

1906 Opisthograptis luteolata (Linnaeus, 1758) Brimstone Moth

1907 Epione repandaria (Hufnagel, 1767) Bordered Beauty

1917 Selenia dentaria (Fabricius, 1775) Early Thorn

1921 Crocallis elinguaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Scalloped Oak

1922 Ourapteryx sambucaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Swallow-tailed Moth

1931 Biston betularia (Linnaeus, 1758) Peppered Moth

1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Willow Beauty

1955 Cabera pusaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Common White Wave

1956 Cabera exanthemata (Scopoli, 1763) Common Wave

Sphingidae

1981 Laothoe populi (Linnaeus, 1758) Poplar Hawk-moth

1991 Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758) Elephant Hawk-moth

Lymantriidae

2030 Euproctis similis (Fuessly, 1775) Yellow-tail

2031 Leucoma salicis (Linnaeus, 1758) White Satin

Arctiidae

2035 Thumatha senex (Hübner, 1808) Round-winged Muslin

2044 Eilema griseola (Hübner, 1803) Dingy Footman

2047 Eilema complana (Linnaeus, 1758) Scarce Footman

2049 Eilema depressa (Esper, 1787) Buff Footman

2050 Eilema lurideola (Zincken, 1817) Common Footman

2061 Spilosoma luteum (Hufnagel, 1766) Buff Ermine

2064 Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Linnaeus, 1758) Ruby Tiger

2069 Tyria jacobaeae (Linnaeus, 1758) Cinnabar

Noctuidae

2089 Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758) Heart and Dart

2098 Axylia putris (Linnaeus, 1761) Flame

2102 Ochropleura plecta (Linnaeus, 1761) Flame Shoulder

2107 Noctua pronuba Linnaeus, 1758 Large Yellow Underwing

2109 Noctua comes Hübner, 1813 Lesser Yellow Underwing

2126 Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758) Setaceous Hebrew Character

2128 Xestia triangulum (Hufnagel, 1766) Double Square-spot

2160 Lacanobia oleracea (Linnaeus, 1758) Bright-line Brown-eye

2192 Mythimna conigera ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Brown-line Bright Eye

2197 Mythimna straminea (Treitschke, 1825) Southern Wainscot

2198 Mythimna impura (Hübner, 1808) Smoky Wainscot

2199 Mythimna pallens (Linnaeus, 1758) Common Wainscot

2318 Cosmia trapezina (Linnaeus, 1758) Dun-bar

2321 Apamea monoglypha (Hufnagel, 1766) Dark Arches

2322 Apamea lithoxylaea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Light Arches

2336 Apamea ophiogramma (Esper, 1793) Double Lobed

2361 Hydraecia micacea (Esper, 1789) Rosy Rustic

2368 Celaena leucostigma (Hübner, 1808) Crescent

2369 Nonagria typhae (Thunberg, 1784) Bulrush Wainscot (as pupae in reed stems)

2371 Archanara dissoluta (Treitschke, 1825) Brown-veined Wainscot

2373 Archanara sparganii (Esper, 1790) Webb's Wainscot (as pupae in reed stems)

2381 Hoplodrina alsines (Brahm, 1791) Uncertain

2382 Hoplodrina blanda ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Rustic

2387 Caradrina morpheus (Hufnagel, 1766) Mottled Rustic

2391 Chilodes maritimus (Tauscher, 1806) Silky Wainscot

2434 Diachrysia chrysitis (Linnaeus, 1758) Burnished Brass

2441 Autographa gamma (Linnaeus, 1758) Silver Y

2450 Abrostola tripartita (Hufnagel, 1766) Spectacle

2469 Scoliopteryx libatrix (Linnaeus, 1758) Herald

2477 Hypena proboscidalis (Linnaeus, 1758) Snout

2489 Zanclognatha tarsipennalis (Treitschke, 1835) Fan-foot