RINGSTEAD DOWNS 2000
The aim of this survey was to record the moths of this chalk downland, a quite rare habitat in Norfolk, and to see what moths could be associated with this area. It is worth noting that very little moth trapping had been done here before this year and with the reserve suffering due to lack of grazing and encroachment of scrub it is unlikely we will not know what may have been lost from here. Some of the moths typical to chalk grassland that were trapped were Aethes francillana, Cnephasia conspersana, Euleioptilus carphodactyla and Dark Umber.
Five night visits were made from May to September with up to four 125w MV traps and single 6w and 15w actinic lights covering the area to the west of the reserve. A daytime search was made in October to see what ‘leaf mining’ lepidoptera were present (a very understudied group of moths) In all, 243 moths were recorded.
The Bradley & Fletcher number is in the left column and the normal food plant is in brackets. The UK status is common unless stated although most of the micro-lepidoptera comes under the heading of ‘unknown’.
The full list:
|
HEPIALIDAE |
||
|
0014 |
Ghost Moth (grasses & herbaceous plants) |
|
|
0015 |
Orange Swift (roots of bracken & herbaceous plants) |
|
|
0017
0050 0051 0075 0092 0095 0111
|
Common Swift (grasses & herbaceous plants) NEPTICULIDAE Stigmella aurella (bramble) Stigmella aurella f. nitens (agrimony) Stigmella floslactella (hazel) Stigmella anomalella (rose) Stigmella viscerella (elm) Stigmella microtheriella (hazel) INCURVARIIDAE |
|
|
0147 |
Nemophora scabiosella (scabious) |
|
|
0153
0332 0342 0352 |
Adela fibulella (germander speedwell) local GRACILLARIIDAE Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (hawthorn) Phyllonorcyter coryli (hazel) Phyllonorycter schreberella (elm) YPONOMEUTIDAE |
|
|
0455 |
Ypsolopha scabrella (apple & hawthorn) local |
|
|
0464
0499 0518 |
Plutella xylostella (Diamond Backed Moth) (brassicaceae) COLEOPHORIDAE Coleophora limosipennella (elm) Coleophora mayrella (clover) OECOPHORIDAE |
|
|
0648 |
Endrosis sarcitrella (dry material of plant or animal origin) |
|
|
0658 |
Carcina quercana (deciduous trees & bushes) |
|
|
0697 |
Agonopterix arenella (umbelliferae) GELECHIIDAE |
|
|
0765 |
Teleiodes vulgella (dissected) (hawthorn & blackthorn)
BLASTOBASIDAE |
|
|
0873 |
Blastobasis lignea (withered plant materials) local |
|
|
0874 |
Blastobasis decolorella (fresh & withered plant materials) local TORTRICIDAE |
|
|
0925 |
Phtheochroa rugosana (white bryony) local |
|
|
0936 |
Cochylimorpha straminea (knapweed) local |
|
|
0937 |
Agapeta hamana (thistle) |
|
|
0938 |
Agapeta zoegana (knapweed) |
|
|
0946 |
Aethes rubigana (burdock) local |
|
|
0950 |
Aethes francillana (carrot & hog’s fennel) local |
|
|
0954 |
Eupoecilia angustana (plantain & yarrow) local |
|
|
0969 |
Pandemis corylana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
0970 |
Pandemis cerasana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
0972 |
Pandemis heparana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
0977 |
Archips podana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
0993 1000 |
Clepsis spectrana (various plants) Ptycholoma lecheana (various trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1010 |
Ditula angustiorana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1011 |
Pseudaryrotoza conwagana (ash seeds) |
|
|
1019 |
Cnephasia conspersana (dissected) (various plants) local |
|
|
1020 1021 |
Cnephasia stephensiana (dissected) (various plants) Cnephasia asseclana (dissected) (various plants) |
|
|
1024 |
Cnephasia incertana (dissected) (various plants) local |
|
|
1032 |
Aleimma loeflingiana (oak) |
|
|
1033 |
Tortrix viridana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1035 |
Acleris bergmanniana (roses) |
|
|
1043 |
Acleris aspersana (various plants) |
|
|
1048 |
Acleris variegana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1063 |
Celypha striana (willow and other trees) |
|
|
1064 |
Celypha rosaceana (sow-thistle & dandelion) |
|
|
1076 |
Celypha lacunana (various plants) |
|
|
1082 |
Hedya pruniana (cherry, blackthorn & plum) |
|
|
1083 |
Hedya nubiferana (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1165 |
Zeiraphera isertana (oak) |
|
|
1175 |
Epiblema uddmanniana (rose & bramble) |
|
|
1176 |
Epiblema trimaculana (hawthorn) |
|
|
1178 |
Epiblema roborana (rose) |
|
|
1200 |
Eucosma hohenwartiana (knapweed) |
|
|
1201 |
Eucosma cana (thistles) PYRALIDAE |
|
|
1293 |
Chrysoteuchia culmella (grasses) |
|
|
1301 |
Crambus lathoniellus (grasses) |
|
|
1304 |
Agriphila straminella (grasses) |
|
|
1305 |
Agriphila tristella (grasses) |
|
|
1309 |
Agriphila geniculea (grasses) |
|
|
1313 |
Catoptria pinella (grasses & sedges) local |
|
|
1328 |
Schoenobius gigantella (common reed & reed-sweet grass) Notable/Nb |
|
|
1332 |
Scoparia subfusca (dissected) (hawkweed & colt’s-foot) |
|
|
1334 |
Scoparia ambigualis (dissected) (mosses & lichens) |
|
|
1356 |
Evergestis forficalis (Garden Pebble) (cabbage & raddish) |
|
|
1376 |
Eurrhypara hortulata (Small Magpie) (nettle) |
|
|
1390 |
Udea prunalis (various plants) |
|
|
1392 |
Udea olivalis (various plants) |
|
|
1395 |
Udea ferrugalis (various plants) |
|
|
1398 |
Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer) (clover, knotgrass and grasses) |
|
|
1405 |
Pleuroptya ruralis (Mother of Pearl) (nettle) |
|
|
1415 |
Orthopygia glaucinalis (dead & decaying vegetable matter) |
|
|
1424 |
Endotricha flammealis (plants & bushes) |
|
|
1428 |
Aphomia sociella (Bee Moth) (in the hives of bees & wasps) |
|
|
1436 |
Conobathra repandana (oak) |
|
|
1438 |
Trachycera suavella (blackthorn) local |
|
|
1439 |
Trachycera advenella (hawthorn) local |
|
|
1458 |
Myelois circumvoluta (Thistle Ermine) (thistle) local PTEROPHORIDAE |
|
|
1513 |
Pterophorus pentadactyla (bindweed) local |
|
|
1519 |
Euleioptilus carphodactyla (ploughman’s-spikenard) LASIOCAMPIDAE |
|
|
1637 |
Oak Eggar (trees & shrubs) DREPANIDAE |
|
|
1646 |
Oak Hook-tip (oak) |
|
|
1647 |
Barred Hook-tip (beech) local |
|
|
1651 |
Chinese Character (hawthorn & blackthorn) |
|
|
1652 |
Peach Blossom (bramble) |
|
|
1653 |
Buff Arches (bramble) |
|
|
1654 |
Figure of Eighty (poplar) GEOMETRIDAE |
|
|
1669 |
Common Emerald (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1680 |
Maiden's Blush (oak) local |
|
|
1682 |
Blood-vein (various plants) |
|
|
1702 |
Small Fan-footed Wave (various plants) |
|
|
1705 |
Dwarf Cream Wave (various plants) local |
|
|
1708 |
Single-dotted Wave (cow-parsley and other plants) |
|
|
1711 |
Treble Brown Spot (various plants) local |
|
|
1713 |
Riband Wave (various plants) |
|
|
1724 |
Red Twin-spot Carpet (various plants) |
|
|
1725 |
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (various plants) |
|
|
1726 |
Large Twin-spot Carpet (various plants) local |
|
|
1727 |
Silver-ground Carpet (various plants) |
|
|
1728 |
Garden Carpet (cruciferae) |
|
|
1732 |
Shaded Broad-bar (vetch & clover) |
|
|
1738 |
Common Carpet (various plants) |
|
|
1742 |
Yellow Shell (various plants) |
|
|
1752 |
Purple Bar (bedstraw) |
|
|
1758 |
Barred Straw (bedstraw) |
|
|
1759 |
Small Phoenix (willowherb) |
|
|
1764 |
Common Marbled Carpet (various plants and trees) |
|
|
1765 |
Barred Yellow (rose) |
|
|
1769 |
Spruce Carpet (various pines) |
|
|
1776 |
Green Carpet (bedstraw) |
|
|
1792 |
Dark Umber (buckthorn) local |
|
|
1804 |
Barred Rivulet (red bartsia & eyebright) local |
|
|
1808 |
Sandy Carpet (red campion) |
|
|
1816 |
Toadflax Pug (toadflax) |
|
|
1827 |
Freyer's Pug (various sp. of cypress) |
|
|
1834 |
Common Pug (various plants) |
|
|
1835 |
White-spotted Pug (elder, parsnip & angelica) local |
|
|
1837 |
Grey Pug (various plants) |
|
|
1838 |
Tawny-speckled Pug (yarrow) |
|
|
1860 |
Green Pug (apple & blackthorn) |
|
|
1876 |
Small Yellow Wave (maple) |
|
|
1887 |
Clouded Border (sallow) |
|
|
1904 |
Scorched Wing (oak, birch & sallow) local |
|
|
1906 |
Brimstone Moth (various trees) |
|
|
1919 |
Purple Thorn (various trees) |
|
|
1921 |
Scalloped Oak (various trees) |
|
|
1922 |
Swallow-tailed Moth (various trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1931 |
Peppered Moth (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1937 |
Willow Beauty (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1941 |
Mottled Beauty (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1955 |
Common White Wave (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
1956 |
Common Wave (sallow) |
|
|
1958 |
Clouded Silver (trees & bushes) |
|
|
1961 |
Light Emerald (various trees) LASIOCAMPIDAE |
|
|
1976 |
Privet Hawk-moth (privet, holly & ash) |
|
|
1978 |
Pine Hawk-moth (various pine) local |
|
|
1979 |
Lime Hawk-moth (lime, elm, alder & birch) |
|
|
1980 |
Eyed Hawk-moth (willow, sallow & apple) |
|
|
1981 |
Poplar Hawk-moth (poplar, willow & sallow) |
|
|
1991 |
Elephant Hawk-moth (various plants inc. willowherb & bedstraw) |
|
|
1992 |
Small Elephant Hawk-moth (bedstraw) local |
|
|
1994 |
NOTODONTIDAE Buff-tip (various trees) |
|
|
1995 |
Puss Moth (poplar & sallow) |
|
|
1999 |
Lobster Moth (oak, hazel, birch & beech) |
|
|
2000 |
Iron Prominent (birch, alder, oak & hazel) |
|
|
2007 |
Swallow Prominent (poplar, willow & sallow) |
|
|
2008 |
Coxcomb Prominent (various trees) LYMANTRIIDAE |
|
|
2030 |
Yellow-tail (various trees) |
|
|
2033 |
Black Arches (oak) local ARCTIIDAE |
|
|
2044 |
Dingy Footman (lichens) |
|
|
2047 |
Scarce Footman (lichens) local |
|
|
2050 |
Common Footman (lichens) |
|
|
2060 |
White Ermine (various plants) |
|
|
2061 |
Buff Ermine (various plants) |
|
|
2064 |
Ruby Tiger (various plants) |
|
|
2069 |
Cinnabar (various plants esp. ragwort) NOLIDAE |
|
|
2077 |
Short-cloaked Moth (hawthorn, blackthorn, apple & plum) |
|
|
2078 |
Least Black Arches (lichens growing on trees) local NOCTUIDAE |
|
|
2089 |
Heart and Dart (various plants) |
|
|
2092 |
Shuttle Shaped Dart (various plants) |
|
|
2098 |
Flame (various plants) |
|
|
2102 |
Flame Shoulder (various plants) |
|
|
2107 |
Large Yellow Underwing (variuos plants & grasses) |
|
|
2109 |
Lesser Yellow Underwing (trees & plants) |
|
|
2110 |
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (various plants & shrubs) |
|
|
2111 |
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (various plants & shrubs) |
|
|
2112 |
Least Yellow Underwing (plants & grasses) |
|
|
2123 |
Small Square-spot (various plants) |
|
|
2126 |
Setaceous Hebrew Character (various plants) |
|
|
2128 |
Double Square-spot (trees & plants) |
|
|
2131 |
Square-spotted Clay (various plants & bushes) Notable/Nb |
|
|
2133 |
Six-striped Rustic (various plants) |
|
|
2134 |
Square-spot Rustic (various plants & grasses) |
|
|
2145 |
Nutmeg (mainly goosefoot & orache) |
|
|
2154 |
Cabbage Moth (brassica’s) |
|
|
2155 |
Dot Moth (various plants & bushes) |
|
|
2157 |
Light Brocade (various plants) local |
|
|
2158 |
Pale-shouldered Brocade (trees & plants) |
|
|
2160 |
Bright-line Brown-eye (plants & shrubs) |
|
|
2164 |
Broad-barred White (mainly hawkweed) |
|
|
2166 |
Campion (various sp. of Silene & Lychnis) |
|
|
2167 |
Tawny Shears (Silene sp.) local |
|
|
2176 |
Antler (various grasses inc. fescue’s) |
|
|
2192 |
Brown-line Bright Eye (various grasses) |
|
|
2193 |
Clay (grasses & various plants) |
|
|
2197 |
Southern Wainscot (common-reed & canary-grass) local |
|
|
2198 |
Smoky Wainscot (various grasses) |
|
|
2199 |
Common Wainscot (various grasses) |
|
|
2205 |
Shoulder-striped Wainscot (various grasses) |
|
|
2225 |
Minor Shoulder-knot (willow & sallow) |
|
|
2266 |
Brown-spot Pinion (various trees & plants) |
|
|
2269 |
Centre-barred Sallow (ash) |
|
|
2278 |
Poplar Grey (poplar) |
|
|
2279 |
Sycamore (horse chestnut, oak, sycamore & field maple) local |
|
|
2283 |
Dark Dagger (dissected) (trees & shrubs) local |
|
|
2293 |
Marbled Beauty (lichens) |
|
|
2297 |
Copper Underwing (trees & shrubs) |
|
|
2299 |
Mouse Moth (various plants) |
|
|
2302 |
Brown Rustic (various plants) |
|
|
2303 |
Straw Underwing (various grasses) |
|
|
2305 |
Small Angle Shades (bracken & ferns also various plants and bushes) |
|
|
2306 |
Angle Shades (various plants) |
|
|
2316 |
Lesser-spotted Pinion (elm) local |
|
|
2318 |
Dun-bar (various plants) |
|
|
2321 |
Dark Arches (grasses) |
|
|
2322 |
Light Arches (grasses) |
|
|
2326 |
Clouded-bordered Brindle (grasses) |
|
|
2330 |
Dusky Brocade (grasses) |
|
|
2333 |
Large Nutmeg (grasses) local |
|
|
2334 |
Rustic Shoulder-knot (grasses) |
|
|
2339 |
Tawny Marbled Minor (dissected) (grasses) |
|
|
2340 |
Middle-barred Minor (grasses) |
|
|
2341 |
Cloaked Minor (grasses) |
|
|
2342 |
Rosy Minor (grasses) |
|
|
2343a |
Lesser Common Rustic (dissected) (grasses) |
|
|
2343 |
Common Rustic (dissected) (grasses) |
|
|
2350 |
Small Wainscot (grasses & sedges) |
|
|
2353 |
Flounced Rustic (grasses) |
|
|
2360 |
Ear Moth (dissected) (grasses & various plants inc. butterbur) |
|
|
2364 |
Frosted Orange (various plants inc. burdock) |
|
|
2370 |
Twin-spotted Wainscot (common-reed) local |
|
|
2377 |
Fen Wainscot (common-reed) local |
|
|
2380 |
Treble Lines (various plants) |
|
|
2381 |
Uncertain (various plants) |
|
|
2382 |
Rustic (various plants) |
|
|
2384 |
Vine's Rustic (various plants) |
|
|
2387 |
Mottled Rustic (various plants) |
|
|
2389 |
Pale Mottled Willow (various cereals) |
|
|
2421 |
Scarce Silver-lines (various trees) local |
|
|
2425 |
Nut-tree Tussock (various trees) |
|
|
2434 |
Burnished Brass (various plants) |
|
|
2437 |
Golden Plusia (various sp. of Delphinium) |
|
|
2441 |
Silver Y (various plants) |
|
|
2450 |
Spectacle (nettle) |
|
|
2452 |
Red Underwing (willow, poplar & aspen) |
|
|
2473 |
Beautiful Hook-tip (lichens growing on trees) local |
|
|
2477 |
Snout (nettle) |
|
|
2492 |
Small Fan-foot (oak & alder)
|
In all 240 species recorded of which two are Notable/Nb and 41 local.
Of the two Notable/Nb species, Square-spotted Clay is a moth associated mainly with chalk and also occurring on heavy clay soils. It is very local occurring from East Anglia westwards to Devon, with fewer records from Wales. The food plants are dandelion, chickweed, dock, plantain and sallow, with probably many other low plants being used as well. Schoenobius gigantella being a reed-bed associated moth and usually coastal would not of originated from Ringstead but from the nearby Snettisham area.
Some of the local species worthy of note is the ‘longhorn’ moth Nemophora scabiosella with its incredibly long antennae (about four times the length of the forewing) its eggs laid in the flowers of field scabious or small scabious, there are no recent Norfolk records. Aethes francillana a tortrix moth typical of chalk downs amongst other places, and whose food plant is wild carrot and hog’s fennel. Cnephasia conspersana which is a new county record and elsewhere is found around the British coast and on chalk downs but like many of the Cnephasia’s, are a problem to identify without genitalia dissection. It has a wide diet that includes dandelion, hawkweed, hawkbit, rockrose and ragwort. Acleris aspersana is only known from the Broads and a few sites in the Brecks. Another tortrix moth, Celypha rosaceana, a brightly coloured reddish ‘micro’ moth has only a few Norfolk records, from Tyrell’s Wood and Wymondham. The plume moth Euleioptilus carphodactyla is only the second Norfolk record, interestingly only know from Narborough Railway! Its food plant being ploughman’s spikenard. The Dark Umber is a rather bland ‘geometer’ and certainly a moth I would have expected in this habitat, the food plant is buckthorn.
With grazing soon to take place it would be worth a repeat visit here in some years time to see what changes in the lepidoptera fauna may have taken place. Remember the not-to-far-away Narborough Railway line is an excellent place for chalk grassland moths, in a visit here in June 1998 I recorded Lace Border, Brown Scallop, Royal Mantle and Beautiful Carpet.
Jon Clifton 01263 862068.