by Paul Butter

The meeting was convened at 6.45pm at the village hall, whereupon we drove down to the trapping sites. Despite very negative weather forecasts the evening was very favourable with no rain, light wind and temperatures at 11°C. at 7pm. Unfortunately despite being a joint event with Butterfly Conservation and Dorset Moth Group, the only attendees were from BC and Jack Astley of the Somerset Moth Group.

We set up two trap sites, one in the newly cleared area of scrub, woodland and marshy grassland just in from the layby on the A3030 at Grid Ref ST735135; and the other in the more open area south of the next gateway along the road at ST733132. In all three skinner type 125 watt MV traps and one 125watt Robinson were put out. An early technical problem with one of the generators was alleviated by the use of the new (second hand) BC generator on its first outing.

Moths soon stared to appear with a couple of Tortricodes alternella at what proved to be the most profitable trap set under mature Birch on the edge of a Blackthorn thicket with mature oaks nearby. This sheltered position soon attracted some beautifully marked Twin-spotted Quakers (Orthosia munda) along with good numbers of Common Quaker (O. cerasi) and Small Quaker (O.cruda). Some startling colour forms of Clouded Drab (O.incerta) showed just how variable this species can be.

The first less common species to turn up was a single Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa), which was the only one of the evening until an immaculate individual appeared just as we were packing up. I then spotted something different settled on Jacks’ trouser leg, which turned out to be a very fine Yellow Horned (A ruficornis) which had presumably dropped down from the nearby Birch.. A common species up north, the Yellow Horned has only 8 locations over the last 4 years records listed in the Dorset Moth Group Newsletters and this is the first in the Blackmoor Vale ( P.Davey pers com).

The second trap was in a boggy grass area between a hedgerow and more Blackthorn thicket and was the first to get an Oak Beauty (Biston strataria). Settled on the outside was an Agonopterix heracliana and an Agonopterix ocellana was on the grass adjacent. More interesting was a melanic form of Diurnia fagella, which we were later able to contrast with a couple of normal moths that arrived at the same trap a little later. This trap also had the greatest number of Hebrew Character (O.gothica).

A drive down the road to visit the two traps in the field area didn’t give us any new species but numbers of Common Quaker and Small Quaker were larger, with at least 50 of each.

Retuning to the site under the Birch things were still pretty lively with a few Early Thorns (Silene dentaria) fluttering around. A very pale moth was netted as it flew by and was identified as a Grey Shoulder Knot (Lithophane ornitopus ornitopus) making a spring sortie after hibernation. Looking on amongst the eggboxes another hibernator was spotted: a fresh looking Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii). Most of the boxes were well covered with moths by this time, but a couple of individuals caught my eye amongst the Quakers and Clouded Drabs. There were two slightly more delicate rosy tinged moths that on examination of the white hindwings were, as I had hoped, Blossom Underwing (O. miniosa); a nationally Local species in just the right habitat.

Another was a distictly grey-brown colour with noticable cross lines and reniform stigmata and a little smaller than the many Clouded Drabs. As I had hoped, close examination in daylight the following morning confirmed the best moth of the night as a Lead-coloured Drab (O.populeti), a new species for me and the Blackmoor Vale area and a nationally Local species.

Last moth of the night coming in as we packed up at 10.30 pm was a fresh and beautifully marked Shoulderstripe (Anticlea badiata). All in all an excellent first night out of the season, everyone returning home in high spirits and some very muddy boots!