Cavenham Heath - Field Trip - 09/09/23

A trip was made to Cavenham Heath during the 2nd week of September, post a bit belated.. apologies!

This was probably going to be my last field trip, and then the weather went warm again (the weekend just gone) and I ventured out again fighting against the darkness whilst setting up!

 

Back on the 9th, it was a really warm day of 32 degrees, I think in some parts (including here in East Anglia) it was the warmest day of the year, in September!! crazy.

 

The evening was looking very good and Leslie and myself went about setting up 3 lights running from one generator.

The moths took a while to get going and there wasn't much activity intially, in fact I found myself strolling around the vast swathes of Heather which happened to be in flower, this was attracting many species as the light faded and I managed to notch up a few species that never made it to the traps for the rest of the night.

It was certainly a red-letter session for both of us, with Leslie seeing at least 10 new species and myself seeing 3.

Those three were Archer's Dart, a moth that seems to be confining itself to the Brecks and the coast in the East.

Sadly it's been lost from many inland Counties including Hertfordshire and here in Cambridgeshire, the last record was at Chippenham Fen in 87'. 

Another macro moth that was new to me was Heath Rustic, a great looking moth... not mine. Unfortunately condensation had got into the pot and the moth was upside down for gawd knows how long, and sported unprecedented scale loss, drat! I'll be back next year then!

And last but by no means least was a new micro for my records, a rather beat up Mirificarma mulinella, sadly the only one of the night.

The night stayed above 20 degrees for the duration we were there, quite remarkable for the time of year.

Other lovely species that were observed included Acleris logiana, True Lover's Knot, over 30 Hedge Rustics, two cracking Caloptilias and several Plain Wave's.

 

All in all, 81 species were recorded with an Elachista pending dissection.

We left rather smitten after making the effort to lug the heavy gear deep into the wooded area.

 

06/09/23 - Cavenham Heath - West Suffolk - 3 traps, 125w MV Robinson Trap, 250w Clear Mercury Robinson Trap and 62w Actinic Trap

Macro Moths

Angle Shades
Archer's Dart
Autumnal Rustic
Blood-vein
Brimstone Moth
Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Burnished Brass
Centre-barred Sallow
Common Marbled Carpet
Common Wainscot
Dark Sword-grass
Dewick's Plusia
Double-striped Pug
Dusky Thorn
Feathered Gothic
Flame Shoulder
Flounced Rustic
Frosted Orange
Green Carpet
Grey-pine Carpet
Heath Rustic
Hedge Rustic
Large Yellow Underwing
Latticed Heath
Light Emerald
Lunar Yellow Underwing
Narrow-winged Pug
Oak Hook-tip
Plain Wave
Red Underwing
Rosy Footman
Ruby Tiger
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Silver Y
Small Scallop
Snout
Square-spot Rustic
Straw Dot
Tawny-speckled Pug
True Lover's Knot
Turnip Moth
Vapourer Moth
Vine's Rustic
White-line Dart
White-point
Willow Beauty
Yellow Shell

Micro Moths

Acleris logiana
Acleris rhombana
Agonopterix alstromeriana
Agriphila geniculea
Alucita hexadactyla
Anacampsis populella/blatterialla
Apotomis betuletana
Argyresthia goedartella
Aristotelia ericinella
Blastobasis adustella
Caloptilia elongella
Caloptilia populetorum
Cameraria ohridella
Celypha lacunana
Cochylis molliculana
Coleophora alcyonipennella/frischella
Crocidosema plebejana
Cydalima perspectalis
Dichrorampha simpliciana
Elachista sp
Endothenia gentinaeana/marginana
Epinotia immundana
Epinotia ramella
Hypatimna rhomboidella
Lyonetia clerkella
Mirificarma mulinella
Pandemis cerasana
Pandemis corylana
Pandemis heparana
Parornix sp
Pempelia palumbrella
Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella
Teleiopsis diffinis

Acleris logiana

Archer's Dart

Caloptilia elongella

Caloptilia populetorum

Crocidosema plebejana

Heath Rustic

160w MBT Trap

Plain Wave

True Lover's Knot