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No. 54 NEWSLETTER Spring 2003

WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

 

Thanks to Transect Walkers
The following is an extract from a letter by Tom Brereton, Katherine Stewart & Tim Warburton of BC Head Office

Thought you would all be interested in this. Following the praise given to BC transect recorders by Countryside Minister Elliot Morley in the summer, some more positive feedback from Andy Brown, the EN Chief Executive, after a meeting in December.

"From Andy Brown to EN staff 20/12/02
One particularly interesting meeting was with Martin Warren and Tom Brereton from Butterfly Conservation. They presented their finding from a Defra contract to assess the effects of agri-environment schemes on butterfly populations. This is some of the best quantified evidence I have seen of the biodiversity gains from agri-environment schemes. On calcareous grassland 7 of the 10 habitat specialist/BAP species showed improved trends on scheme sites compared to non-scheme sites. This suggests that the grazing and scrub management has been successful in improving conditions for short and medium turf species at the expense of non-target rank grass/scrub species. There were concerns for two scarce species which had negative trends at scheme sites - the Duke of Burgundy which often needs scrubby conditions, and the Small Blue which breeds on the flowers of kidney vetch and is highly susceptible to summer sheep grazing. These highlight the need for detailed knowledge of species ecology and the ability to adjust management prescriptions. The report is based on 535 butterfly transects and is a reminder of just what a fantastic job volunteer recorders do and how dependent we are on the information they generate."

This day-flying Geometrid moth is Nationally Notable (Nb) and is recorded in Herefordshire and Worcestershire (e.g. Monkwood, Tiddlesley Wood, Trench Wood and the Wyre Forest). Also there are records from parts of the Malverns.

It is small with a wingspan of about 15mm. As its name suggests, the wings are a dull brown colour. It has a characteristic looping flight pattern and can be seen in the sunshine during May and June (occasionally a second brood in August). The adult can be disturbed from the Wood Spurge food plant in duller weather and you can find it in woodland rides and clearings.

This is a Worcestershire BAP and regionally a medium priority species, but is under recorded. It is a good species to record on the Butterfly Transects.

Bibliography:

1.  Colour Identification Guide to Moth of the British Isles, Skinner, ISBN 0-670-80354-5

 2. Larger Moths and Butterflies of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, An Atlas 2001. By Michael Harper and Tony Simpson. ISBN 0-9519749-1-2

Neil and Corinna Gregory

Correction:
The description of a moth night “Then there was light” by Richard Southwell in Newsletter 53 was wrongly dated 20 September. This should have been 19 July: mea culpa - ed.