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Annual Review - 1999

This year has proved to be an interesting and informative one with the strength of the group growing rapidly. The main impetus this year has been afforded by the electric generator supplied to the group by English Nature’s Three Counties Team. This has enabled the group to visit out-lying sites where no electricity supply is available. From this generator three traps can be run and with copious amounts of cabling they can be placed at great distances from each other to create a most effective trapping strategy. As a group, 11 visits were made during the year, but one extra site couldn’t be visited due to weather conditions. These sites were:

1. Chaddesley Wood, Worcestershire – 25th June 1999

2. Feckenham Wild Moor, Worcestershire – 7th July 1999

3. Trench Wood, Worcestershire – 10th July 1999

4. Bredon Hill, Worcestershire – 16th July 1999

5. Haugh Wood and Jones Wood, Herefordshire – 24th July 1999

6. Wilden Marsh, Worcestershire – 30th July 1999

7. Ravenshill Wood, Worcestershire – 7th August 1999

8. Roundhill Wood, Worcestershire – 11th August 1999

9. Saint Wulstans, Worcestershire – 13th August 1999

10. Grafton Wood, Worcestershire – 20th August 1999

11. Hartlebury Common, Worcestershire – 8th October 1999

The focus for these evening events was in line with the Regional Action Plan and also to increase the amount of recording at each of the diverse sites visited. The data collected was analysed and comparisons made with the National High and Medium status moths. This year did not prove to show any High priority status moths, but three of the Medium priority moths were trapped:

Festoon – Trench Wood

Angle-striped Sallow – Trench Wood

Mere Wainscot – Trench Wood

Other moths of note described as being "Rare and infrequently recorded and/or extremely localised species in Worcestershire" (A. Simpson) were also seen:

Small Seraphim – Chaddesley Wood and Wilden Marsh

Southern Wainscot – Feckenham Wild Moor

Buff Footman – Haugh Wood

Bordered Sallow – Ravenshill Wood

Also, a moth not trapped in Worcestershire before:

Small Rufous – Wilden Marsh

There were also new reserve records taken at three sites:

Feckenham Wild Moor – 6

Trench Wood – 9

Wilden Marsh – 1

At present the information used to reference the trappings cover Worcestershire’s Macro moths. Further investigation and data collation is needed by the relevant informed people to compile a list for the other counties within the region and also to include the Micro-moths.

This year proved to be very successful and the plan for next year is to build upon the strengths gained this year. Improvements will be made to recording mechanisms in a centralised electronic form. There will also be a shift towards Herefordshire for the year and greater involvement with the people who have greater moth knowledge in the area. The data will be used to gain greater conservation knowledge of the priority species, their habitat, location and abundance with a goal to developing an "recording atlas" for the area.

Guide to the status of the larger moths of Worcestershire – Dr. A. N. B. Simpson