Report of the joint Berkshire Moth Group / Upper Thames Butterfly Conservation Moth-Trapping Event at Greenham Common

On the evening of Friday 23^rd June 2006, 17 people attended a joint Berkshire Moth Group / Upper Thames Butterfly Conservation Moth-Trapping Event at Greenham Common. Activity was based around the Control Centre Car Park on the northern side of the Common.

Two 125W MV Robinson traps were set up to the north of the car park. One was on a track through a wooded area, the other was just out on the Common, within sight of BBOWT’s Bowdown Woods Reserve. These 2 traps caught well over a hundred species of moths.

Leopard Moth	Beautiful Golden Y

Out on the Common beyond the main runway, in an area of heather and gorse, was another 125W MV Robinson trap. It was approached by a narrow gap in the gorse, which proved easier to find in daylight than in darkness. Initially this site was rather exposed, but when the wind dropped, more moths came in. The only Fox Moth of the evening was taken here and almost all of the Grass Emeralds, True Lover’s Knots and Satin Waves came from here.

On the Common, next to the South-east corner of the car park, a 125W MV lamp was run over a sheet (which was yellow – with apologies to the photographers - it was all I could find). This trap proved to be particularly good for Footman species, with Scarce, Common, Orange and Red-necked all being seen.

Scarce Footman	Red-necked Footman

A 125W MV Skinner trap was run in a gap in the trees, also close to the South-east corner of the car park. This trap was the only location for Drinker and Lilac Beauty.

In all, 138 species of moth were identified. A combined list from all 5 lights follows, consisting of the species checklist number, the English name (if it is available), the Latin name, the count (if it is available) and the status (unless it is common). Species counts were kept at the Robinson traps, but mostly not at the sheet or the Skinner trap.

0014 Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli)

0017 Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus 1

0161 Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina)

0297 Eucalybites auroguttella 1

0464 Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 4

0874 Blastobasis decolorella 1

0937 Agapeta hamana

0938 Agapeta zoegana

0947 Aethes smeathmanniana 1

0970 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana) 4

0977 Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (Archips podana)

0980 Variegated Golden Tortrix (Archips xylosteana) 2

0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 1

1006 Epagoge grotiana 2

1032 Aleimma loeflingiana

1033 Green Oak Tortrix (Tortrix viridana)

1063 Celypha striana 1

1076 Celypha lacunana 16

1082 Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana) 4

1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana)

1092 Apotomis turbidana 1

1115 Ancylis achatana 4

1175 Bramble Shoot Moth (Epiblema uddmanniana)

1177 Epiblema rosaecolana 4

1197 Eucosma campoliliana 4

1201 Eucosma cana 1

1219 Lathronympha strigana 4

1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella)

1294 Crambus pascuella

1301 Crambus lathoniellus 1

1302 Crambus perlella 3

1313 Catoptria pinella

1333 Scoparia pyralella 8

1334 Scoparia ambigualis

1336 Eudonia pallida 1 (local)

1345 Brown China-mark (Elophila nymphaeata)

1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata)

1390 Udea prunalis 1

1392 Udea olivalis 4

1398 Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) 1

1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 1

1436 Conobathra repandana 1

1442 Pempelia palumbella 1

1449 Elegia similella 1 (Nb)

1452 Phycita roborella 1

1481 Homoeosoma sinuella

1483 Phycitodes binaevella 3

1494 Capperia britanniodactylus 1 (Nb)

1504 Platyptilia pallidactyla 1

1638 Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi) 1f

1640 Drinker (Euthrix potatoria)

1648 Pebble Hook-tip (Drepana falcataria) 1

1665 Grass Emerald (Pseudoterpna pruinata atropunctaria) 14

1667 Blotched Emerald (Comibaena bajularia) (local)

1669 Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria)

1680 Maidens Blush (Cyclophora punctaria) 1 (local)

1705 Dwarf Cream Wave (Idaea fuscovenosa) 1 (local)

1709 Satin Wave (Idaea subsericeata) 8

1711 Treble Brown Spot (Idaea trigeminata) 1 (local)

1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)

1765 Barred Yellow (Cidaria fulvata)

1817 Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata) 1

1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgate) 1

1840 Shaded Pug (Eupithecia subumbrata) 2 (local)

1860 Green Pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) 8

1862 Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)

1867 Treble Bar (Aplocera plagiata) 2

1868 Lesser Treble-bar (Aplocera efformata) 5

1882 Small Seraphim (Pterapherapteryx sexalata) 1 (local)

1902 Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata) 1

1904 Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria) (local)

1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)

1910 Lilac Beauty (Apeira syringaria) 1 (local)

1931 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia)

1937 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)

1941 Mottled Beauty (Alcis repandata) 2

1955 Common White Wave (Cabera pusaria) 2

1956 Common Wave (Cabera exanthemata)

1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 2

1961 Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) 6

1978 Pine Hawk-moth (Hyloicus pinastri) 1 (local)

1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 3

1991 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 2

1992 Small Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila porcellus) 3 (local)

1994 Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) 2

1999 Lobster Moth (Stauropus fagi) 4

2008 Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina) 2

2011 Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina) 2

2030 Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)

2037 Rosy Footman (Miltochrista miniata) 1 (local)

2039 Red-necked Footman (Atolmis rubricollis) (local)

2043 Orange Footman (Eilema sororcula) (local)

2047 Scarce Footman (Eilema complana) (local)

2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola)

2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda)

2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum) 1

2069 Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae) 5

2077 Short-cloaked Moth (Nola cucullatella) 4

2087 Turnip Moth (Agrotis segetum) 1

2088 Heart and Club (Agrotis clavis)

2089 Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)

2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) 1

2098 Flame (Axylia putris)

2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 1

2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba)

2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 1

2118 True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea) 15

2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum)

2128 Double Square Spot (Xestia triangulum) 1

2147 Shears (Hada plebeja)

2150 Grey Arches (Polia nebulosa) 1

2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 1

2164 Broad-barred White (Hecatera bicolorata)

2199 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens)

2205 Shoulder-striped Wainscot (Mythimna comma)

2216 Shark (Cucullia umbratica) 2

2278 Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala) 1

2291 The Coronet (Craniophora ligustri) 3 (local)

2302 Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea) 2

2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)

2318 The Dun-bar (Cosmia trapezina) 1

2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha)

2322 Light Arches (Apamea lithoxylaea) 1

2323 Reddish Light Arches (Apamea sublustris) 1 (local)

2331 Small Clouded Brindle (Apamea unanimis) 1

2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.)

2340 Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula)

2380 Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica) 1

2381 The Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 3

2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) (local)

2387 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) 3

2410 Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga) 1

2434 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)

2442 Beautiful Golden Y (Autographa pulchrina) 3

2450 The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartite) 2

2473 Beautiful Hook-tip (Laspeyria flexula) 1 (local)

2474 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis)

2477 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis)

(with thanks to photographers Malcolm Storey, Susan Nicholls and Richard Eagling)

Jan Haseler

Reading, VC22