345
Lepidoptera in South-East Essex
in 1955
BY H. C. HUGGINS, F.R.E.S.
The season of 1955 began very badly, the Spring being one of the coldest
I can remember here and the insects were very late in appearing, both
Orthosia gothica L. (Hebrew-character) and Xylocampa areola Esp. (Early
Grey) being still about in good condition in the first week in June. There-
after things improved rapidly and summer insects were commoner than
usual, with a fair proportion of unusual immigrants.
As regard native insects, Nymphalis polychloros L. (Large Tortoiseshell)
was still again, unhappily, an absentee and I was disappointed not to see
any further Pararge aegeria L. (Speckled Wood) after the specimen caught
and released last year.
Melanism continues to increase amongst native insects. On June 3rd
I took a remarkable X. areola, the whole of the usually light grey upper
wings was a very dark brownish grey with the usual markings only just
showing. This appears to be a new aberration, there is none like it either
at Tring or at South Kensington among the British insects. Of the Tethea
ocularis L. (Figure of Eighty) seen, at least a quarter were more or less
melanic, though only a few were of the jet black form without markings
other than the "80". I kept statistics of Biston betularia L. (Peppered
moth) for Dr. Kettlewell; these showed an enormous preponderance of
melanics, 16 typical, 185 ab. carbonaris and 13 ab. insularia. Half of the
Crocallis elinguaria L. (Scalloped Oak) were heavily speckled with fuscous,
and I also took a number of leaden-black Phycita spissicella Fabr. (Dotted
Knot-horn). Perhaps the best native insect taken, however, was a perfect
female Ephestia woodiella E. & Thorn. (Red-streaked Knot-horn), a very
heavily marked specimen which is darker than any at South Kensington,
to which museum I took it for checking. This is apparently the first
British specimen since 1927 and the first definitely authenticated for Essex.
Harwood in Victoria County History records it for Leigh and Hazeleigh,
but although there is nothing inherently improbable in these records, the
insect, which was then known as semirufa Stainton, was very frequently
confused with semirufa Haw., a somewhat similar form of elutella, and
there are no existing Essex woodiella than I can trace—there were certainly
none in the Harwood collection. The moth came to M.V. light in my garden
on July 1st.
Turning to migrants, Vanessa atalanta L. (Red Admiral) was seen
several times at the end of May and was very common in the late summer
and autumn, whilst there were fair numbers of V. cardui L. (Painted Lady)
at the end of August. The Clouded Yellows were scarce. I saw no Colias
hyale L. (Pale Clouded Yellow), but heard of one at the beginning of
September from a reliable source, and I saw perhaps 20 C. croceus Fourcr.
(Clouded Yellow) in all. Only one or two Acherontia atropos L. (Death's-
head Hawkmoth) and Herse convolvuli L. (Convolvulus Hawkmoth) were
recorded, but Macroglossum stellatarum L. (Humming Bird Hawkmoth)
was common in September, and Plusia gamma L. (Silver Y) and Nomophila
noctuella Schiff. (Rush Pearl) were both much in evidence from June on-
wards.
My rarer migrants began to appear in July. On July 29th I took a
specimen of Erois occulta L. (Great Brocade) in the trap: this was followed
by other single specimens on August 11th, 17th and 31st. A brood was