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Lepidoptera in East Essex in 1955
BY A. J. DEWICK
A welcome increase in the numbers of most butterflies was shown in 1955.
The first Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui L.) occurred on May 4th
and the last on September 24th. The season's total was 19.
The Red Admiral was first seen on April 29th. Locally-bred specimens
began emerging from about July 4th, and the last two specimens were
seen on November 12th. The year's total was 341. Both these species
arrived earlier than usual.
The Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus Foure.) was first observed on August
20th in a lucerne field near the sea-wall—three males and an ab. helice.
The year's total was 21, the last being seen on October 9th. I did not
see any Pale Clouded Yellows (Colias hyale L.)
The Small Tortoiseshell (Vanessa urticae L.) and the Peacock (Nymphalis
io L.) also showed an increase over 1954, the former with a total of 423
and the latter 76.
A specimen of the Humming-bird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum
L.) was seen on May 28th; two were seen in June, two in August and three
in September. Only two Convolvulus Hawk-moths (Herse convolvuli L.)
were taken in the light-trap, a male on September 12th and a female on
the 21st. A perfect female of the Death's Head Hawk-moth (Acherontia
atropos L.) was taken on October 10th.
The Silver-Y (Plusia gamma L.) was slightly below last year in numbers,
16,139 being recorded between April 30th and November 14th. Nomophila
noctuella Schiff. was first taken on April 13th, the first migrant species of
the season. The total of 846 for the year was the highest I have yet
recorded.
The feature of 1955 was the number of rare migrant moths. Apart from
a specimen of the Delicate (Leucania vitellina Hb.) on May 22nd and a
Scarce Olive-tree Pearl (Margaronia unionalis Hb.) on November 12th, all
occurred between July 13th and August 27th. On the former date I was
surprised to find a male of the Rannoch Looper (Itame brunneata Thunb.)
in the light-trap; a second specimen occurred on July 27th. Its usual home
in Britain is from Perthshire northwards; I imagine it has not been
previously recorded from Essex.
On July 28th a male and two female Bedstraw Hawk-moths (Celerio
galii Bott.) were in the light-trap. A male and two more females turned
up the next night, and by August 20th the astonishing total of 14, six
males and eight females, had been recorded. All were marked and released.
Several females laid readily, but all the eggs proved to be infertile.
Another surprising capture on July 28th was a specimen of the Scarce
Silver-Y (Plusia interrogationis L.). On the 30th five more appeared, and
finally one on August 14th. It seems likely that this also is new to Essex.
Of the Great Brocade (Eurois occulta L.), no less than 24 were recorded,
the first on July 29th. On the next night there were 11, and ones and
twos then occurred at intervals to August 27th.
On August 20th a poor specimen of Plusia confusa Steph. (gutta Guen.)
was found in the light-trap, also a very good Dark Bordered Straw
(Heliothis peltigera Schiff.). The confusa is the second here since the
original 1951 specimen recorded in The Essex Naturalist 29, p. 44.