The Essex Naturalist
25
Grahame). There is still no evidence that the species breeds in Essex but it
has occurred 14 times since 1991.
1983 Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris fuciformis L. Three to five
turned up in the Stour Wood/Copperas Wood area near Wrabness during
June and were seen at honeysuckle by C. Allerton, P. Smith and others.
1984 Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum L. A total of 31
moths reported from 15 localities made 1996 the best year for this species
since 1990.
1987 Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles gallii Rott. There were three records during
1996 making this the best year since 1990: from Jaywick, 18th July (J.
Wilde), Wivenhoe, 20th July (M. Jackson), and Alresford (D. Dutton).
1990 Striped Hawk-moth Hyles lineata Fabr. North Chingford, 7th June (B.
Pateman).
1992 Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus L. Saffron Walden, 17th
June (A. M. Emmet).
Notodontidae
2010 Scarce Prominent Odontosia carmelita Esp. Thundersley, 27th April (D.
G. Down). Second record since 1938, the first was at Bradwell-on-Sea in
1994 (A. J. Dewick).
Arctiidae
2043 Orange Footman Eilema sorocula Hufn. Beaumont, 9th June (J. B. Fisher).
2053 Speckled Footman Coscinia cribraria arenaria Lempke. Rothamsted light
trap, Ongar, 6th August (P. J. Merrett). First Essex record for this migrant
and the only new macro species to be added to the county list during 1996.
Nolidae
2076 Kent Black Arches Meganola albula D. & S. St Osyth, 7th August (R. W.
Arthur) and Beaumont, 9th August (J. B. Fisher). A species which became
quite widespread during the mid- and late 1980s but then seemed to
disappear from 1991 to 1995.
2078 Least Black Arches Nola confusalis H. -S. Saffron Walden (A. M.
Emmet); Dovercourt, May (C. Gibson); Kirby-le-Soken (P. Bergdahl); St
Osyth 7th June (R. W. Arthur).
Noctuidae
2105 Dotted Rustic Rhyacia simulans Hufn. Theydon Bois, 22nd July (J. G.
Green). During the 1980s this species became widespread and not
uncommon in Essex. By 1989, however, a rapid decline had set in and
since 1990 the species has been recorded at the rate of one per year,
indicating that at least it is managing to hold on albeit at very low density.