Review of the Lepidoptera of Essex for the year 2002
BRIAN GOODEY
298 Ipswich Road, Colchester, Essex C04 0ET
Introduction
In general, 2002 was a quiet year for Lepidoptera in Essex with 868 species recorded. Three species
were added to the county list (one of them new to Britain), bringing the Essex total to 1,838 species,
and there were four new vice-county records:
New to Britain: Epping Pug Eupithecia massiliata D. & M.
New to Essex: Clavigesta sylvestrana (Curt.); Dotted Chestnut Conistra rubiginea (D.& S.)
New to vc18: Zelleria hepariella Stt.
New to vcl9: Caloptilia populetorum (Zell.); Crocidosema plebejana Zell.; Dusky Hook-tip
Drepana curvatula
Systematic List
Nomenclature follows Checklist of Lepidoptera recorded from the British Isles second edition
(revised) by LD. Bradley.
Cossidae
162 Goat Moth Cossus cossus (L.) EWT Abbotts Hall, larvae, 26 August (GC, NH). This is the
first breeding record since before 1975
Psychidae
175 Narycia monilifera (Geoff.) Oak Hill Farm, Epping, 15 June (TG, BG). Third post-1990
record
Gracillariidae
281 Caloptilia populetorum (Zell.) Boreham, 12 March (GE). New to vcl9 North Essex
294 Aspilapteryx tringipennella (Zell.) Boreham, May (GE, XL). Third post-1990 record
313 Acrocercops brongniardella (Fabr.) Dovercourt, 24 July (CG). Became abundant in 1991 but
vanished as fast as it had appeared. Records in 1996 at Stour Wood and last year at Friar's Grove,
Colchester, are the only intervening records
321 Phyllonorycter messaniella (Zell.) Friar's Grove, Colchester, 25 March (BG). Exceptionally
early date for adult
Sesiidae
374 Yellow-legged Clearwing Synanthedon vespiformis (L.) Thorpe-le-Soken, 7 August (JB).
Adult and empty pupa on an oak tree damaged by a storm several years ago and now producing a
sap run
379 Red-belted Clearwing Synanthedon myopaeformis (Bork.) Jaywick, Midway, 19 May (JY);
Basildon, 24 July (PH) - both breeding in gardens; Hylands Park, July (MWH)
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Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)