Review of the Lepidoptera of Essex for the year 2002
1853a Epping Pug Eupithecia massiliata D. & M. New to Britain. In April, Tim Green caught a
male and female pug which he did not recognise. They were quite small and dark, with conspicuous
cross-lines, quite unlike the abundant Brindled Pugs E. abbreviata Steph, he was also catching.
Tim kindly passed the specimens to me and the ensuing dissections raised further questions, especially
that of the female which bore little resemblance to any British species. There followed much
discussion on the internet but no-one was able to provide any clues as to which species the pair
could belong to, and there the matter rested. Recently, volume 4 of The geometrid moths of Europe
by Vladimir Mironov (Apollo Books) was published; this largely covers the pugs, and with its help
I found a possible match. I passed on my thoughts, and a series of digital images, to Colin Plant.
who kindly contacted Peder Skou, a European geometer expert, Axel Hausmann, editor-in-chief of
The geometrid moths of Europe, and via him to Mironov himself, who confirmed the identification
as being E. massiliata. I've given it the English name of Epping pug in honour of the locality in
which it was caught and the log-book number of 1853a. In Europe the Epping Pug is native to
Spain, Portugal and southern France, and probably found its way to Tim's via cork, which he
occasionally imports from Europe.
1940 Satin Beauty Deileptenia ribeata (Clerk) Mistley, 4 August (IR et al.). Two were reported
from the Writtle College Rothamsted trap in 1990 (per RF); the only other county records are both
pre-1903 (Victoria County History) from the Epping and Ongar areas.
1949 Square Spot Paradarisa consonaria (Hub) Epping Forest, Oak Hill Farm, 17 May (TG).
Four records from this locality since last year. There are no other Essex sites
Sphingidae
1972 Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli (L.) EWT Abbotts Hall, 24 August (D. Smail
per NH.)
1978 Pine Hawk-moth Hyloicus pinastri (L.) New localities arc Elsenham (CP), Great Totham
(PP), Landermere (JBF), Langley (EP), Layer-de-la-Haye (PP), Little Oakley (GS) and Stansted
Mountfitchet (GG)
1984 Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum (L.) Hadleigh C.P, 1 June (DD);
Mistley, 15 June, 1, 4 and 13 September (IR); Epping, 20 June (IN); Stanway, 24 June and 7
October (LO); Lawford, 25 June (AL); Brentwood, 28 June (ML); Jaywick, 29 June & 4 July (JY);
Rowhedge, 6 July (NH); Maldon, 13 July (SW); Great Totham, 28 July (PP); Little Oakley, 28 July
(GS); Danbury, 2 August (JD); Bambers Green, Takeley, 27 June, 29 August and 30 September
(AG, GS); Magdalen Laver, 1 Sept (TG); Langley Upper Green, 3 Sept (EP); EWT Abbotts Hall, 5
September (NH); Dovercourt, 8 September (CG); Frinton-on-Sea, 8 September (BL); Hockley, 9
September (J. Manner NH); Halstead, 13 September (perNH)
1987 Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles gallii (Rott.) Rayleigh, 7 August (GB); Dovercourt, 19 August
(CG); Brentwood, 24 August (NA)
1990 Striped Hawk-moth Hyles livornica (Esp.) Lawford, 2 September (AL). Fourth post-1990
record
Notodontidae
2010 Scarce Prominent Odontosia carmelita (Esp.) Epping Forest, Oak Hill Farm, 24 April (TG).
Three from this site since last year. There are only three other Essex localities, each with a single
sighting
Arctiidae
2041 Dotted Footman Pelosia muscerda (Hufn.) St Osyth, Daltes Lane, 19 July (RA). Fourth
post-1990 site
58
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 19 (2003)