Wainscots

I trapped again at BBOWT's Calvert Jubilee reserve last night.  All of the wetland Wainscot species I could reasonably expect there in July turned up and are illustrated below.  The single rather battered Obscure Wainscot hadn't been recorded at Calvert prior to my June visit (when another singleton was seen) but the others are all known from the site.

Fen Wainscot, Calvert 12th July

Southern Wainscot, Calvert 12th July

Obscure Wainscot, Calvert 12th July

Silky Wainscots, Calvert 12th July

Smoky and Common were also present although they are grass feeders which could turn up anywhere, while Mere and Small (also on the wing now) were not seen but are associated more with woodland habitats in our area.  My next visit will hopefully produce the later-emerging species such as Bulrush, Twin-spotted, Brown-veined, Webb's and Large.

With pots still to process the catch (from two MV lights) was about 140 species.  Amongst the other macros, Yellow-tail (25), Dun-bar (54), Lunar-spotted Pinion (36) & Dark Arches (58) provided the highest counts.  Brown-tail and Kent Black Arches turned up but there was little else of particular interest.  The catch was also noticeably lacking in wetland micros with Limnaecia phragmitella, Calamatropha paludella, Schoenobius gigantella and a couple of the China-marks the only species seen and even then only in ones and twos.  Nice, though, to get a double-digit count of the tiny Elachista biatomella and to see Oncocera semirubella which seemed a little out-of-place at this site.

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks