Another Chalk Downland Visit

Martin Albertini and I ran five traps (four MVs and one actinic) at the Grangelands nature reserve near Cadsden, Bucks on Tuesday night.  The actinic was again targeting species using Juniper but only managed to attract a couple of worn examples of Argyresthia arceuthina, so we were presumably in the gap between arceuthina's demise and the start of abdominalis.  While we managed to get about 140 species altogether between all five traps, there was actually little of particular interest and species limited to this habitat included only Merrifieldia leucodactyla, Phtheochroa sodaliana, Eupoecilia angustana, Hypochalcia ahenella, Pretty Chalk Carpet, Juniper Pug & Marbled Coronet.  Small Elephant Hawk-moth and Shears were out in good numbers (as was Treble Lines still), with Reddish Light Arches just beginning to join them.  In smaller numbers, other more generalist species that it was good to see included Little Emerald, Netted Pug, Red-necked Footman, Toadflax Brocade, Grey Arches & Campion, while the reed-feeder Chilo phragmitella seemed rather out of place!  A rather battered melanic form Pale Tussock was also nice to see, something which I rarely come across in Bucks despite the books saying that it is widespread in the south-east of the UK.  

Chilo phragmitella, Grangelands 15th June

Pale Tussock, Grangelands 15th June

Campion, Grangelands 15th June

Marbled Coronet, Grangelands 15th June

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks