Bucks rarities

Two very good records were obtained yesterday evening during another trip to the far north of the county.  North of Olney I saw a larval web on roadside blackthorn so stopped to investigate and it proved to be that of Small Eggar with most of the larvae (or at least those that didn't scurry off to hide inside the web!) in their final instar.  This is the second such larval web I've found in this area over the last few years and there have been occasional adult sightings too, so it is well worth keeping an eye open if you happen to be driving in the area around Olney or Lavendon at the moment - the webs are quite obvious but do need to be checked in case they are those made by Lackey or the Yponomeuta micros.  This is the western extent of a population of Small Eggar which lies mainly in Bedfordshire where the moth, or at least its webs, are still seen quite regularly.  The adults are likely to be under-recorded due to their very early flight period in March and April.

Larvae of Small Eggar, nr Olney 3rd June

I was en route to trapping in one of the woods in Yardley Chase and there the star attraction proved to be Concolorous.  I've long thought that we ought to be able to get more records of this very rare species in the far north of the county and in the past I've tried for it in Salcey Forest but without any luck.  Having finally obtained permission from the Forestry Commission to search those woods in Yardley Chase which lie in Bucks (like Salcey, most of the site is in Northamptonshire), last night I got lucky and six came to light - five to a 15w synergetic Heath trap and the other to a 125w MV Robinson.  It was very pleasing to confirm that the moth is indeed resident in the county!

Concolorous, Yardley Chase 3rd June

The picture above shows a male Concolorous (left) and the slightly longer-winged female (right).    

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks