Kent Lepidopterists Group Newsletter - March 2006

Annual Meeting 2006

You are invited to this meeting which will be held at the Best Western Russell Hotel, 136 Boxley Road, Maidstone on Saturday 18th March from 6 p.m. for 7 p.m. Exhibits of specimens or photographs, etc. are welcome, as are those whose identity is in doubt, especially between 6 and 7 p.m. Anyone daunted by the prospect of talking about an exhibit is free to ask any panel member to do so on their behalf (notes would be appreciated). A speaker, Jeff Higgott, has been invited to give a brief presentation. Refreshments are available from the hotel bar.

Records

2005 has to be the last year for recording for the forthcoming book on the Lepidoptera of Kent, if the provisional publication date of 2007 is to be met. All outstanding records since 1980 are actively and urgently sought.

Field Meetings in 2006

Several field meetings with a specific moth interest have been arranged, including: Saturday 20th May. Daytime meeting looking for larvae of very local species at Isle of Grain/Chattenden. Meet at Upnor car park at TQ762712 at 11.00 hrs to target the ermine moth Yponomeuta irrorella (on Spindle). Later (about 13.00 hours) at Northward Hill RSPB car park TQ781757 to target the plume Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla (on Dog Rose). Leader David Agassiz.

Saturday 24th June. Light-trapping at Hempsted Forest (near Bennenden/Biddenden). Meet in the car park TQ809344 by 21.00 hours, when we will move of to other parts of the site for dusking and later light trapping. Leader to be confirmed.

Saturday 23rd September. NATIONAL MOTH NIGHT. Provisionally at Faversham, South Swale Nature Reserve for light trapping. Meet promptly at 19.00 hours at the end of the road at Nagden (TR035631) from where we will move on along the private track to the reserve (TR0364). Leader Keith Palmer, subject to permission from KWT.

Any further meetings arranged/amendments will be notified via the web site. All are welcome to bring moth traps to these meetings.

Website

The web site www.kentmoths.org contains copies of the Kent Moth Report, a provisional checklist of Kent Lepidoptera and other details of potential interest.

2005 Meeting

About 80 people from Kent and adjoining counties attended the meeting on 12th March 2005 at the Russell Hotel, Maidstone. The main items were talks by Dr Ian Woiwod (on the results of Rothamsted research) and Dr Zoe Ringwood (on Fisher's Estuarine Moth Gortyna borelii). David Agassiz and the Group were asked to convene the meeting in 2006 along the same lines as previous years.

Fiance

The main item of expense was as last year £135 being the cost of hire of the room (increasing to £150 this year). There remains a balance of £89.64 available towards postage, future commitments, etc

Membership

A list of those attending the 2005 meeting follows, some 11 others were invited but unable to attend, and there were others who were no longer interested or who have left the county. Names of people not attending will be kept on the circulation list for about three years before their names will be deleted, unless otherwise requested. David Agassiz, Keith Andrew, John Badmin, Janet Beeching, Ashley Bradshaw, Malcolm Bridge, Roland Brown, Ian Brydon, Mat Busuttil, David Burrows, Fred Butcher, David Chambers, Mike Chittenden, Jackie & Sean Clancy, Ian Clark, David Corke, Jenny Cole, Graham Collins, Owen & Phyl Davis, Tony Davis, Terry Dillon, Mike Easterbrook, Guy Farage, Rosemary & Ian Ferguson, John Foad, David Gardner, Seth Gibson, Bob Gomes, Tony Harman, Colin Hart, Grant Hazlehurst, Pauline & Peter Heathcote, Nigel Jarman, Don Jenner, Valerie & Philip Jewess, Suzanne & Martin Jordan, Roger Kiddie, Jackie, Peter & Ben Kirby, Chris Lane, Rob Lane, Susan & Ian Lewis, John Maddocks, Philip Mallet, Madeleine Newman, Tony Osbourne, Bill Page, Alan Parker, Julian Parks, Keith Palmer, Peter Maton, Colin Plant, Jim Platts, Karen & Jim Porter, Dave Rolfe, Chris Roots, Tony Rouse, Julian Russell, Denis Sawyer, Clifford Sharr, Judith Shorter, Bernard Skinner, Pete Smytheman, Francis Solly, Tony Steele, Paul Sterling, Bob Taylor, Jillian Walker, Simon Warry, Liz Watkin, B. K. West, David Wilson, Dylan Wrathall. Apologies received from Geoffrey Burton, Jon Clifton, Raymond Cordero, Terry Dillon, Pete Forrest, Terry Mullender, Alan Parker, Mark Parsons, Tony Steele & Derek Tutt.

Kent Moth News in 2005

After a couple of quite good years, 2005 was - for me at least - a little on the quiet side. There seems, however, to be at least one addition to the County (and UK) list, the Pyral Dioryctria rhenella to Barry Banson at Greatstone on 20th June.

Several recent arrivals seem to be getting their feet under the table and show all the signs of becoming regular residents and could have the potential to become widespread. You will recall that the now common resident the Black Rustic Aporophyla nigra was once rare here with but six examples from Kent prior to 1980. In particular, there were no fewer than 64 examples of Langmaid's Yellow Underwing Noctua janthina from the Dungeness area alone and spread over 11 trap-sites. In a similar vein, Clancy's Rustic Platyperigea kadenii clocked 86 individuals, again from 11 sites. The recent re-colonist the Small Ranunculus Hecatera dysodea totalled 52 moths from the Dungeness area, quiet impressive for something so notoriously shy of light. Tree-lichen Beauty Cryphia algae is also being seen more often - especially by those who check their traps early - it has a habit of sitting on the outside and flying of as the morning sun reaches it.

The Dew Moth Setina irrorella has but one remaining colony in the County to my knowledge. It is not reported every year but it was pleasing to hear that up to 40 were seen in a single night, suggesting it continues to thrive there.

The Golden Twin-spot Chrysodeixis chalcites put in appearances at Dungeness and Isle of Thanet, were they presumably arrived under their own steam. One also arrived at the Tesco supermarket in Larkfield, where a pupa was found in tomatoes from the Canary Isles.

If you have any questions or comments please contact any of the following: David Agassiz, Sean Clancy, Ian Ferguson or Keith Palmer.

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