NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

An update on the garden moth colonisers. All were nothing but 'wishful thinking' or a 'gardener's nightmare' just a few years ago. Oak Processionary (above) Banstead was a bit late to the party for this 'pest' with my first (quickly followed by two more) in July 2018. This summer it has increased in number, with a current peak of six on August 1st. Small Ranunculus This species used to be a resident in the south-east of England until the early part of the 20th century, when it suddenly disappeared. It was then rediscovered along the Thames Estuary in the 1990s, slowly spreading eastwards and reaching the garden on August 5 2004. It is almost annual here now, but no more than 2-3 are recorded in a single year. Toadflax Brocade I used to see this species at Dungeness when it was considered to be a coastal species of southern and south-east England. But it started to appear inland, particularly in London and the Home Counties. I discovered a larvae...

I've recently had reason to mention one of my favourite moth species, the newly resident Tree-lichen Beauty. If you do not have the pleasure of seeing this species on a regular basis, the images above are of individuals trapped here in Banstead. They vary enormously and, together like this, are reminiscent of a tray of jewellery. Like July Highflyers or Common Marbled Carpets, part of their charm is in their variety.

Living in the south-east of the UK does have its compensations, none more so than being in a geographical hot-spot for the welcoming of colonising species of moth, whether they be from the continent or breaking away from a previous coastal distribution. Global warming might be a convenient reason behind such movements, but it is most probably more compilcated than that. The species outlined below would have all been the subject of pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking when I first switched on the Banstead moth trap back in 1987... Small Ranunculus (below) This species used to be a resident in the south-east of England until the early part of the 20th century, when it suddenly disappeared. It was then rediscovered along the Thames Estuary in the 1990s, slowly spreading eastwards and reaching the garden on August 5 2004. It is almost annual here now, but no more than 2-3 are recorded in a single year. Toadflax Brocade (below) I used to see this species at Dungeness when it was cons...

This is Blastobasis rebeli , a moth originally from Madeira (in fact, the species is only known from that island), that has somehow found its way to our shores. The first UK record was discovered in Hampshire in 2008, followed by another in Swansea, and then others from the south coast that suggest that it has become a resident. Its breeding regime, and food plant(s), are unknown. In fact, it's difficult to get any up to date information about the species, and my individual may well be a first for Surrey (although the county recorder will no doubt put me right on that one if I'm wrong). The garden MV has been lively over the recent spell of hot weather, with plenty of moths to sift through - although nothing too exciting - until the rebeli this morning. The first Tree-lichen Beauty of the year (below) and the less-than-annual Shaded Broad-bar (bottom) were two highlights.

They might now be a common moth in the garden, but I don't get tired of Tree-lichen Beauty. From a national screaming rarity to accepted observation in less than 15-20 years is some going. They are beautiful moths, full of greens, greys, browns and blacks (looking a lot like the lichen food plant they are named after) and they vary enormously - no two seem to be the same. The top picture is of one of the brightest that I have seen, compared to below of a couple from 2013, demonstrating the variety in colour intensity.

From a UK screaming rarity to a 'nightly' back garden moth, the Tree-lichen Beauty has had its status re-written several times over the past twenty years. I have started to trap it on most nights now, and during last summer had a peak of four on one evening. The individual photographed above shows a particularly colourful moth - some of them can appear almost monochrome.

When I purchased the first edition in Skinner in 1986, it did not include Tree-lichen Beauty. I was blissfully unaware that this species even existed until a few individuals started to appear on the south coast in the very early 1990s. By the time that the British Wildlife Moths Guide was published in 2003, there had been at least 40 individuals recorded. Fast forward 10 years and Tree-lichen Beauty has established itself along the Kent coast; parts of the Sussex, Essex and Suffolk coasts; and the London area. My back garden can be included in the latter. My first only appeared in 2011, to be followed by seven more up until the end of 2012. This morning I had four come to the MV. It is clearly established in the Banstead area. There was quite a bit of variation with the four trapped - the image above is of the two extremes. This species feeds on lichens found on trees, so there seems no reason for it not to spread further. The latest distribution maps do show some outlying dots...

Tree-lichen Beauty - the second succesive year that I have recorded this species. I've seen it nowhere else except for my back garden. Toadflax Brocade - a resident now in its third year. I have found larvae on Purple Toadflax by the garage door If you wait long enough the species will ultimately come to you. It's not that long ago that Toadflax Brocade was a coastal specialist and now it has colonised parts of London and Surrey. And it wasn't that many years ago that Dave Walker, warden at Dungeness Bird Observatory, let me know that he had just trapped the first UK modern day record of Tree-lichen Beauty. I considered driving 90 miles to look at it, but decided not to. I only have to walk 10m from my back door to the MV now to see one. Strange days...

Tree-lichen Beauty trapped this morning - thank you very much! You can liken me to Nostradamus, or a bargain-basement Mystic Meg, but in my last post I suggested that this week would see me capture a Tree-lichen Beauty in the garden MV. This morning that is exactly what happened. It wasn't a totally unsurprising event, as this species has now established itself in the London area, but it was a lifer for me, following hot on the heels of June's back garden Rannoch Loopers. Apart from a couple of random Victorian records, the first modern British record was in 1991. Since then they have been recorded along the south coast as far as Devon and up the east coast into Norfolk. The colonisation of London has seen a small expansion into the northern home counties, but so far not the south. My next prediction? A Willowherb Hawk-moth or a Patton's Tiger please!