Beet(en) Generation

So that Scrobipalpa sp. that was in my last post: turns out that it is almost certainly S. ocellatella [Beet Moth]. What wasn't so clear, but became so very quickly, is that there appears to be a quite widespread dispersal/migration event going on for this species. It is predominantly coastal with very occasional inland records considered to be wanderers. There was a similar dispersal event in Sept 2020 with a flurry of records in Bedfordshire and a smaller number in Huntingdonshire. However it seems to have successfully transitioned from Sea Beet to cultivated sugar beet, and this year at least it appears to be very common in both Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire - perhaps not surprising assuming these areas support a lot of sugar beet farming as in East Anglia. But the dispersal is pushing it further north and inland. I e-mailed Steve Palmer [Gelechiid Recording Scheme organiser] to give him a heads up.

Within VC55 there are now records from:

Vale of Belvoir on 29th July and 14th August

My Whetstone garden on 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th August

Broughton Astley on 10th and 13th August

Groby on 10th August (photo only)

Anstey on 14th August (photo only)

As far as I can work out there have also been records in the following areas with no known populations (likely to be a far from complete picture):

Northamptonshire on 1st August and 11th August

Bedfordshire on 7th August

North Somerset on 13th August

Worcestershire on 13th August

Staffordshire on 14th August

I've got x4 individuals pending gen det from 9th, 10th, 13th and one from x4 last night. Here's a collection of hastily grabbed shots from egg trays and on the trap of the individuals not retained. There is a bit of variation but there are plenty of consistencies. Gen det is necessary to be sure, but clearly a one-off is not the same a a National dispersal event.

This could go on for a while, who knows. I really don't think we have a lot of sugar beet farmed in VC55 though so this generation is unlikely to establish here.

Aside from this, I've had three other new moths for the garden list in the last few days:

A less than pristine Tawny-barred Angle - perhaps an overdue addition.

A Twin-spotted Wainscot - though I was almost sure at c6am that this was already on the garden list

Monopis crocicapitella (per the pale grey hindwings). Despite appearances this scarpered into the kitchen a few seconds later. This is a new one for me too.

I've also had several Caloptilia semifascia, and further singles of Caloptilia cuculipennella and Nephopterix angustella that were all new to the garden around end of July. Otherwise the best micros have been ....

Phyllocnistis unipunctella - second garden record, first since 2001

Nemapogon koenigi - fourth garden record

I've not been so active in looking out for non-leps around the trap, though to be honest it's been surprisingly quiet on that front. This pair from last night though includes a new beetle for the garden:
 

Cryptocephalus pusillus

Lesser Earwig

I've just picked up that avian flu is rife at both Watermead CP and Abbey Park in Leicester - both areas where overfeeding is a persistent problem meaning higher density of some species than normal. Not so bad if it reduces the Canada's and hybrids but it will actually be wintering gulls and wildfowl that will bear the brunt of this.

"When you cast your eyes upon the skylines, of this once proud Nation, Can you sense the fear and the hatred growing in the hearts of its population"

The Drain

I've had a great day out, on me todd, complete peace and solitude for a good few hours. I had thought about heading out to the North Norfolk coast, but baulked at the idea when it came to actually getting in the car and driving there. So I made an on-the-spot snap decision at 7am this morning to instead head for Woodwalton Fen. I had no plan, no gen and no expectations - I just remembered the site being diverse, and wanted to get away to somewhere different for a change. Perhaps if I'd had more of a plan, I would have got there quicker - the in car twat-nav does not update itself and a key part of the A14 doesn't seem to exist on the map anymore, so having missed a turning I ended up arriving via Godmanchester and Huntingdon. For a small posh-sounding towns the circuitous route and multitude of roadworks made that part of the country instantly disagreeable!

I was still there in good time though, and had no constraints on time spent there. The limiting factor was likely to be my lack of fluids and pack-up. There were a few cars lined up alongside the drain, one each for the four fishermen sporting their rods and keep-nets. As soon as I stepped out I remembered the footbridge to get across to the reserve entrance.

Although I expected no-one on site, I knew that it would be massively frowned upon if I happily sauntered around thrashing everything with a sweep net or dipping every drain with my pond net. I knew that without these, and being alone, the experience was going to be very different to the last time I was here on a PSL meet-up. But the point of the visit was not to tear around finding new stuff, I just wanted to enjoy the site and point the camera at whatever came my way.

What did come my way, almost immediately, was a memory of some particular amphibious plants. I found them easily, although remembering what exactly they were was not so easy.

Frogbit

Greater Bladderwort

I also remembered that last time we'd come across some ridiculous plant with huge flowers that had spread around the reserve after being introduced near to Rothschild's Bungalow. I found them in different spots.

Yellow Oxeye [Telekia speciosa]

A couple of other plants, of many noted today:

Yellow Loosestrife

Marsh Sow-thistle

Whilst the reserve has plenty of habitat, one of the key areas of interest today was the bare wood on various bridges and walkways across the drains. Wooden fences are always good for loafing insects on overcast days. Today there were a few - not all loafing, some were very busy.

German Wasp

Ruddy Darter

Dark Bush-cricket

Red Underwing

I had a good long walk around before heading back to the car to finish a flask of coffee and grab a sandwich, and then headed out in the other direction. The varied habitats all provided something of interest.

Some of the bits I pointed the camera at, in no particular order.

Short-winged Conehead

Xylota segnis

Alder Moth - superb final instar

Lariniodes cornutus

Parent Bug - one of c20 on the same bit of alder

Curculio ribidus

Birch Shieldbug

Delphax pulchellus - macropterous male

Birch Catkin Bug

Cryptocephalus pusillus