Narrow-Bordered Bee Hawkmoth Surveys in Argyll 2012

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth Surveys in Argyll 2012

Andrew Masterman 10 May 2012

Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth (NBBHM) is a large moth which is a very persuasive bee mimic. It is a UK BAP Priority species owing to a distribution decline at the UK level but in Scotland, it appears to be under-recorded as new 10 km squares are being discovered here. In Scotland, it is found in Argyll within the same habitat as Marsh Fritillary and along the Great Glen in Inverness-shire, in Wester Ross, Easter Ross, Moray and also in Speyside.

There is quite a good understanding of NBBHM ecology: it feeds on Devil’s-bit Scabious in unimproved grassland including wet acidic grassland, lightly grazed calcareous grassland, acid bogs and drier heathland. In southern England, it inhabits woodlands and adjacent rough fields. So quite a range of habitats which is also the case for Marsh Fritillary: indeed these species share the same habitat. But there are some flowering plants which seem to be characteristic of NBBHM habitat and which it nectars on: Bugle; Common Lousewort; Marsh Lousewort; Viper’s-bugloss; Bird’s Foot Trefoil; Common Ivy. This perhaps suggests that this moth is found in more species-rich examples of Marsh Fritillary habitat. This 2012 survey aims to test the hypothesis that NBBHM occurs in species-rich Marsh Fritillary habitat by recording the abundance of the aforementioned nectar plants within a 10 m radius of a NBBMH observation. A recording form has been produced for the NBBHM survey and there are some blank lines to record other flowering plants should they be present.

Use the form: nbbhm-surveys-2012-proforma.doc

NBBHM is an amazing day-flying moth (Figure 1) with a body length of about 2 cm and a total wing span of about 4-4.5 cm - so a large and spectacular moth! It is on the wing from mid-May to early July in the same areas as the beautiful Marsh Fritillary. This is no co-incidence as they both have the same foodplant, Devil’s Bit Scabious and the same flight period so it is possible to see both these rare species of Lepidoptera at the same site on the same day!

NBBHM is not the easiest of moths to identify in the field for two reasons.

1.NBBHM does not look like a moth - NBBHM has transparent wings and therefore looks like a large bumble bee (it is a very convincing bumble-bee mimic) but you can distinguish it from bumble bees because it does not fly like a bumble bee and it doesn’t buzz. Bumble-bees have an erratic zig-zag flight and are noisy too! NBBHM tend to fly in straight lines and they have a large buff-coloured backside which is conspicuous and diagnostic. There are also insects known as bee-flies (Bombyliusspp) but these are smaller than NBBHM and not as spectacular.

2.NBBHM flies fast - this characteristic means you may only get a fleeting glimpse of an insect which looks like a bee but there is something un-bee-like about it. But this leaves you uncertain about whether or not you have indeed seen a NBBHM. As this is a UK BAP species, it is important that you are confident of your identification before you submit a record to the VC moth recorder. But NBBHM does like to nectar and this behaviour enables you to get a much better look at it to be sure of an identification. It nectars while hovering unlike bees which land to feed but in cooler cloudier conditions, you might see it at rest on nectar plants.

Figure 1 Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth: Credit Phil Holt

There are 81 historical records of NBBHM with a significant increase in numbers in recent years (Table 1). These are plotted on a map in Figure 2. More detailed maps and some pictures of habitat can be found in this online article written in 2010.

Site / Gridref / Quantity / Date / Recorder
Argyll>Benderloch>Pony Park / NM917403 / 0 / 30-May-75 / Wormell, Peter
Argyll>BenderlochLetterwalton, / NM917403 / 0 / 30-May-75 / Peter Wormell
Argyll>Benderloch>Pony Park / NM917403 / 0 / 04-Jun-76 / Wormell, Peter
Argyll>Lismore>Port Kilcheran / NM8339 / 0 / 01-Jun-78 / Peter Wormell
Argyll>Lismore>Kilcheran Loch / NM8339 / 0 / 01-Jun-78 / Wormell, Peter
Argyll>BenderlochLetterwalton, / NM917403 / 0 / 04-Jun-78 / Peter Wormell
Argyll>Appin>North Shian / NM9344 / 2 / 02-Jun-90 / Barnham, Dr M.
Argyll>Loch CreranGlasdrum / NN003460 / 0 / 07-Jun-90 / Mark Young
Argyll>Loch CreranGlasdrum / NN003460 / 1 / 07-Jun-90 / Young, Dr M.R.
Argyll>AppinRudhaGarbh / NM933424 / 0 / 14-Jun-92 / D. Finlayson
Argyll>Kerrera / NM8028 / 1 / 18-Jun-95 / Anne Delap
Argyll>Lismore>GarbhDruim / NM795361 / 0 / 06-Jun-97 / R. Leishman
Argyll>Taynuilt>Common Grazings / NM998308 / 0 / 01-Jun-98 / Leishman, Mr R.
Argyll>Taynuilt>Common Grazings / NN003308 / 3 / 01-Jun-98 / Leishman, Mr R.
Argyll>ConnelClaisDhearg / NM937321 / 1 / 18-Jun-98 / Leishman, Mr R.
Argyll>Loch Awe>Loch Tromlee / NN051253 / 2 / 25-Jun-98 / Leishman, Mr R.
Argyll>Loch Awe>Loch Tromlee / NN042242 / 1 / 25-Jun-98 / Leishman, Mr R.
Argyll>Loch Awe>Loch Tromlee / NN050253 / 1 / 25-Jun-98 / Leishman, Mr R.
Argyll>Loch Awe>Loch Tromlee / NN046247 / 2 / 25-Jun-98 / Leishman, Mr R.
Argyll>ConnelClaisDhearg / NM9332 / 0 / 31-May-05 / Unknown
Argyll>Loch CreranGlasdrum / NN003460 / 0 / 02-Jun-05 / Moth-network
Argyll>Loch CreranGlasdrum / NN007458 / 1 / 28-Jun-05 / Neil Ravenscroft
Argyll>AppinKinlochlaich / NM939467 / 1 / 01-Jun-05 / Neil Ravenscroft
Argyll>Loch FeochanArdentallen House / NM835238 / 1 / 11-Jun-05 / Andrew Masterman
Crinan Canal, tow path / NR805925 / 1 / 22-May-06 / Pat & Dave Batty
Argyll>AppinKinlochlaich / NM939467 / 1 / 01-Jun-06 / Neil Ravenscroft
Argyll>AppinPortnacroish / NM932467 / 1 / 01-Jun-06 / Neil Ravenscroft
Argyll>AppinAirds Bay / NM903441 / 2 / 06-Jun-06 / Neil Ravenscroft
Argyll>Glen Lochy / NN253294 / 1 / 08-Jun-06 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>Kilmichael Glen / NR8798 / 2 / 11-Jun-06 / Pat & Dave Batty
Argyll>Kilmichael Glen / NM8700 / 2 / 17-Jun-06 / Pat & Dave Batty
Argyll>Lismore>Kilean / NM8441 / 1 / 26-Apr-07 / Alison Brooks
Argyll>Seil>Loch Caithlin / NM764189 / 1 / 28-Apr-07 / Kirkland, Paul
Argyll>Seil>Clachan Seil / NM76491892 / 1 / 28-Apr-07 / Bertie Robinson & Paul Kirkland
Argyll>Lismore>Kilean / NM8441 / 5 / 29-Apr-07 / Alison Brooks
Argyll>Loch Awe>Ford>Torran / NM874046 / 1 / 05-May-07 / Farrell, Lynne
Argyll>Loch Awe>Ford / NM874046 / 1 / 07-May-07 / Lynne Farrell
Argyll>Lismore>Kilean / NM851417 / 1 / 08-May-07 / Alison Brooks
Argyll>Loch FeochanBarndromin / NM8422 / 1 / 09-Jun-07 / Jamie Mellor
Argyll>KilmartinGlasvaar / NM881013 / 1 / 27-May-08 / Phil Holt
Argyll>TaynuiltBrolas / NM993322 / 2 / 31-May-08 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM986307 / 3 / 31-May-08 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>AppinArdtur / NM917464 / 2 / 01-Jun-08 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>AppinInverfolla / NM953448 / 5 / 01-Jun-08 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>Lismore>Kilean / NM846421 / 1 / 15-Jun-08 / Barbara McDougall
Argyll>Loch CreranCreagan Wood / NM98344503 / 1 / 20-May-09 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>Oban>Glencruitten House / NM880295 / 1 / 29-May-09 / Jane Elliott
Argyll>Oban>Glencruitten House / NM880295 / 1 / 29-May-09 / Jane Elliott
Argyll>AppinInverfolla / NM953447 / 1 / 30-May-09 / Andrew Masterman & Scott Shanks
Argyll>AppinArdtur / NM916462 / 1 / 30-May-09 / Andrew Masterman & Scott Shanks
Argyll>AppinInverfolla / NM953448 / 1 / 30-May-09 / Andrew Masterman & Scott Shanks
Argyll>AppinArdtur / NM917462 / 1 / 30-May-09 / Andrew Masterman & Scott Shanks
Argyll>Taynuilt>Tom nan Casdaich / NN003302 / 2 / 02-Jun-09 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>TaynuiltAirds Point / NM98863381 / 2 / 04-Jun-09 / Tom Prescott
Argyll>TaynuiltAirds Bay / NM99633254 / 1 / 04-Jun-09 / Tom Prescott
Argyll>InveraryCarloonan Farm / NN09121156 / 1 / 30-Jul-09 / Prescott; Tom
Carluna Farm / NN09121156 / 1 / 31-Jul-09 / Tom Prescott
Argyll>CowalTighnabruaich / NR9771 / 1 / 05-May-10 / Andrew Masterman
Argyll>AppinCoelard / NM92334324 / 1 / 14-May-10 / Prescott; Tom
Argyll>Oban>Dunstaffnige Castle / NM881343 / 1 / 21-May-10 / Trevor and Yvonne Sawyer
Argyll>Loch CreranGlasdrum / NN001456 / 1 / 30-May-10 / George Northey
Argyll>Shuna island / NM91354957 / 3 / 31-May-10 / Prescott; Tom
Argyll>Shuna island / NM91554955 / 1 / 31-May-10 / Prescott; Tom
Argyll>Shuna island / NM92234974 / 1 / 31-May-10 / Prescott; Tom
Argyll>Shuna island / NM92194919 / 1 / 31-May-10 / Prescott; Tom
Argyll>Shuna island / NM91094899 / 1 / 31-May-10 / Prescott; Tom
Argyll>Loch Awe>Eredine>Kames River / NM993101 / 1 / 04-Jun-10 / Kenny Kortland
Argyll>Loch AvichMaolachy / NM894126 / 0 / 05-Jun-10 / Dalton, Georgina
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM986304 / 1 / 06-Jun-10 / Chris McInnery
Argyll>LoxhEtive>Glen KinglassInverkinglass / NN087372 / 1 / 14-Jun-10 / Owen Figgis
Argyll>CowalTignabruaich / NR97637247 / 1 / 05-May-11 / SJ Petty
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM99343092 / 1 / 31-May-11 / Sallie Jack & Seil Natural History Group
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM98813061 / 1 / 31-May-11 / Gela Rose & Seil Natural History Group
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM99023076 / 1 / 31-May-11 / Carl Farmer and Seil Natural History Group
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM992310 / 1 / 10-Jun-11 / Scott Shanks
Argyll>Duror / NM98995506 / 1 / 10-Jun-11 / Carl Farmer & Jan Hamilton
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM898307 / 1 / 10-Jun-11 / Scott Shanks
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM991310 / 1 / 10-Jun-11 / Scott Shanks
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM992310 / 1 / 11-Jun-11 / Scott Shanks
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM991310 / 2 / 11-Jun-11 / Scott Shanks
Argyll>TaynuiltBalindore / NM989307 / 1 / 11-Jun-11 / Scott Shanks

Figure 2 Distribution of Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth records in Argyll.

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