Vitacress, Abbott's Ann

VITACRESS, ABBOTT'S ANN

WILDLIFE SURVEY DAY

11th June 2016

By Graeme Davis

TARCA

(The Anton River Conservation Association)

Site Description:

Vitacress, Abbott's Ann is a working watercress farm. There are large paved areas, agricultural buildings, of course watercress beds with a pumped flow ex chalk aquifer running through them. There are ponds on site plus a large wooded area. Parts of the site have sown wild-flower strips, originally intended as a 'sacrifice' strip for sawflies, but now useful for helping the wider wild fauna in the area. Other wildlife friendly items on the site includes owl boxes, bird boxes of various types and plans for a larger wild-flower area and educational centre.

Invertebrates:

Insects observed on the day are listed below (with Bee identification from Mervyn Grist). Moths are not included on this list as they will be in a following separate report.

Red Admiral Butterfly x1
White-lipped snail x1
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly x1 (plus 1 larvae)
Common Wasp x1
Small White Butterfly x5
Meadow Brown Butterfly x1
Harlequin Ladybird x6 (plus 5 larvae)
7-spot Ladybird x1
2 Spot Ladybird x1
Green Lacewing x5
Azure Damselfly x1
Timothy Grassbug x5
Garden Snail x5
Broad Centurion Fly x9
Common Red Soldier Beetle x5
Picture Wing Fly x4
Tawny Longhorn Beetle x1
Red-tailed Bumblebeex3 (workers)
Common Carder Bee x3 (workers)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee x 1 (worker)

Birds:

Swallow x 5
Wood Pigeon x2

Amphibians:

Common Frog x3

Fish:

Brown Trout x2
Three-spined stickleback x3
Bullhead x1

Mammals:

Rabbit x1

VITACRESS, ABBOTT'S ANN

MOTH TRAP REPORT

FOR 11th June 2016

By Graeme Davis

TARCA

(The Anton River Conservation Association)

Site Description:

Note Trapping Conditions:

The trapping this year was done the night before the field event on the 10th June 2016 using a Mercury Vapour trap. The weather was warm, slightly humid and open to short showers. The day time moths were recorded on the 11th June 2016.

Day Search of moths:

The following species were seen during the day at the site:

A Moth (Celypha lacunana) x6
Straw Dot Moth (Rivula sericealis) x2
Diamond-Back Moth (Plutella xylostella) x123
Scarlet Tiger Moth (Callimorpha dominula) Caterpillar x1
Small Magpie Moth (Anania hortulata) x1
Nettle Tap Moth (Anthophila fabriciana) x1
Silver Y Moth (Autographa gamma) x1
A Moth (Dichrorampha sequana) x1
Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae) x1
The Mullein Moth (Cucullia verbasci) Caterpillar x1
Large Yellow Underwing Moth (Noctua pronuba) x1
A Moth (Crambus lathoniellus) x2

Total Moth Species = 12 Number of Moths = 139 + 2 Caterpillars

Night time trapping:

The following were trapped using a 125w Mercury Vapour trap located in an area of the site known as the lakes.

Small Square Spot (Diarsia rubi) x 14

Common Swift (Korscheltellus lupulina) x 19
Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) x 2
Burnished Brass Moth (Diachrysia chrysitis) x 3
Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) x 3
Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) x 8
Privet Hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri) x 1
Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) x 2
Bright-line Brown-eye Moth ( Lacanobia oleracea) x 1
White Ermine Moth (Spilosoma lubricipeda) x 10
Buff Ermine Moth (Spilosoma lutea) x 4
Orange Footman Moth (Eilema sororcula) x 1
Pale Tussock Moth (Calliteara pudibunda) x 4
Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae) x 2
Green Carpet Moth (Colostygia pectinataria) x 1
Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica) x 11
Heart & Dart Moth (Agrotis exclamationis) x 5
Willow Beauty Moth (Peribatodes rhombiodaria) x 1
Straw Dot Moth (Rivula sericealis) x 4
Small Magpie Moth (Anania hortulata) x1
Dark Arches Moth (Apamea monoglypha) x 15
Large Yellow Underwing Moth (Noctua pronuba) x 2
Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) x 1
Riband Wave Moth (Idaea aversata) x 1
Snout Moth (Hypene proboscidalis) x 1
Ingrailed Clay (Diarsia mendica) x 3
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgate) x 3
A Moth (Crambus lathoniellus) x2
Middle-barred Minor Moth (Oligia fasciuncula) x 1
Shoulder-striped Wainscot Moth(Leucania comma) x 1
A Moth (Scoparia ambigualis) x 2
Brown Rustic Moth (Rusina ferruginea) x 2
Figure of Eighty Moth ( Tethea ocularis) x 2
Marbled Minor Moth agg (Oligia strigilis) x 2
A Moth (Eudonia pallida) x 2
Mottled Pug Moth (Eupithecia exiguata) x 1
Common Carpet Moth (Epirrhoe alternate) x 1
A Moth (Scoparia pyralella) x 1
Coronet Moth (Craniophora ligustri) x 1
Poplar Grey Moth (Subacronicta megacephala) x 1
Light Arches (Apaea lithoxylaea) x 1
A Moth (Eudonia angustea) x 2
Swallow Prominent Moth (Pheosia tremula) x 1
Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli) x 1 (Male)
Green Arches Moth (Anaplectoides prasina) x 1
Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) x 1

Total moth species = 52

Total number of moths:

149 at night

141 by day

= 290

Note-worthy Species:

Small Square Spot (Diarsia rubi):

A species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Prefers damp woodland and grassland and feed on herbaceous plants including dandelion and dock.

Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella):

A migrant species from mainland Europe that sometimes invades in large numbers. This year being one of those years. Some people recording them in the thousands.

White Ermine Moth (Spilosoma lubricipeda):

A species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Mainly feeds on stinging nettles.

Buff Ermine Moth (Spilosoma lutea):

A species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Mainly feeds on stinging nettles, honeysuckle and wild plum.

Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae):

A species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Feeds on Ragwort.

Shoulder-striped Wainscot Moth (Leucania comma):

A species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Feeds on various grasses especially Cock'sfoot

Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli):

A species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and local and declining. Feeds on nettles and hops.

THE END

Graeme Davis TARCA 01264360534