Microlepidoptera Report 2010
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In the bi-monthly journal ‘The Entomologist’s Record and Journal of Variation’ there is an annual review of the microlepidoptera covering the British Isles and Ireland. Therein it is worth noting that the number of subscribers to these records are in total and with some variation usually in the order of just over 50 which when considered in national terms places the number of recorders wo have submitted records in Wiltshire at six (March 1st) as a fairly reasonable number.
Naturally the number of sites visited and number of records will seem quite low if compared with more ‘popular’ orders such as plants and butterflies but as can be seen from the above paragraph this is an on-going national situlation/problem which has exsisted perhaps since the beginning of the studies of natural history.
Some 1219 record were received relating to a reasonably large number of sites and referring to 285 species. Most of the species recorded were quite naturally ‘commoners’ but with a small number of rather scarce and interesting species which are usually infrequently noted. Most species recorded were noted by a single record. There appears to have been only one new species in Wiltshire namely Tachysola acroxantha on 18th August at Steeple Ashton, the larvae feed on dead leave etc and is a species that could have possilbe been overlooked but national records suggest that this is a species extending its range. A considerable number of records have been received referring to previous years and as always they will be transferred onto/into the Biological Records Database. An external problem arises each year when recorders transfer their data, which is often in hand-written notebooks made in the field, onto a more organised recording system and this often takes considerable time and also delays the time by which the recorders arrive on the County Recorders dest. This is no particular inconvenience to the County Recorder but it does mean that the records received do not provide a broad view in time for the ‘requested’ annual report.
The Horse-Chestnut Leaf Miner Cameraria ohridella continues to spread with most unsightly results, but at the moment there is no evidence of trees being killed but afflicted speciments must be in stress as the result of leaf damage. The Leek moth Acrolepiopsis assectella is another species which is spreading nationally having been noted in Wiltshire for the first time just a few years ago. On a recent Radio Programme ‘Gardeners Question Time’ the panel were, quite amazingly, unable to identify a pest insect which was afflicting a questioner’s leeks. When this species arrives in their own gardens they will discover that this pest can be quite devastating.
For those who may feel tempted to ‘indulge’ in the Microlepidoptera it is worth noting that according to the National Records Wiltshire is an excellent county in the context of number of species which one would be justified in assuming must reflect on the quality of the habitat still remaining in the county.
E.G and M.H. Smith
