b b a Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Volume 71 • Number 505 December 2012 historymuseum 1 6 JAN 2013 presented emtOM LIBRARY ISSN 0266-836X Editor: Wayne Jarvis Founded in 1935 The AES • P.O. Box 8774 • London • SW7 5ZG www.amentsoc.org Email: contact@amentsoc.org • bug-club@amentsoc.org Officers of the Society President: Peter Hodge Secretary: Dafydd Lewis (secretary@amentsoc.org) Treasurer: Peter May (treasurer@amentsoc.org) Registrar: Dafydd Lewis (registrar@amentsoc.org) Bulletin Editor: (Vacancy) (bulletin-submission@amentsoc.org) General Editor: Jacqueline Ruffle Advertising Secretary: Peter Hodge (advertising@amentsoc.org) Exhibition Secretary: Wayne Jarvis (exhibition@amentsoc.org) Youth Secretary: Kieren Pitts Conservation Secretary: David Lonsdale Webmaster: Kieren Pitts ICN Editor: David Lonsdale (icn@amentsoc.org) AES Newsletter: Dafydd Lewis (newsletter-editor@amentsoc.org) THE AES WORKS TO PROMOTE AND DISSEMINATE ENTOMOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND TO ENCOURAGE AN INTEREST IN ENTOMOLOGY AMONG THE YOUNGER GENERATION. BULLETIN ADVERTISING RATES: Advertising in the AES Bulletin is a cost effective way of reaching all AES members and many others who benefit from institutional subscriptions. Full page £75 for each advert or £375 for six adverts in the same year. Half page £50 for each advert or £250 for six adverts in the same year. Quarter page £30 for each advert or £1 50 for six adverts in the same year. NOTICE It is to be distinctly understood that all views, opinions, or theories, expressed in the pages of this Journal are solely those of the author(s) concerned. All announcements of meetings, financial grants offered or sought, requests for help or information, are accepted as bona fide. Neither the Editor, the Officers and Council of the Society, nor its Trustees, can be held responsible for any loss, embarrassment or injury that might be sustained by reliance thereon. Worldwide Butterflies Goodden GemLight runs all night on 8AA batteries! A revolutionary light, ideal for foreign travel and field study. Never has there been such a small and lightweight moth light. Powered by tiny rechargeable batteries Designed for the Moonlander, it works also on a sheet, is better than actinic, and might be adapted to suit other traps. Auto photoswitch for convenience. Works as sheet and trap combined. Both trap and light are total innovations by Robert Tried and tested in Europe and the tropics. In good conditions the results are spectacular. NEW Moonlander Moth trap Now re-designed, even lighter and with superb new supports and new carrying bag. Moths favour Moonlander reticulated foam moth shelers over traditional egg boxes. For full details and prices www.wwb.co.uk Worldwide Butterflies website offers Livestock and Equipment for breeding and study. Specimens for specialist collectors: watch the site for spectacular aberrations. See exactly what is currently available as the season changes. Look ahead for species coming in their season. Sale Offers of equipment, books, livestock and specimens - an ever evolving range.. www.wwb.co.uk Add it to your Favorites - check it regularly. ATROPOS ANTIQUES* PURVEYORS OF FINE COLLECTOR’S CABINETS Many of you will have met us at the AES London Fair where we regularly show entomological cabinets for sale We are specialist dealers in fine collector’s cabinets. We can offer a choice of at least 30 cabinets, varying in purpose, construction, quality and price. We can supply both restored and un-restored cabinets and will undertake to restore and paper cabinets for clients. We are always interested in the purchase or exchange of cabinets, with or without a collection. Callers to our showrooms are always welcome by appointment. We offer a specialist collection and delivery service throughout the UK and have full expertise in the safe transportation of cabinets and collections. We now have a dedicated cabinet showroom in Hartland, North Devon, and are happy to receive visitors to view the stock of over sixty cabinets including all the famous makers names. Please telephone or e-mail if you wish to call. Hartland is famous for it's coastline and dramatic scenery and was one of the last known haunts of the Large Blue. We are very keen to buy whole insect collections and collecting paraphanalia ancient or modern. Please contact George Morgan by telephone or e-mail. George Morgan 97, West Street, Hartland, N. Devon EX39 6BQ T: 01237-441205/984 M: 07973 302190 E-mail : geor ge @ atropos .wanadoo .co .uk * We are an independent dealership of 30 years standing and have no association with any similarly named business. by Ronald N, Baxter ORDER YOUR COPY NOW FROM Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: (01277) 224610 • Fax: (01277) 262815 • E-mail: CravitzPrinting@btconnect.com Bulletin Cover Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Volume 71 • Number 505 December 2012 The photograph on this month's cover is of a Queen of the Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris. The queen is the first wasp you'll see in early spring when she searches for a nesting site. SPECIAL OFFER FOR AES MEMBERS ONLY £7.50 each when bought together (inc. UK p&p) £9.50 each (overseas) Hazards of Butterfly Collecting by Torben B. Larsen Rearing Stick and Leaf Insects Photographed in Kent by Paul Sokoloff M HISTORY MUSEl 1 6 JAN 2013 PRESENTED ENTOiVi LiBRAR' ARE YOU MISSING OUT? THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD and Journal of Variation Publishes notes, observations, articles and reviews, mainly on the Lepidoptera and Coleoptera of the British Isles and Europe. Founded in 1 890 by J. W. Tutt, and still going strong, we publish six issues a year - alternating with the AES Bulletin. This means there is now a first class entomological journal available every month of the year! Our subscription price is £25 per year. If you would like to see a specimen copy, please send your name and address, and a couple of second class stamps to cover postage to: The Editor, 14 West Road, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 2QP. Write now! You never know what you could be missing. The Entomologist's Record is a publication of the Amateur Entomologists’ Society. To ensure high standards of production we use Cravitz Printing Company. Ian Johnson Natural History Books {Pemberley Books) Specialist in Entomology and related subjects Also Zoology, Ornithology, Botany etc. • Catalogues - Second-hand, Antiquarian and New books - free catalogues available on request. • Specialist Bookshop at Richings Park, Iver, just to the West of London - easy to reach by car or train. Visitors are welcome to visit and view our stock, but please telephone first to confirm opening times. * By car: only 10 minutes drive from the M25 via the M4 (Junction 5), or M40 (Junction 1). 15 minutes from Heathrow Airport. * By train: 20 minutes from London Paddington to Iver Station on the Paddington-Slough Thames Trains service (2 trains every hour). We are 1 minute's walk from Iver Station. • Website - view our stock on our website: www.pemberleybooks.com. • Books bought - We are always interested in purchasing books in our specialist field, particularly antiquarian, academic and scholarly works on insects and other invertebrates. 18 BATHURST WALK, RICHINGS PARK, IVER, BUCKS SLO 9 A Z Tel: 01753 631114/Fax: 01753 631115 • e-mail: ian.johnson@pemberleybooks.com PAUL SOKOLOFF We are very much saddened by the news that Paul Sokoloff, Trustee of the Society, Editor of the Bulletin and a highly respected lepidopterist passed away peacefully, in his sleep, on 26 November 2012 after a short battle with cancer. The AES Council offer their sincere condolences to Linda, Amanda and Julian at this difficult time. An obituary is planned for publication in the February 2013 issue of this journal and any contributions and/or anecdotes that might be useful for this purpose can be sent to the Editors (contact@amentsoc.org). of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Volume 71 • Number 505 December 2012 Editorial It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was in the editor’s chair of the Bulletin following my lengthy spell at the helm and here I am back again! However, it is with great sadness that we report the passing of Paul Sokoloff in November. When I joined Council over twenty years ago, Paul was one of the first people who welcomed me into the fold and his friendly persona was something that always greeted you when you met him. His wit and charisma along with his dedication to a number of entomological groups will be sorely missed. Our condolences go to his family. An obituary will appear in the next edition of the Bulletin. In this edition we are publishing the exhibition report from our annual event at Kempton Park back in October. We were disappointed that we did not get as many exhibits from members this year as we had hoped. There are a number of significant prizes available to members at the exhibition and we would urge you to spend some of the time during the winter months putting an exhibit together for the 2013 event. We are of course accepting renewals for membership for the coming year. If you haven’t you’re your subscriptions then please forward them to the Registrar as soon as possible so that you continue to receive the journal. Finally, I hope that you enjoy the festive season and wish you a very happy and prosperous 2013. Wayne Jarvis M Volume 71 • December 2012 215 Society Matters THE BUG CLUB We are grateful to the Royal Entomological Society for having supported the Bug Club since 2009- From 2013, we are pleased to announce that we will manage the Bug Club in association with the British Entomological and Natural History Society. We have also entered into an agreement with the British Arachnological Society in respect of the Bug Club, so we can anticipate more hands at the wheel and, indeed, more legs in the Magazine in future! HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIPS The Society has decided to periodically review our long standing membership and will now each year confer a small number of honorary memberships to long serving members. This is in line with some other entomological societies. This year we have begun this process by conferring Honorary Life Memberships on the following (some of whom have been members since the Society’s inception in 1935): Graham Howarth Brian Gardiner Michael Bennett R.S. (Bob) George Ray Softly John Trimmer AES MEMBERS’ DAY & AGM 2013 Plans are advanced for our Annual Members’ Day, which will take place at the Bristol Museum on 27th April 2013. Further details will appear in the February Bulletin. MEMBERSHIP MATTERS The AES has worked to promote the study of insects and their conservation since 1935, and membership fees and donations still represent the major part of our funding. As the Society is run entirely by volunteers, all income goes directly to fund our publications and activities. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help on Council or in any other capacity should contact the Hon Secretary (secretary@amentsoc.org) or any Council member for further information. 216 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society A membership renewal form accompanies this issue of the Bulletin. The Society would like to thank all those members who kindly include a donation with their membership renewal subscriptions. We have been particularly active this year in submitting responses to government consultations to do with invertebrate conservation, as UK wildlife legislation is now under wholesale review. In addition to providing an expert view on individual species and habitat protection, our input has also highlighted the need to safeguard the ability of amateur entomologists to keep imported invertebrates, such as stick insects, for educational study. AES conservation submissions that are available in document form will be uploaded to the AES website by the New Year (or will be available in paper form on request to the PO Box). MEMBERSHIP SERVICES We should like to take this opportunity to remind you of some direct benefits of AES membership. They include: ELECTRONIC NETWORKING: via the AES Members’ Area on the AES website (www.amentsoc.org) or the Entomologist’s Record website (www.entrecord.com). These sites also provide access to back issues of the respective periodicals. The members’ Discussion Forum http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/ group/aes/. There are two moderated forums which are open to all: the Bug Club Forum http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/bugclub/ and the Lepidoptera Breeding Forum http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ Breeding_UK-Leps/) . You can also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@amentsoc) PRIZES: Members are eligible for various prizes, including the Hammond and Gardiner Awards for contributions to the Bulletin and the Bug Club Magazine , respectively; the Ansorge and Bradford Awards for the best exhibits at the Annual Exhibiton; and the Cribb and Michael Majerus awards, for conservation and educational projects, respectively. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS: include discounts on AES and Royal Entomological Society (RES) books and pamphlets; full access to RES library and events; and access to events of our affiliates (these include the Entomology section of the Devonshire Association; the Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland; the Quekett Microscopical Club; the Wildlife Gardening Forum; the Selborne Society; the Invicta Arachnid Club; the British Arachnological Society; the British Entomological and Natural History Society). Volume 71 • December 2012 217 W Exhibition Report Kempton Park once again welcomed the AES in October as we staged our Annual Exhibition. The weather was once again kind to us, although we didn’t quite top the 30°C temperatures that we had experienced in 2012! Once again we had an excellent turn out of traders this year with almost 100 trade stands in attendance. The public also came through the gates in good numbers this year, making the atmosphere a good one. The main disappointment was the number of exhibits that we received this year, these were down on previous years significantly. The standard of those exhibits which were entered to the annual Society awards were of a good standard. Those that received awards for their exhibits were as follows: The Ansorge Award for the younger age group was awarded to The Bug Club Hill End Entomologists for their exhibit “Activities at the Hill End entomology weekend”. The exhibit showed the collecting of insects using many methods, as well as the recording, identifying and setting of insects. Two important records were made: The Hazel Leaf-rolling Weevil (. Apoderus coryli) and The False Darkling Beetle ( Phloiotrya vaudoueri). An unidentified rare Braconid was also found during the weekend. Highly commended exhibits in the Ansorge Award were Jackson Mockler, for his “Bug Traps” exhibit, based on those used at the Hill End camp and Theo Tamblyn for his exhibit entitled “Metamorphosis”. In the older age group in the Ansorge Award, first prize was awarded to Sam Baylis for his high quality photographs of insects taken whilst on a holiday in Corsica in 2012. The 2012 Bradford Award was given to David Oram for his exhibit on the “Insects from the Udzungwa Mountain National Park in Tanzania. Three display cases showing set moths and beetles; and including a map, and photographs with detailed observations of the trip. Reports that have been received for all exhibits follows. Finally, I would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped on the day in whatever capacity. Without the volunteers we would not be able to run the event. Wayne Jarvis 218 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Exhibition Reports The Scarlet Tiger Moth The Scarlet Tiger Moth ( Panaxia dominula L.) - a number of abs medionigra and bimacula. Bimacula , the homozygous expression of a semi dominant gene (and medionigra the heterozygous expression) were originally discovered by L. W. Newman early in the 20th Century at Cothill near Oxford. They were the subject of ground-breaking studies in polymorphism by E. B. Ford and his colleagues. Medianigra shows reduction in white forewing spotting and an increase in hind wing black markings. Bimacula is more extreme, the forewings often being entirely black apart from the twin basal white spots. Two rows of bred specimens representing these forms of the type found at Cothill were shown. The aberration was subsequently introduced to the Wirral by Sir Cyril Clarke. However in this strain (originally kindly supplied to the exhibitor by the late Don McNamara) the aberration occurs in a more strongly expressed form such as that in bimacula, the other two thirds of the hind wings may be solid black. A row of such specimens were exhibited. Rupert Barrington Pyrausta aerealis — new to Britain Whilst trapping at Dibgate Quarry, which forms part of the Ministry of Defence training area of St. Martins Plain/Dibgate Camp complex, a moth was spotted which I could not immediately identify. At first I thought it was a variety of Pyrausta despicata , but the wing markings did not seem right. A photograph was not possible as the specimen was rather lively, even after refrigeration, so it was decided to set it. A couple of weeks later it was removed from the setting board and photographed, and pictures were e-mailed to various moth-ers and it was provisionally identified as P. aerealis , but to be absolutely certain genitalia dissection was needed. This was carried out by Brian Goodey who confirmed the identity. A full report will appear in Atropos. I would like to thank the following for their help; Paul Sokoloff, David Gardner, Sean Clancy, Mark Tunmore, Brian Goodey and Martin Honey, and apologies to anyone who I have forgotten. Tony Steele (4106) Volume 71 • December 201 2 219 In defence of Wasps (social ones that is) Once again I come to the defence of our stripey friends, the ten or so British species. These maligned saviours of our planet, each with her different face patterns still have a very bad press and attract the maximum persecution. Without social wasps we would not have leaf on a tree. They spend their waking hours hunting out the pests who actually cause the problem. Unjustly the pests get the sympathy and our friends get the brickbats. The fact that wasps have weapons to hunt with i.e., their stings, makes them efficient hunters. So be kind to our stripey friends. Remember they maybe somebody’s sister. Henry Berman Some insects from Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania during March 2012 LEPIDOPTERA Sphingidae Coelonia mauritii Falcatula falcatus Pseudoclanis postica Hippotion eson Nephele funebris Centroctena rutherfordi Euchloron megaera megaera Family Cossidae Goat moths, Carpenter moths Cossidae sp. COLEOPTERA Family Meleoldae Blister beetles, Oil beetles Mylabris amplectans Family Cerambycidae Longhorn beetles Prosopocera timoreticus dejeani Tithoes maculatus Ceroplesis militaris Family Scarabaeidae Scarab beetles, Dung beetles and Fruit Chafers Scarabaeus goryi Cyophonistes sp. Neptunides polychrous Chondrorrhina trivittata Family Lymexylidae Ship-timber beetles Atractocerus brevicornis These specimens were taken from the Udzungwa Mountains which cover an area of approximately 6,250 square miles in the Iringa and Morogoro regions of south central Tanzania; part of the chain of forest- swathed mountains rising from the flat coastal scrub of eastern Tanzania, 220 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society known collectively as the Eastern Arc Mountains. These stretch from the Taita Hills of southern Kenya to the Makambako gap in southern Tanzania. The mountains are about 7-8 hours drive southwest of the capital Dar Es Salaam and are bordered in the north east by Mikumi National Park, in the east by the Selous Reserve beyond the Kilombero Valley, in the north by the Great Ruaha river and Ruipa river in the southwest. We were visiting this tropical rainforest area at the start of the rainy season. Most of the insects were collected using an MV trap and Dung traps. Our trip by road to Udzungwa was not without incident as en route a tree fell down over a vehicle just ahead of us nearly killing the occupants. Somewhat shaken we arrived safely at our campsite. Our MV lamp was set up on a beautiful site overlooking the forest for most of the time. The early evenings were often very warm and clear skies to start with but often-torrential rain later. On the forest edge many of the unique primate life, Red colobus and Black and white colobus came down to watch you. The list of species of moths and beetles shown today is a small representation of the specimens taken and many more species are still to be identified. For dung beetles we did set up some traps on the path used by the elephants near our camp. I was a little concerned that they might not survive being trampled on but they seemed to be amazingly careful about their route through our particular part of the forest. Another very successful method of catching beetles was visiting the areas where the local people were harvesting the sap from bamboo for a drink; it does not seem to take very long before it becomes alcoholic so it is quite popular. Cetonid beetles are the most common of all the beetles found here but catching them is not so easy as this food source is popular with bees, wasps and flies. Insects presented at the AES Exhibition 6th October 2012 were accompanied by photos and maps. David Oram (7127) A collection of butterflies from the Southern Ural Mountains, European Russia Fifteen species of butterflies (Rhopalocera) were exhibited; these were taken in early June from two localities, consisting of limestone hills and valleys ranging between 150-325m above sea level, in the Southern Ural Mountains, Orenburg Region, Russian Federation; the species chosen Volume 71 • December 2012 221 were considered to be either completely absent from or quite rare in western Europe. Those species absent from Western Europe included Plebejus pylaon, which is now considered to be absent, being replaced by P. sephirus (Frivald.) in the west (Tshikolovets, 2011), Neolycaena rhymnus, Triphysa phryne and Oeneis tarpeia. Several of the other species were chosen because of their general interest to western European lepidopterists. Lycaena dispar was unusually common at a locality on the banks of the Ural River, as were Hyponephele lupina and Nymphalis xanthomelas. Neptis rivularis was found in the more wooded areas of this valley. On the open flowery and sloping hills, species such as Muschampia cribrellum, Polyommatus coelestinus, Coenonympha leander and Melanargia russiae were quite common; M. russiae was represented there by its nominotypical subspecies now considered to be absent from the more western parts of Europe. Pontia chloridice was located on the upper slopes, well out of its usual biotope in the west (stony river beds or gravely road verges, where its host-plant Cleome ornitbopodoides grows); its host-plant on this hillside was most probably Sisymbrium polymorphum , which was there in abundance and has been recorded previously as a larval food-plant. Males of the two species of Melitaea were also found on the slopes hunting for females. Melitaea arduinna was represented by the nominotypical subspecies (Type Locality: Volgograd region, Russian Federation) and not subspecies rhodopensis, with which most European lepidopterists are familiar. Militia trivia ssp. robertsi Butler is considered to be the ssp. present in this region (Tshikolovets, 2011) but Gorbunov elevated those in the southern Urals to species status, under the name of M. uvarovi, the first generation examples were certainly very much smaller and had a different wing colour to those found in Western Europe. Peter Russell (8977) 222 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society An unusual note concerning Rhyssa persuasoria Hym., Ichneumonidae by Jamie C. Weir (13855) 32 Paul Drive, Airth, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, FK2 SLA Email - jweir007@htinternet.com There is no doubt in my mind that a major factor in encouraging the early entomologists to make collections was that it served as a most heart- warming means of escapism. When the weather turns dull and grey, when the cold winds blow in, when the frost and snow, or indeed the rain, begin to spread across the land, what better thing in the world is there to do than to open up a store box or cabinet drawer, take a seat near a roaring fire and peruse our collections. Certain specimens catch our eye and we are reminded, with wry pleasure, of the particular difficulty we had in capturing it, or what a glorious, sunny day it was when it was taken. Perhaps the memories of a particularly pleasant field trip drift back to us, the smells and sounds of summer return, and we are thus warmed by the experience. It serves to blot out, for however brief a moment, the dreariness of winter and remind us, when we itch to grab our nets and scramble for the country, that spring is not that far off after all. Well, last winter was one of those where one needs to resort to this sort of entomologist’s form of escapism. Once I had finished cataloguing my records and labelling my specimens from the summer I found myself with very little work to do and so decided to sit down with my field journal and leaf through it. After a while my attention was caught by an interesting entry from the 30th of June 2009. The small note detailed a fishing trip I went on with my father to Loch Earn; a rather large loch in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. At the very end of the entry was a curious little collection of sentences. It said that my father had collected some sort of ichneumon wasp when fly fishing about ten metres from the shore. What is more it said that the wasp was sitting on the water’s surface, as if it had landed there, though it seemed unable to move from its present position or take flight. It seems that my father then captured it somehow and brought it back to the shore for examination. From the rest of the note it appears that it was very much alive when brought to the shore. Intrigued by this I then saw a small pencil note at the end of the entry which read: Wasp = Rhyssa persuasoria COLLECTED Quickly I looked for the store box which would contain the family Ichneumonidae and opened it. After a little searching there it was; the Volume 71 • December 2012 223 The rather intimidating, nearly 11cm long (including ovipositor) specimen of Rhyssa persuasoria collected from Loch Earn on the surface of the water, approximately 10m from shore. grand and impressive Rhyssa persuasoria and on its label was written: stuck in water of loch, 10m out. With the insect in front of me I now began to think the whole event through; Why would the wasp be on the water of the loch? Could it have fallen from the extensive area of birch trees which surrounds and overhangs the loch’s shore? No, because it was far too far out. And it couldn’t have fallen from the canopy and drifted out because on referring to my journal I found that the wind was blowing into the shore that day. It appeared as if it had landed, but why would it land on water? Surely landing on the water meant certain death; unless of course it mistook the water, by some trick of the light, for land. It could have always fallen, somehow, and struggled so it appeared as if it had landed. It couldn’t have died in flight and fell to the water because it was alive when brought in to shore. I was forced, now puzzled, to admit to myself, I didn’t have a clue what to make of it. Perhaps, after all, the whole thing was simply a fluke. Nonetheless, it seemed to me to be an unusual observation which was surely worthy of a note to bring it to the attention of others. Not bad, I thought to myself, for a day of escapism? 224 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society An abundance of Jersey Tiger, Euplagia quadripunctaria (Lep.: Arctiidae) in 2012 by Tony Steele (4106) 57 Westfield Road, Barnehurst, Kent, DA7 6IR (t.steele@ntlworld.com) I first recorded this now expanding species in my north-west Kent garden in 2009, with six arriving at my Robinson trap between the 12th and 18th August. Three were of the nominate form and three of the yellow hind wing form, ab.lutescens. 2010 saw seven being recorded, four nominate and three ab.lutescens, with the dates being 5th to 26th August. 2011 was even better with twenty four noted, comprising of eighteen nominate and six ab.lutescens. Dates for these arrivals were between 29th July and 29th August. 2012 was the most remarkable year yet with an astounding one hundred and twenty eight recorded. First arrivals were on 7th August, with the last being on 4th September. During 2012 the form ab.lutescens were relatively common. Complete list of 2012 sightings are below. I varied the light source between 125W mercury vapour (MV) and 125W compact fluorescent blacklight (BL). Jersey Tiger, 2012 Date Nominate Lutescens 07/08/2012 (MV) 02 02 11/08/2012 (MV) 01 02 13/08/2012 (MV) 05 04 17/08/2012 (MV) 07 11 19/08/2012 (BL) 22 25 21/08/2012 (MV) 07 05 24/08/2012 (MV) 09 05 26/08/2012 (MV) 10 03 31/08/2012 (MV) 04 03 04/09/2012 (BL) 01 00 Totals 68 60 Volume 71 • December 2012 225 Can caterpillars count? - the Grey Dagger, Acronicta psi (Lep. Noctuidae) by Martin Probert (14071 ) 55 Higher Compton Road, Hartley, Plymouth PL3 5] A. Abstract The Grey Dagger Acronicta psi incorporates several defences into its pupal chamber. These are described and discussed. Keywords: Acronicta psi, Grey Dagger, pupation The Grey Dagger, Acronicta psi , when ready to pupate, burrows into soft wood (if available). It is curious that a burrowing creature should have a post on its back (Figure 1). The post bends whenever the caterpillar enters its burrow. Preparation of the pupal chamber In 2010 a caterpillar of A. psi was kept under observation throughout the burrowing process. From time to time the caterpillar interrupted its burrowing operations to eject the latest heap of sawdust, pushing from behind, and creating a little avalanche of sawdust that cascaded down. When the chamber within was to its liking, the caterpillar emerged and broke off chips of wood, dropping them outside if deemed unsatisfactory, or retreating into the chamber and depositing them within. After several chips had been deposited inside the chamber, the caterpillar remained within and began to close up the entrance, fencing itself inside by fastening the chips side by side across the opening (Figure 2: the first three chips are in place; the larva is visible to the left). The time from when the Grey Dagger began to excavate the chamber, until the time when it had walled up the entrance, was eight and a half hours (from 09.45 to 18.15). A second caterpillar of A. psi, observed in 2011, began burrowing at 18.50, appears to have rested overnight (it was quiescent whenever I interrupted my own sleep to make an observation) and continued to work next day until midday. The quantity of loose sawdust excavated was almost sufficient to fill two thimbles. It closed up the entrance with a single large chip (Figure 3, photographed after the emergence of the moth: the gap above the chip is where the emerging moth had pushed past the chip). Examination of the pupal chamber When, after emergence of the moth, the chamber was opened (Figure 4), there were four defences: a silken cocoon around the pupa, a barrier of 226 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Figure 3. Single chip blocking entrance. Photo: Martin Probert Figure 4. Pupal chamber excavated. Photo: Martin Probert Volume 71 • December 2012 227 silk (indicated by the left hand pin), the fence obstructing the entrance (position indicated by the right hand pin), and, against the inside of the fence, a further barrier of silk incorporating black hairs from the body of the larva. Discussion Can Grey Daggers estimate the quantity and size of chips required to fill up the entrance? Expressed more fancifully, can these caterpillars count? Do they have a visual map of the entrance, and can they estimate when the chippings gathered are sufficient to fill it up? It would be intriguing to think they could. But perhaps they merely construct a partial fence, and then, from the inside, pile silk and body-hairs up against it. And yet the first of these larvae had broken off several small chips, the second had broken off a single large chip, and in both cases the chips broken, off were just sufficient to block the entrance. All chips were broken off and stored within the pupal chamber before fence-construction began, and once it had begun, the caterpillar was unable to emerge to obtain additional chips. Nor did these larvae gather an excess of chips, for no unused chips were discovered within the pupal chamber. And what, if any, is the function of that post on the Grey Dagger’s back? If it has a function, it may perhaps be the means of estimating when the roof of the pupal chamber is high enough. 228 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society A week on the Isle of Arran by Tim Newnham (4597) This year I went for a holiday on the Isle of Arran, off the west coat of Scotland. The day I arrived, the 7th of July, was dull and overcast, and after making my way to the hotel at Catacol Bay on the north-west of the island, I had a walk around and was surprised by the amount of wildflowers along the roadside, including orchids, bird’s foot trefoil, thrift, wild thyme and thrift. That and subsequent evenings I set up a portable moth trap, the results of which can be found in the following table: Although nothing spectacular was trapped, there are no entomologists on the island, so the National Trust were very pleased to have this data. MOTHS - CATACOL BAY Date Common Name Scientific Name Qty 07/07/2012 Poplar Hawk Lathoe populi 1 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis 1 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 1 Buff-tip Phalera bucephala 1 Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina 1 Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata 1 Scalloped Hook-tip Falcaria lacertinaria 2 Common Wave Cabera exanthemata 1 Ingrailed Clay Diarsia mendica 1 Triple-spotted Clay Xestia ditrapezium 5 Cabbage Mamestra brassicae 1 08/07/2012 Poplar Hawk Lathoe populi 1 Common Wave Cabera exanthemata 1 Peppered Biston betularia 1 Triple-spotted Clay Xestia ditrapezium 3 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum 1 Drinker Euthtrix potatoria 2 Clouded Buff Diacrisia sannio 1 Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha 1 Broom Ceramica pisi 3 Miller Acronicta leporina 1 Grey Arches Polia nebulosa 1 09/07/2012 Common Wave Cabera exanthemata 1 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum 1 10/07/2012 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis 1 Mottled Beauty Aids repandata 1 Antler Cerapteryx graminis 1 Volume 71 * December 201 2 229 Date Common Name Scientific Name Qty 11/07/2012 Antler Cerapteryx graminis 1 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis 2 Triple-spotted Clay Xestia ditrapezium 1 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum 1 Common Wave Cabera exanthemata 1 Mottled Beauty Aids repandata 1 12/07/2012 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula 1 Triple-spotted Clay Xestia ditrapezium 9 Least Yellow Underwing Noctua comes 2 Silky Wainscot Chiilodes maritimus 1 Common Wave Cabera exanthemata 2 Peppered Biston betularia 1 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis 2 Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata 1 Scalloped Oak Crocallis elinguaria 1 Tawny Speckled Pug Eupithecia icterata cognata 1 Heart & Club Agrotis clavis 1 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 1 During the days I walked on various routes around the island starting with a walk from Catacol along the east coast to Corrie, as it was raining most of the time I didn’t see any butterflies flying, but did find on the verge the bodies of a golden-ringed dragonfly and a dark green fritillary. The road is skirted on both sides by heather, cotton grass and bracken, interspersed with orchids, mainly common spotted and pyramidal, and other heath land plants. Beyond the heath, on both sides of the road, are mountains where buzzards and other birds of prey, including the golden eagle, fly. The next walk I took was along the west coast from Catacol to Blackwater Foot. This is along the coast road and was absolutely full of butterflies, mainly due, I believe, to the council having an agreement not to cut the roadside verges, and the fields being wild flower meadows rather than the monocultured crops grown in most fields in England. The species seen were as follows: Common Blue ( Polyommatus Icarus') Meadow Brown (Manolia jurtind) Dark Green Fritillary (. Argynnis aglaja) Small Tortoiseshell ( Aglais urticae) Small Heath ( Coenonympha pamphilus ) Small White ( Pieris rapae) Red Admiral ( Vanessa atalanta ) 230 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Also found on this walk were the six-spot burnet moth ( Zygaena filipendulae stephensi ) and the beautiful Golden Y {Autograph a pulchrina) Again, nothing spectacular but valuable information for the Trust. The last survey I undertook was around Lochranza, on the north of the island. This, again, is a coastal road with the sea on one side and a strip of grassland or houses separating it from the mountains on the other, some with a few deciduous trees growing on the lower slopes. The species seen were as follows: Common Blue (. Polyommatus icarus) Meadow Brown (. Manolia jurtina) Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) Small Tortoiseshell C Aglais urticae) Small Heath ( Coenonympha pamphilus) Green-veined White ( Pieris napi) Large White ( Pieris brassicae) Speckled Wood ( Parage aegeria) Also found around Lochranza was the silver Y (. Autographa gamma ) and the common darter dragonfly ( Sympetrum striolatum ). The common blue, meadow brown and dark green fritillary seem to be the most common species on the island at this time of year as they were everywhere on the island, especially in the strips of grassland along the coast where they would come down to feed on the wild thyme growing along the shore in the case of the latter two species and to mate and lay their eggs, in the case of the former, on the bird’s foot trefoil. Also found quite commonly was a small day flying moth called the Chimney Sweeper ( Odezia atrata :), a slow flying moth which is easy to net and identifiable as it is entirely black in colour with the extreme tips of its forewing coloured white. I had a wonderful time and can thoroughly recommend Arran as a place to go if you are interested in entomology, ornithology or any other branch of natural history. If you do decide to go to Arran and do any mothing or chasing butterflies, please report all sightings to Kate Sampson at the following email address:- ksampson@nts.org.uk M Volume 71 • December 2012 231 My summer of giants! by Clive Betts (4976) The Summer of 2012 might well be remembered by most of us for the incessant rain, and by many for the London Olympics, but for me it will also be remembered for some of the larger than average insects that I was fortunate enough to see. Over the years I have become used to watching many of our UK insects go about their business with at least a hand lens or a close-up camera facility. This year, however, has been remarkable for a series of close encounters with a range of insects at the much larger end of the size scale: this is an account of my giant insect summer! It began back in a mild but rather wet May, in Ashclyst Forest, Devon which is only a couple of miles from my home. This mixed woodland includes at least one pond which thrived in the wet weather. On one weekend it was dry enough to tackle the deep mud on the paths leading into the woods and along to this pond. Despite massive disturbance caused by tree-felling and constant flooding the pond had remained crystal clear and within a few moments I was thrilled to see a number of the voracious diving beetle larvae, Dytiscus “swimming” somewhat awkwardly along, their abdomen curved up to the surface to take in air (Fig 1.). The larvae were big enough to watch from the bank as they hunted down newt Figure 1. Dytiscid beetle larva, Ashclyst Forest. 232 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society tadpoles: I saw two with tadpoles squashed in their massive jaws. I also saw one adult here which looked, at a glance, big enough to be the Great Diving Beetle (Dytiscus marginalis ) although Peter Sutton’s great little book (Sutton, 2008) has put me in some doubt, as there are several similar species. I also saw my second giant in Ashclyst forest, this time on a refreshingly warm (and dry) day in June. This one was particularly special for me as I have spent many years studying Hymenoptera but have only ever seen this particular member of the Order once before. The day began once again around the pond where I was watching damselflies. Suddenly I heard, then saw, what looked like a giant hornet fly by about a metre from where I stood. As I followed its flight path I knew it wasn’t a hornet as they are more purposeful in their flight whereas this creature was colliding with branches and looked rather ungainly as it eventually landed on the bark of a pine tree. Moving closer I could see its bright orange eyes, black and yellow banding and large ovipositor: this was the Horntail or Giant Wood Wasp, Urocerus gigas, (Fig. 2) which, at 40mm or so in body length, are true giants of the UK Hymenoptera fauna. The Horntail is classified as a pest of pine woods as their larvae create large cavities when feeding and subsequently big exit holes in the wood although I am uncertain if their action can cause death of the tree. Figure 2. Uroceras gigas, Ashclyst Forest. Volume 71 • December 2012 233 On the same day, since the mud wasn’t as bad as earlier in the year I was able to linger in one of the long, broad woodland rides a little way from the pond. Here bramble, willowherb and umbellifers were thrusting their way up through the long grass on each side of the ride. The sun was out and as I paused to take in the scene two huge, ginger butterflies danced in the dapple light then settled apart on some bramble. I managed to approach to within a metre or so before they zoomed off again and I could see that they were two immaculate specimens of the Silver-washed Fritillary ( Argynnis paphia ), one of our largest butterflies with a wingspan of up to 80mm or so. Not far away, on the same day, I startled a White Admiral (. Limenitis Camilla ) that spiralled lazily up into a Birch tree: not a giant, but worth a mention - I think. The summer slipped, or rather slopped by and found me at home on one of the warmer days in July when we managed to have a barbecue in our garden. Sitting out at about seven in the evening we received an uninvited guest that caused (me at least) tremendous excitement. From one side of the garden a large, flying creature suddenly droned past my chair and clattered into our house with an audible thud. Rushing over I picked up a massive chestnut-brown beetle that was sitting slightly stunned outside our kitchen. To my amazement I realised I was holding a huge specimen of the Tanner beetle ( Prionus coriariusX one of our largest and chunkiest insects and a beetle I had dreamt of finding for the past 42 years! This specimen was about 40mm in length excluding the antennae and I managed to take some pictures (Fig. 3) when I had calmed Figure 3. Prionus corarius, back garden, Broadclyst. 234 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Figure 5. Nymph of Anacridium aegyptium, Menorca. Volume 71 • December 2012 235 Figure 6. Large tenebrionid beetle, Menorca. Figure 7. Cba/cophora mariancu Menorca. 236 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society down and put these up on the Open University’s online ID website “i- spot” (a terrific resource for any entomologist with a camera, see www.ispot.org.uk). I was taken aback by how many people had actually seen this spectacular beetle around the UK, which is also found across Europe, but this didn’t spoil the special moment for me. The next few giant insects come from our family Summer holiday on the Mediterranean island of Menorca, where I stayed in the first week of August. Menorca is a popular holiday destination for tourists from the UK (and it seems, Italy and Spain), although it is much quieter than the other Balearic islands of Mallorca and Ibiza. In 1993 UNESCO declared Menorca as a Biosphere Reserve because of its unique wildlife, well preserved natural habitats and rural traditions (see http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/ br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?mode=all&code=SPA+13). Having holidayed across the Mediterranean and found a wide range of approaches and attitudes to nature and wildlife conservation I was sceptical, especially as we were booked into a “resort”. My doubts were utterly unfounded. The resort was small, thoughtfully constructed with respect for its surroundings and our hotel nestled against a rare and well-preserved sand-dune system flanked by scrub and coniferous pine forest. There was some disturbed ground around the resort where aniseed plants grew in abundance along with wild olive, blackberries and fig trees. Wherever I looked there were amazing insects: I was in my element! My first Menorcan giant has to be one of my all time favourite holiday insects: the carpenter bee (. Xylocopa sp.). These huge, black and metallic blue bees (Fig. 4) can be found all over the Mediterranean and are always great to watch as they visit flowers for nectar. Solitary bees, they nest in wood and are thought to have been imported into the UK where they have on occasion also nested and overwintered (see British Wildlife , August 2007). My second giant from Menorca is, unfortunately, “the one that got away”. I don’t have a picture or even a witness so can only report my sighting of an enormous gingery-yellow robberfly (possibly Laphria aurea or similar, according to my research) from the few moments I watched it sitting on a piece of wood before it flew off into the heat haze. This fabulous fly was at least 23mm long and looked even bigger because of the mass of vividly coloured hair on its legs and body. I returned to the same area each day for five days but never saw it again. The next Menorcan giant was a superb grasshopper. I glimpsed two adults on the wing flying across open ground and they looked like small birds, such was their wingspan. I managed to capture a couple of nymphs on camera which I suspect are of this giant grasshopper. I can only guess Volume 71 • December 201 2 237 Figure 8. Mantis religiosa, Portugal. at an identity: the nymphs (Fig. 5) were quite early instars but bear some resemblance to nymphs of the Egyptian locust (. Anacridium aegyptiuni). These are solitary locusts and don’t cause damage like the migratory locust swarms. Time for another giant beetle, this one from the sand-dunes near our hotel in Menorca. In the cooler mornings along the fringes of the sand-dunes I often saw many beetles that looked like big versions of the Cellar Beetle, Blaps mucronata, which I have seen on many occasions in the UK. One morning however I was excited to find a much larger black beetle (Fig. 6) foraging alongside these others. The elytra of this beetle had very deep striations and its front legs were powerful with a large spine on the end of the femur. Comments from other naturalists since then have suggested this is a Tenebrionid (like Blapd?). My final Menorcan giant is the beautifully coloured but rather ugly looking beetle that flew onto my shirt as I was walking through the pine forest near our hotel. A member of the Bupestridae (or Jewel) beetle family, Chalcophora mariana (Fig. 7) is a large (35mm long), heavy beetle with a metallic sheen which is orange on its underside. This species is found across Europe and is associated with dead pine wood but can sometimes 238 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society *0 damage fence posts and the like. My specimen was very obliging, posing for the camera then launching itself off into the woods again. The last of my giant insects for 2012 comes from Portugal where I was working at the start of October for a few days at the University of Evora, South of Lisbon. This has to be the most surprising observation as I somehow spotted it from the passenger seat in a car as I waited in a town car park! This beautiful insect was perched on some fragrant rosemary enjoying the autumnal sun, which took the temperature to about 26°C. It is a wonderful specimen of the European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa (Fig. 8), that even flashed its startle-eyes colouration at me (usually hidden on the folded hindwings). A fabulous insect that makes for a fitting climax to my summer of giant insects: it’s going to be a tough act to follow in 2013! References Sutton, P. (2008). The larger water beetles of the British Isles. London: AES. 78pp. Baldock, D. (2007). Wildlife reports: Bees, wasps and ants. British Wildlife 19(2): 132-133- Volume 71 • December 201 2 239 The Aldwych Vapourers by Martin Probert (1 40 71 ) 55 Higher Compton Road, Hartley, Plymouth PL3 5J A. There was an interesting article in AES Bulletin 504, pages 163-4, by Ronald Baxter in which he discusses his discovery of the pupae of the Vapourer Orgyia antiqua on the walls of Australia House in the Aldwych, London. Among other questions, he asks what the larvae do when they have hatched, and an answer to this will be found in a forthcoming article to be submitted for AES Bulletin 506. AES Bulletin 504 arrived here in Plymouth on the morning of Friday 16th November. At midday, as planned, I caught a train to Paddington followed by the Number 23 bus to the Mermaid Theatre. Now, fortuitously, the 23 passes along the Aldwych, so I alighted and, having asked directions of a porter who was standing outside BBC House, located Australia House. The building has rusticated stonework with many deep horizontal grooves where cocoons might be concealed. It was 5pm, dark, and quite difficult to see. A torch and binoculars would have helped. Nevertheless, in a tour of the building, and rewarding the effort, three rather sad and dusty-looking cocoons of O. antiqua were discovered. I might have spent my time in the capital looking at the Palace and Tower Bridge, but the walls of Australia House proved far more interesting. My thanks to Ronald Baxter and the AES Bulletin for contributing an interlude of entomology to my weekend. Reference Baxter, R. N. (2012) ‘How do species of Lepidoptera with apterous females colonise isolated trees?’. AES Bulletin 71:504 (Nov). M 240 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Letter from Spain — 17th in a series - British Immigrant Lepidoptera found in Andalucia. Part 1 - Introduction and the Butterflies by David Keen (33090 Calle Casto Bancalero 11, 41650 El Saucejo, Sevilla, Spain. The idea behind what, I hope, will be a series of articles came to me when I received a copy of the 3rd Edition of Bernard Skinner’s book about the Moths of the British Isles (Skinner, 2009). By chance I first opened the book at Plate 44 and there, staring me in the face, was an example of The Goldwing Moth, Synthymia fixa, a moth that I had found down here in Spain but had been unable to identify. A quick look at the descriptive pages within the book showed that a good proportion of British “immigrants” either originate from southern European countries or also appear down here as immigrants from elsewhere. I spoke to Bernard and asked if he thought that a discussion about such moths would be of interest, and he thought the idea was a good one. I have to admit that it has taken over two years to get from that stage to actually put “finger to keyboard”. At first I was going to review only the macro moths that appear in Bernard’s latest edition, but this initial concept has now expanded to include the butterflies in Jim Porter’s companion book about caterpillars (Porter, 1997) as this would seem to be a more logical approach. Thus, in this first part I will discuss the butterflies, but before that we need to clarify a few points. For those of you who do not know, I should begin by saying that I moved from England to Spain in December 2004 and have, since then, lived on the edge of this small village which is roughly half way between the cities of Malaga and Sevilla (Seville). El Saucejo is in the Province of Sevilla, in the foothills of the province’s Southern Sierra (mountains) and is surrounded by fields of olive trees with hills and the mountains beyond. There are millions of these trees, owned by innumerable individuals, and all the trees within a field are grown in straight lines. Some of these trees are more than a hundred years old, while some fields have been planted since we moved here. There are other fields in which crops such as wheat, sunflowers, broad beans and poppies are grown. Within the area of the fields there are various tracks - the main ones of which are tarmac surfaced - and some rough ground between the fields. Thus, depending on the season, it is possible to find wild flowers and thus insects, including butterflies and day-flying moths. However, some of the ground is very steep and rough and is thus very difficult and, in places, impossible to walk over. Volume 71 • December 2012 241 The Province of Sevilla forms part of the area of southern Spain known as Andalucia. It is generally very dry - we often have no rain for months - with over 320 sunny days each year. It is very warm in the summer months, and then it is unwise to venture into the countryside during the afternoon hours. I will now discuss the butterflies in the order in which they appear in Jim’s book, starting with the Pieridae. The first species in this family is the Pale Clouded Yellow, Colias hyale. As Jim says, this is an uncommon migrant species in the British Isles. However, it is likely that it is not found in Iberia, although as it is very difficult to separate this from the next species it is possible that it may occur. Manuel Diaz (Diaz, 1998) says that there are old records from the mountains in the eastern third of Andalucia but goes on to say that he has never found it there. Berger’s Clouded Yellow, C. alfacariensis, is a rarer immigrant into the British Isles but it is found in Spain (it gets its name from the Sierra de Alfacar mountains near Granada). Diaz says that it is well spread out in Andalucia, with small colonies in the mountains, but is absent from lower ground. Olivares et al (2011) writing 14 years later confirms that it is found throughout the Sierra Nevada, particularly in the north of that area, but is nowhere abundant. It flies in three generations during the year -- April/May, July/ August and September/October. I may have seen one on a steep hillside near here on 22 January 2005 but I could not get close enough to confirm the identification. Also, one sunny afternoon about three years ago, I may have seen another near a local main road - but again I could not get anywhere near it! Olivares says that the female lays her eggs on the leaves of various Horseshoe vetches, Hippocrepiss p., and also on Coronilla varia. The caterpillars have been found in every month of the year. The third member of the group is the Clouded Yellow, C. croceus, a well-known migrant species in Britain. This is a veiy common species throughout Andalucia, frequently found in large numbers. In the Sierra Nevada it is common up to 2000 m, and individuals can be found flying up to 3000 m. Although not very common, individuals of the female form helice do occur and Diaz also mentions another female form helicina. This has a yellow-orange ground colour and he goes on to say that there are other intermediate forms. I find the odd helice but have not come across other forms. Diaz says that this species flies in four generations from January/March, April/June, July/September and October/early December. Olivares says that in the Sierra Nevada it flies from February to October but my own records mirror those of Diaz - but it is far less common locally during the very warm months of July and August. The 242 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society food plants locally are given as species of Lotus, Trifolium, Medicago, and Cytisus among others, on which the caterpillars can found throughout the year. Both the Large and Small Whites, Pieris brassicae and P. rapae, have their populations increased by immigrants but I will not comment on these species other than to say that both are very common down here. Thus the next species to be reviewed is the Bath White, Pontia daplidice. Jim Porter correctly states that this is a very rare migrant species with very few recent records. Diaz says that there are three generations in Andalucia - February/April, May/June and August/October and that the species is abundant throughout the area. Olivares confirms the distribution and says it is found in the Sierra Nevada up to 2500 m; however, he refers to generally two generations between March and October. From my own local observations I would suggest that this is, after the Large and Small White, the commonest member of the family and flies in several generations from January and February each year to November in most years, and occasionally into December. Diaz refers to small specimens turning up and I can confirm that these appear here from time to time. As for the food plants, Diaz refers to members of the Syssimbrium and Reseda genera but Olivares also lists the genera Diplotaxis, Biscutella, Raphanus, Alyssum, Erysimun, Sinapis and Arabis. The caterpillars can be found from March to September. The next family to discuss is the Lycaenidae and the first species therein is the Long-tailed Blue, Lampides boeticus, which Jim describes as a rare migrant to the British Isles. Diaz says that it flies throughout Andalucia in the summer months and that examples can be found from the end of Spring. However, Olivares refers to various generations each year in the Sierra Nevada, with examples being found from February to November. Locally, the first specimens are seen in May or June but then fly through into November each year - I also have two records for December (2007 and 2009). Olivares gives the food plants as including Spartium junceum, Genista sp, Lupinus sp, Pisum sativum and Colutea hispanica. The caterpillar stage lasts from April to October. Anyone looking for this species down here should bear in mind that we have an outwardly similar species, Lang’s Short-tailed Blue, Leptodes pirithous, and that both species are frequently seen together. When at rest the Long-tailed Blue can be identified by the prominent white line on the underside of the hind wing, but otherwise it is not always easy to separate the two species. Now we come to the Short-tailed Blue, Everes argiades , which, as Jim Porter says, is a very scarce immigrant species. It is not found in Andalucia and thus is not mentioned by either Diaz or Olivares. It is, however, Volume 71 • December 2012 243 *0 present in the north of Spain in and around the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees. Another member of the family, the Mazarine Blue, Cyaniris semiargus, is now considered to be a rare immigrant species. Diaz says that there is only one colony in Andalucia which is in the mountains between Granada and Almeria (i.e. in the Sierra Nevada) where it flies at high altitude during the summer. Olivares says that the specimens found there are smaller than type and correspond to subspecies montana described by de Meyer-Dur from the Pyrenees in 1851. He confirms the location and says it flies from 1500 m to 2200 m, in one generation, in June and July. The caterpillars can be found from July to May - they hibernate during the cold winter months - on various plants of the genera Trifolium, Melilotus and Anthyllis. After the Lycaenidae, we come to the family Nymphalidae and the Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta. This is, of course, a regular visitor to the British Isles and is also found throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Diaz says it flies in three or four generations in April/May, July/ August and October/November with an overlap in the summer months and with a period of hibernation in cold winters. Olivares, however, says that it can be found as an adult throughout the years from basically two generations in April/June and July/September - again hibernating in cold winters. My own records confirm that I have seen it flying locally from January to December. However, I have to say that I rarely see more than a very few specimens in one day, and frequently I may not see any for months - as in 2010 when I only saw two specimens, one at the end of October and the other in early November. I put this down to the general lack of suitable flowers in the local countryside - in addition, I know of only a few nettles in this area. According to Olivares the caterpillars are found from March to July on Parietaria sp and Helichrysum stoechas and H. italicum. The Painted Lady, Cynthia cardui, is a frequent migrant to the British Isles. According to Diaz it is found throughout Andalucia, most commonly in the drier areas and less so in the high mountains. He says there are three generations, the first in March/April from hibernating pupae. The second in May/June is by far the most abundant, and the third appears in August/September. In Olivares, the generic name is given as Vanessa using the most recent taxonomic revisions. He says that it is common in the Sierra Nevada including at altitude and is found there from February to October. Locally this is much more common than the Red Admiral and I have found it, often in good numbers, from January to June and again from October to December. I have never found it in July, August or 244 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society M September which I guess is due to the dry, hot weather at this time of year when wild flowers, including thistles, can be very hard to find. Larvae, feeding on thistles etc can be found from February to October in the Sierra Nevada. The American Painted Lady, Cynthia virginiensis, is another very scarce immigrant. Jim refers to colonies in the Canary Islands and in Portugal. It appears not to have been recorded in the Sierra Nevada but Diaz refers to more or less permanent colonies along the south east coast of Andalucia (I assume he means in Almeria). He does not give any information about its flight period or food plants. I have not found it locally. After these species we come to the Large Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis polychloros, which Jim Porter says is in part reliant on immigrants to retain a presence in the British Isles. Diaz says that it lives in the interior of the Province of Sevilla towards the Sierra Norte (a range of mountains to the north of the province). There are other colonies on the border between the provinces of Cadiz and Malaga. Olivares says that there are colonies throughout the Iberian Peninsula and that it is found in most of the Sierra Nevada region, most commonly in the major river valleys. Diaz records the flight period as the summer months from May onwards. Olivares confirms that there is only one generation, which he says flies from May to July. However, he goes on to add that some individuals then hibernate and can occasionally be seen flying in the autumn, during the winter and in the following spring. Thus he concludes that adults can, given the right conditions, be seen in all twelve months of the year. My only local record for this butterfly is of an individual seen resting on bramble in the countryside on 24 May 2011. Olivares lists the same food plants as Jim Porter. Jim now deals with the Camberwell Beauty, Nymphalis antiopa, but this species does not appear to have been recorded from the south of Iberia so falls outside the scope of this article. Thus the next butterfly to discuss is the Queen of Spain Fritillary, Argynnis lathonia, which is another very rare migrant to the British Isles. Using the generic name Issoria, Diaz says that he once found a caterpillar in the gardens at Seville Airport! He goes on to say that this species is found in isolated colonies throughout Andalucia and that it flies in two generations, in April/May and June/July. Olivares uses the same generic name as Diaz and says that it can be found in many parts of Spain, including the Canary Islands. He goes on to say that, in the Sierra Nevada, there are two or three generations flying from March to October. It is found throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains but only in isolated Volume 71 • December 2012 245 16 groups. Interestingly, this species hibernates in all four stages - adults from the third generation and also as eggs, caterpillars and pupae! Thus, in theory at least, it is possible to find all four stages in every month of the year. Olivares gives the food plants as various species of Violet and Borrago and Rubus spp. The final immigrant species is a member of the Danaidae, the Monarch or Milkweed, Danaus plexippus, which Jim Porter says is a very rare migrant. Diaz confirms the existence of colonies in the Canary Islands and in some coastal areas of Andalucia. I gather that there was great excitement in July 1987 when specimens were seen flying over cotton fields near the main road in the village of Alcala del Rio, near Seville. This colony seems to be reinforced from time to time by individuals migrating from the coastal sites. Olivares mentions that it has never been recorded from the Sierra Nevada but adds that there is no reason why isolated specimens could not be seen, migrating from one of the colonies on the coasts of the provinces of Granada and Almeria. Although I have not seen this species in Spain I have given information on a colony in the Algarve, Portugal, including food plants - see “Letter from Spain - 15th in a series” - in a recent issue of the AES Bulletin. I hope that this article has been of interest, and I will now start work on the first part of the macro moths. Acknowledgements I would like to express my thanks to Bernard Skinner for his encouragement, for writing his Colour Identification Guide and, most of all, for his friendship which has extended to more than fifty years. Of course, without Jim Porter writing his Colour Guide to the Caterpillars , this particular article would not have been written. My sincere thanks to both of you. References Diaz, Manuel. 1998. Mariposas Diurnas y Nocturnas de Andalucia. Centro Andaluz Libro, S.A. Sevilla Olivares, J., Barea-Azcon, J.M., Perez-Lopez, F.J., Tinaut, A. y Henares, I. 2011. Las mariposas diurnas de Sierra Nevada. Consejeria de Medio Ambiente, Junta de Andalucia. Porter, Jim. 1997. The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles. Viking, Middlesex. Skinner, Bernard. 2009. Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles. Apollo Books, Stenstrup. M 246 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Browns can be beautiful by John Woolmer (2568) Fig Tree Cottage, Roecliffe Road, Cropston LE7 7HQ. Gillian Maxwell- West was a fearful snob. When she married Max West she insisted on a double-barrelled name on the somewhat specious grounds that West was so common that post, and grocery orders, would get misdirected. She had one daughter, Venetia, from a previous marriage. She was none too pleased when Venetia started dating Desmond Brown. Neither his profession, that of a professional entomologist, nor his surname appealed to her. The fact that he was a charming, well educated, young man mattered little. ‘If only’ she said to herself ‘he spelt Browne with an ‘e’, things might have been a bit better’. Venetia was not amused when her mother made these thoughts known to her. Venetia, although she didn’t like to admit it, shared some of her mother’s feelings. Desmond was amusing, romantic, generous and considerate but he wasn’t quite the Prince Charming that she had always dreamed of marrying. In two days time, they were going on a holiday to the Alps. There, amidst the excitement of rural camping, she was going to have to make up her mind. She decided that she needed a sign. She dreamt that she met three interesting Browns who all pleaded with her to accept Desmond. She couldn’t imagine meeting three interesting Browns on their short holiday and felt that Desmond was going to be unlucky. They crossed to the continent using the functional, but singularly unromantic Eurotunnel. They drove late into the night before stopping near Beaune. They had a good meal in the town and found a pleasantly old fashioned hotel for the night. The next day they went wine tasting at the little village of Aloxe-Corton where Desmond described the wine as cheaper than Nuit St Georges and just as good. They also bought some wine at the charming village of Fleurie. Soon afterwards, they stopped on a minor road for their Volume 71 • December 2012 247 first picnic. They were enjoying their pate and French bread when Desmond leapt up ‘Look!’ he cried out ‘A Woodland Brown! A very rare insect and one of the most distinguished members of the Brown family’. Seconds later, he was crawling towards the insect with camera aloft and triumphantly taking his first ever photograph of that particular insect. Venetia was rather impressed particularly after he showed her a close-up taken with his new digital camera. The Woodland Brown was a handsome insect. They didn’t linger long; Desmond wanted to reach a favourite spot on the edge of the Alps and that meant a long drive. In the end, they didn’t quite make it and spent the night at a hotel in St Andre les Alpes. Venetia was restless. She dreamt of a handsome loping Brown who was teasing her that he wasn’t good enough for her. She couldn’t understand why the word loping kept appearing in her thoughts. It was such a strange word that she got up in the middle of the night and wrote it in her diary. The next day, they arrived at the tiny hamlet of Allons. They drove across a very rustic bridge and set up their tent beside the bubbling stream called L’lvoire. It was an enchanting place. Wild lavender grew in profusion. Apollo butterflies flitted up and down a steep chalk faced hillside; they floated like miniature gliders displaying their prominent red circular spots like the markings on an aircraft wing. A Lesser Purple Emperor flitted past their tents and settled on some damp pebbles in the centre of the stream. They watched it unfurl its yellow proboscis and feed off the liquid on the pebbles. They walked up the little stream which was feeding into the main river. They observed a clump of lavender which was alive with butterflies. ‘Look’ said Desmond ‘Another fine Brown - the Arran Brown!’ ‘What a strange name’ said Venetia ‘I have a relative who lives on the Isle of Arran. My great grandmother came from the island - does this butterfly live there?’ The Arran Brown, Erebia ligea. ‘So it was claimed by an early nineteenth century entomologist. It is probably a case of fraud or mistaken identity - although one 248 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society specimen was caught by a schoolboy in 1969 on the western edge of Rannoch Moor in the highlands of Scotland. But it is rather beautiful don’t you think?’ Desmond noticed another Arran Brown feeding on some flowering mint which was growing on the edge of the stream. He took some pleasing shots. Venetia was impressed. She had to admit to having seen a second handsome Brown. Allons proved a delightful place. The place was very secluded; hardly anyone passed along the Forestry track which followed the course of the main stream. Butterflies were in profusion - many species of Grayling, various Blues and a glimpse of a Camberwell Beauty which leapt up from the path beneath their feet and was never seen again. Desmond was careful not to overload Venetia with long lists of names. They also kept a careful lookout for snakes especially when climbing the steep sedum- covered slopes. Desmond was excited by a small dark butterfly, which had the exotic name of the Duke of Burgundy. He told Venetia that it was very rare in England but had two generations in southern Europe. They found it flitting around the dead heads of cowslips looking for a suitable plant on which to lay its clutch of large yellow eggs. ‘Is this another handsome brown?’ asked Venetia hopefully. ‘No’ replied Desmond ‘The Duke comes from a very rare family - far superior to us mere Browns’ he added with a sardonic smile. After that, they walked in silence. Venetia was reflecting on a dream, or was it a nightmare, which she had experienced on both of the last two nights. The Woodland Brown and the Arran Brown had become people and were mocking her that she would never find a third handsome Brown. Now, it seemed to her, Desmond was getting in on the act. He knew about her mother’s views and was often teasing her about them. The next day, they left the seclusion of Allons and took a busy road over a high Alpine Pass. Desmond was disappointed that he couldn’t find The Arran Brown, Erebia ligea. Volume 71 • December 2012 249 ** the Small Apollo but they did find some stunning Blue Gentians flowering where the snow had melted. The Gentians shimmered like turquoise jewels while the sun’s light was reflected off the purest white snow. That night it was too cold to pitch their tent. They stayed in a hotel and, as before, Desmond insisted on separate bedrooms. All alone, and feeling somewhat rejected, Venetia had another nightmare. Two Browns were fighting for her hand - one was nicknamed ‘The Loping Ache’ and the other ‘Erotic Log’. She was very frightened. She sensed mocking laughter and wondered if it came from her mother. Eventually, she abandoned her room and sought refuge with Desmond. Reluctantly, she told him about her nightmare. He made things much worse by roaring with laughter. ‘You’ve been listening to me talking about their scientific names and you’ve jumbled them up. On the first day, we saw Lopinga achine, the Woodland Brown, that’s your Loping Ache and at Allons we saw Erebia ligea , the Arran Brown, which is your Erotic Log! You really are wound up by the Browns - you’d better have some TLC! Venetia didn’t like being laughed at and declined the TLC. She retired to her own room in a very bad mood. She had always hated being teased especially when it was indirectly connected with her mother’s prejudices. She scarcely slept and became more and more disorientated. The next day they were both very tense. Venetia was tired and angry; Desmond felt a little guilty at his rather dismissive response to her dreams. The next day they drove on minor roads above the little town of Gillestre. They walked in a heavy silence. Desmond quietly observed the butterflies. He photographed some Large Blues - a re-introduced rarity in England but really quite common in France. He admired the Purple- edged Copper and the dazzlingly bright Scarce Copper. He wondered how to break the silence. He knew that they had little to eat in their rucksacks as neither had volunteered to do any shopping. He wondered if this was what happened when marriages began to break down. They came to a meadow with a path running down one side which led over a small stream. The meadow was alive with a profusion of butterflies. Occasionally you stumble across such sanctuaries in unexpected corners of Europe. He did a systematic tour and counted nearly forty different species. He noticed that Venetia had retreated behind some rocks. Suddenly she let out a terrible screech. He rushed over. ‘Eve been bitten. 1 think it was a snake. I went to relieve myself.' Desmond examined her posterior. There were a couple of red marks and a sign of a small incision. They were a long way from their car. They made their way back to the road. Fortunately a car was approaching. Desmond flagged it down and explained in his halting French what had 250 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society happened. ‘Un Vipre a blesse le posterior du Madame’. As usually happens to the English abroad, the French couple who rescued them spoke much better English. Their rescuers were delightful. They drove them back to their car and then insisted on guiding them to the nearest hospital in Gillestre. Bernard, their rescuer, rushed into the hospital and explained the situation. He returned and explained that the hospital was used to dealing with snakebites. Venetia was examined. The doctor also spoke good English. He explained that the buttock was a good place on which to be bitten as there was plenty of flesh. Only some of the poison would have entered her bloodstream. He prescribed some anti-venom serum and a powerful cream which created a burning sensation. By then, Bernard had returned to the hospital and insisted that they spent the night with them in their log cabin above Gillestre. Desmond was very glad to accept. They spent a comfortable night in separate rooms. Bernard’s wife, Louise, produced an excellent meal. Thoughtfully, she provided a very soft cushion for Venetia to rest her wounded posterior. Bernard turned out to be a keen ornithologist. The next day, while Venetia rested, he took Desmond out to see the birds of prey. They watched a group of vultures queuing up to attack the carcase of a dead sheep. The vultures waited their turn while a pair of eagles had their fill. Bernard explained that there was a well-defined pecking order amongst the birds of prey. Meanwhile a red mist was descending over Venetia. Her bottom was burning and aching. The snake bite, or the treatment, seemed to have caused extensive bruising. Her head was throbbing and she hated taking antibiotics. Her hostess was organising some cooking and seemed distracted. Venetia left the chalet and walked out into some open ground which fell away into a small copse. She found a solitary rock and sat down somewhat gingerly and surveyed the view. She was angry. She hated being teased by Desmond. She blamed him, and his stupid butterflies, for her misadventure. If he hadn’t been so busy photographing Coppers and Blues she wouldn’t have squatted over the viper. If she hadn’t been so sulkily angry, she would have taken more trouble and looked around more carefully. She realised that she was being irrational and stupid but was helpless in the face of her angry wounded feelings. She realised that she had a choice. Either she chucked this romance, and aged nearly thirty she knew that this would be taking a risk, or she settled for two brown signs rather than the three which she had hoped for. Volume 71 • December 2012 251 Just then her eye was caught by a small brown butterfly which was sunning itself on a nearby blade of dry grass. Was she deceiving herself or was there a glint of purple on its forewings? She got down on her knees and approached it cautiously, crawling on her tummy, as Desmond had taught her. She took out her camera and carefully directed the lens. It focussed automatically and then shot. She fired again and ended up taking about ten pictures. She retreated to the rock and surveyed the results. The photos, as recorded by the wonders of digital photography, were rather good. The little brown butterfly was flushing a beautiful purple across the base of its outstretched wings. She decided to walk through the copse. She found a track down to the wood which led to a gate. She climbed the gate and found herself surrounded by a profusion of bramble and privet blossom. There were butterflies everywhere. She thought that she would enjoy taking Desmond to this miniature Garden of Eden. After a while, her backside started to throb and, reluctantly, she turned back. Feeling somewhat different, she returned to the chalet. She made her way to Desmond’s room and sought out his butterfly book. Eventually, she tracked down her butterfly. She found it somewhat confusingly amongst the Blues. It was a Brown Argus (. Aricia agestis). 252 Bulletin of the Amateur Entomologists' Society Soon afterwards, Desmond and Bernard returned exhausted, exhilarated and hungry. Louise obliged with a noble French meal. Afterwards, their hosts lit a fire and then, rather tactfully, retired to bed. The excellent bottle of wine which had accompanied supper was left conspicuously by the fire. Venetia went to fetch her camera, ‘Look what I saw! Isn’t he beautiful? But...’ and she paused speaking slowly ‘...I don’t think he counts as a member of the Brown family.’ ‘No! He doesn’t’ said Desmond decisively. ‘His purple sheen is magnificent; I’ve never seen that before. I hope we can see him tomorrow.’ However I think you could call him an honorary Brown. After all his name is the Brown Argus; perhaps we could call him Browne with an ‘e\ Venetia roared with laughter. She told him about her need of a sign of three Browns. ‘Do you think two with an honorary one is good enough?’ ‘That’s entirely up to you’ he replied ‘But changing tack slightly how would you like to become a Brown - Mrs Desmond Brown to be precise?’ She smiled. ‘I’ll think about it. I will give you an answer very soon’. She gave him a mischievous smile and retreated to her bedroom. If Desmond was a praying man, he would have prayed. As it was he lay awake with hopeful anticipation of a favourable response. The next day was pouring with rain. They drove down to Gillestre and sat, somewhat miserably, under the awning of a cafe. Desmond went to explore an alley of shops. He came back somewhat triumphant. ‘Look what I’ve found! A shop full of postcards with butterfly photographs including this one of your friend Lopinga - the Arran Brown! Venetia smiled grabbed the card and penned a quick line to her mother. Desmond waited, wondering what the urgency was. Laughing, she tossed the card to Desmond. ‘Here’s the answer to your proposal!’ He read the card and smiled Dear Mother, we’re having a lovely time. Look at this beautiful butterfly. We call it the Arran Brown. Isn’t he handsome? Didn’t your grandmother come from the Isle of Arran? I’ve just agreed to become Mrs Desmond Brown. More details when we get home. Lots of love from your darling daughter and future son-in-law. . Four days later, Venetia’s mother read, and then re-read, her daughter’s postcard with ever increasing horror ‘Oh my God’ she muttered ‘I suppose that I will have to get used to the possible arrival of a grandson who will undoubtably be called Arran.’ SAVE on Key Resources in Entomology from Wiley-Blackwell Quote AES 12 when ordering online at www.wiley.com to *»0% receive your discount* Off Royal Entomological Society Book of British Insects Peter C. Barnard ISBN: 978-1-4443-3256-8 1 Hardcover 1 400 pages | Oct 201 1 RRP: £39.35 / €51 .90 / $90.95 Special offer 25% discount on this title - in association with the RES: £29.96/€38.92/$7496 Also available as an eBook Handbook of Agricultural Entomology Helmut F. van Emden ISBN: 978-0-470-6591 3-7 1 Hardcover 1 328 pages | February 2013 Special offer price: £60.00/08 32/$1 03.96 Also available as an eBook > | H.F. VAN EMDEN HANDBOOK OF AGRICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY r. o 9 w~.b \imw-BLACxmu. © S Visit www.wiley.com/go/entomology for more information and to browse our collection of books WILEY i "Unfortunately, the discount does not apply to eBooks. Please visit www.wiley.com for jjuotayc New books by Sonia Copeland Bloom Sammy the Slug was feeling acutely miserable about being a slug. With his slimy coat and appetite for petunia plants, he suspected he was the least popular of all the small animals in the Hornby family’s garden. Then kind- hearted Woody, the woodlouse, offered to be his friend and find a way to cheer him up. Discovering that Hugo Hornby was putting on a Slug ‘n’ Snail race, he persuaded Sammy to take part. Sammy’s willingness to help himself led to his life changing in the most spectacular way. 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Telephone 01277 224610 E-mail: aespublications@btconnect.com or visit the AES online shope: http://shop.amentsoc.org Members’ price £3.50 post free (Non-members’ price £5.50) Dipterists Handbook (Second Edition) edited by Peter Chandler (with contributions by 42 other authors) This Handbook provides a work of reference for everyone interested in the study of flies, both beginners and experienced dipterists. As in the first edition great emphasis has been placed on the habitats and biological associations of flies. Among the authors are specialists in each field of study so it has again been possible to bring together a summary of the latest knowledge of all aspects of the biology of Diptera at the species level. There are additional subjects not covered in the first edition including Forensic entomology and an explanation of the classification of Diptera and a bibliography of key works for the identification of both adults and larvae. 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Exhibition Report 21 7 Weir, J.C. An unusual note concerning Rhyssa peruasoria Hym., Ichneumonidae 222 Steele, T. An abundance of Jersey Tiger, Euplagia quadripunctaria (Lep.: Arctiidae) in 2012 224 Probert, M. Can caterpillars count? - the Grey Dagger, Acronicta psi (Lep.: Noctuidae).... 225 Newnham, T. A week on the Isle of Arran 228 Betts, C. My summer of giants! 231 Probert, M. The Aldwych Vapourers :... 239 Keen, D. Letter from Spain - 1 7th in a series - British Immigrant Lepidoptera found in Andalucia. Part 1 - Introduction and the Butterflies 240 Woolmer, J. Browns can be beautiful 246 © 2012. The Amateur Entomologists1 Society. (Registered Charity No. 267430) All rights reserved. Printed by Cravitz Printing Co. Ltd., 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA.