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Butterfly and Moth Report 2016
Surrey & SW London Branch
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 2
Contents
Introduction Page 3
Weather in 2016 Page 4
South East Regional Action Plan Page 6
Butterfly Report Page 9
Moth Report Page 18
Garden Moth Scheme Page 21
2016 Notable Moth Records Page 22
Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey Page 30
Transect Report Page 31
Oaken Wood Reserve Page 34
Glossary
Occupancy: a statistical measure of the distribution of a species, using the probability of detecting the species within any given monad (1km square) for the vice-county. Records from all sources are used in the calculations.
Abundance: a statistical measure that enables the population size to be compared year by year. UKBMS Transect data from the vice-county are used in the calculations, where a site has been monitored for at least four years.
Total number of butterflies: the number of individual butterflies recorded, from all sources.
Total number of records: the number of records received, each of which may be of one butterfly or many.
This report is dedicated to Stephen Jeffcoate, who sadly passed away on 31 March 2017. Stephen was Chairman of the Branch from 1995 to 1997 and National Chairman from 1999 to 2003. He co-authored the Millennium Atlas of Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, the most widely referenced butterfly book. He will be remembered as an expert on the Wood White, and with his wife Gail was instrumental in setting up the management of the Oaken Wood Reserve to benefit this butterfly, which remains under threat in Surrey today.
A full tribute appears on the Branch website.
Stephen Jeffcoate
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 3
Butterflies and moths are important parts of the ecosystem. They are sensitive to change and their fortunes help us to assess the health of our environment. Two-thirds of our Lepidoptera species are in decline and urgent action is necessary if we are to turn this around.
Information about the distribution, abundance and flight periods of species - and how these are changing - is of vital importance. It helps us to understand where priorities need to be set, and it shows whether conservation work has been successful.
With this increased knowledge, Butterfly Conservation has been able to update the South East Regional Action Plan, which you can read more about in this report.
A large number of people put in an enormous amount of effort to record butterflies and moths during 2016.
Those involved in practical habitat management - whether with BC working parties (e.g. at Oaken Wood), or through our partners in nature conservation (e.g. National Trust, Surrey Wildlife Trust, London Wildlife Trust) – have played an equally vital role.
We thank them all: without them this report would simply not be possible.
Highlights from the data collected are summarised in this report.
The weather in 2016 was not kind to butterflies and moths. The mild winter, late spring and very wet June will all have had impacts. These effects will have been in addition to continued habitat degradation, loss of green spaces, and impacts from pesticide
use, including neonicotinoids.
Our top priority butterflies - Wood White, Grayling, Silver-studded Blue and Adonis Blue - all showed continuing declines.
Many of our widespread species also showed declines, but there was a bit of good news. The Essex Skipper is now found throughout most of the vice-county and the Marbled White had the best year for number of records so far. Egg surveys for the Brown Hairstreak are showing that this butterfly is more widely spread than previously thought.
The moth records in the report are drawn from moth trapping events and sessions in the field and in gardens because the county records data are not available this early in the year. There are some interesting and noteworthy sightings among these.
We are sending a copy of this year’s report to all members so that they can see how Lepidoptera are faring in our area. To offset costs, we encourage recipients to make a donation to Butterfly Conservation, with Gift Aid if possible. A donation of £5 could unlock £50 via the Match Pot Appeal. To donate online, please use the dedicated “Match Pot” link at the bottom of the right-hand sidebar on www.butterfly-conservation.org/surrey.
This report is also available on the Branch website. We will decide whether to send a hard copy next year based on a review of donations and feedback we receive.
If you have any views, please send them to [email protected], or to me at 70 Vassall Road, London SW9 6HY.
Introduction Simon Saville, Branch Chairman
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 4
The diagrams opposite show the weather data at Heathrow Airport as provided by the Met Office. Heathrow Airport data is used because the data is readily available from the Met Office website, and it is the closest weather station to Surrey.
The plots show for each month:
• Mean daily maximum temperature
• Mean daily minimum temperature
• Total rainfall (rain)
• Total sunshine duration (sun)
The average figures for each month (solid lines) are calculated for the years 1981 to 2010, which is a standard used by the Met Office. The values for 2016 are shown as dashed lines.
November and December 2015 were exceptionally warm, with both maximum and minimum temperatures several degrees above normal. The mild weather continued into January and February. It was only in March and April that temperatures dropped below the long-term average.
June was very wet with little sunshine. The weather returned to normal in July, but with little rain for the rest of the season.
While temperatures were above normal in September, there was less sunshine.
The very mild winter will have had a negative impact on butterflies and moths. Larvae will have been more susceptible to fungal infections, especially with the damper weather in January. Adults hibernating are likely to be more active during the warmer phase, and hence using up their body reserves.
Lepidoptera in diapause need a trigger to know when to come out of diapause, which is usually temperature related. If the winters are too mild this can result in the diapause being broken at the wrong time. This can result in eggs hatching too early or too late.
The cold April resulted in a late spring, with the flight period not starting until May.
The wet June had two impacts. The lack of sunshine and the rain meant that butterflies could not fly. And the rain along with warm weather meant that plants grew more quickly, so by the end of the season the sward was 50% taller than normal. This had a negative impact on those species that rely on an early successional habitat.
Weather in 2016 Harry E. Clarke
Grayling (male) White-letter Hairstreak on elm
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 5
Maximum and minimum temperature data
Rainfall and sunshine data
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 6
The South East Regional Action Plan 2016-2025 is now being delivered across the region, from the south coast to the top of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and from the New Forest to the tip of Kent. Surrey is at the heart of the region and will be crucial to the delivery of species’ conservation at a landscape scale.
Four butterflies have been identified as being Highest Priority for conservation action in VC17 based on data from the Butterflies for the New Millennium database, 1994 to 2013.
• Wood White – distribution down 28% in the region
• Grayling – stable regionally but declining in Surrey
• Silver-studded Blue – mixed fortunes across the South East
• Adonis Blue – distribution down 8% in Surrey but up 55% elsewhere
Eleven Surrey moth species have been identified as being Highest priority:
• Drab Looper
• Straw Belle
• Shoulder-striped Clover
• Heart Moth
• Silvery Arches
• Common Fan-foot
• Surrey Midget Moth Phyllonorycter scabiosella
• Agonopterix capreolella
• Depressaria olerella
• Betony Case-bearer Coleophora wockeella
• White-spotted Sable Anania funebris
These are the highest priority species. Many other butterflies and moths are also identified as requiring action.
For example, the Small Blue is a
butterfly in need of help and we are launching the Surrey Small Blue Stepping Stones Project to help create new areas for this butterfly.
Other priority butterflies for VC17 are: Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Silver-spotted Skipper, Dark Green Fritillary, White Admiral, White-letter Hairstreak and Chalk Hill Blue.
We have begun to share our priorities and actions with conservation partners, land managers, local authorities and others.
Targeted and detailed information has been shared with Surrey Wildlife Trust (for North Downs sites and Barossa near Camberley), National Trust (Box Hill), Forestry Commission, and sites within the London Boroughs, e.g. Barnes Common, and Elmbridge.
In addition, we have shared butterfly and moth priorities with 12 Surrey Parishes along the North Downs. Abinger Parish and West Horsley have responded by contributing funding to our Surrey Small Blue Project.
In all, over the last 12 months we have produced over 30 Action Plan summaries for different areas of Surrey and South West London.
This unprecedented coverage is generating interest, enthusiasm and action that is complementing the work the Branch is already doing.
Next Steps
If you have a particular species that you would like to champion, the Branch and the Regional Action Plan can support your efforts. It doesn’t have to be one of the top priority species.
Get in contact with me or the Branch
Regional Action Plan (RAP) Steve Wheatley, Senior Regional Officer
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 7
and we’ll come up with an action plan, whether it is getting down and dirty with practical work, carrying out searches or surveys, or working with others to deliver conservation together.
Actions for Priority Butterflies
Adonis Blue
Maintain and improve grassland and Horseshoe Vetch, with a short sward Mar/Apr and Sept/Oct, with no grazing May to August.
Brown Hairstreak
Improve quality of field margins and existing stands of Blackthorn, encouraging strong growth; provide shelter from prevailing winds (e.g. scalloping); remove shading.
Chalk Hill Blue
Maintain, enhance and extend grassland and Horseshoe Vetch. Use winter grazing to enhance the sward. Encourage the spread of vetch by seeding into the turf in areas away from developing scrub.
Grayling
Maintain and improve a mosaic habitat containing heathers, fine-leaved grasses and patches of bare ground.
Purple Emperor
Retain and increase numbers of sallows of a varied age mix within woodlands, with crown in full or partial shade.
Silver-spotted Skipper
Maintain and improve a sparse short sward containing Sheep’s Fescue, with flowers nearby and small patches of bare ground.
Silver-studded Blue
Create a mosaic of Bell Heather age-classes, ideally containing Cross-
leaved Heath, managed on a long rotation by cutting/scraping.
Dingy and Grizzled Skippers
Maintain, enhance and extend a sparse sward containing long stems of Common Bird's-foot-trefoil and/or Horseshoe Vetch (for Dingy Skipper) and/or a high density of Agrimony, Creeping Cinquefoil and Wild Strawberry (for Grizzled Skipper) in a varied height sward, with patches of bare ground and abundant nectar plants such as Bugle. Ensure grazing is not too heavy.
Small Blue
Encourage and maintain large expanses of Kidney Vetch. Seed into a sparse sward, or into scrapes. Protect at least some areas from rabbits and cattle grazing.
White Admiral
Maintain and improve woodlands supporting spindly, trailing growths of honeysuckle in dappled shade, with nearby sources of flowers (e.g. brambles). Ensure honeysuckle is not lost during management work to widen rides, create scallops etc.
White-letter Hairstreak
Encourage flowering, suckering regrowth elm trees; and coppice a proportion of these elm trees every year, on a 10-year cycle.
Plant disease-resistant elms in sunny sheltered spots but do not coppice them.
Wood White
Maintain and improve abundance of larval food plants (Meadow Vetchling, Bitter Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Common and Greater Bird’s-foot-trefoil) in a sunny and sheltered habitat, by cutting part on a rotational basis.
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 8
The Branch area covers vice-county 17, the borders of Surrey as they were in 1852 when the vice-counties were introduced for biological recording.
See map above. Broadly, VC17 comprises the county of Surrey plus:
• Inner London boroughs of Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark;
• Outer London Boroughs of Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Croydon; and
• The area around Gatwick Airport.
Spelthorne District (north of the Thames) is in the county of Surrey, but is outside VC17.
Area covered by this Report: vice-county 17
Map showing the priority landscape areas in vice-county 17 – the Surrey Heaths, the chalk of the North Downs and the clay of the West Weald
Adonis Blue (male), one of our highest
priorities for conservation
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 9
Recent research has shown that warm winters have a negative impact on butterflies. Possible explanations include the increased prevalence of fungal infections and not getting the proper triggers (e.g. frosts) to break them out of diapause and hibernation at the right time. Analysis of the records show a mixed response for butterflies in VC17 in 2016.
RAP priority butterflies are highlighted in red, with double asterisk** for the highest priority butterflies.
Papilionidae – The swallowtails
Continental Swallowtail was seen on 10 June and 29 August. These were possible migrants from the continent.
Tiger Swallowtail was photographed on 22 July. As a North American species, it was most likely a release.
Hesperiidae – The skippers
Dingy Skipper was on the wing between 20 April and 1 July with a possible second brood on 19 July. The peak flight period was on 20 May a few days later than the trend.
It was the best year for records for the species. While the 20-year occupancy
trend is stable, distribution has not returned to the highs of the 1980s.
Grizzled Skipper was flying between 19 April and 21 June, with peak on 18 May, a few days later than normal.
The distribution of the Grizzled Skipper continues to decline, despite the increase in records in 2016, and the abundance trend continues its worryingly negative trend.
Silver-spotted Skipper recorded between 17 July and 3 September, with peak flight period 12 August as normal. Abundance was down in 2016, with the 10-year trend stable. A very surprising record was received from Boldermere (Ockham), 6.7km from the nearest colony, showing how far they can fly to find new habitats, although unsuccessfully in this instance. The distribution remains confined mainly to the scarp slope of the North Downs between Guildford and Reigate.
Small Skipper from 28 May to 23 August, with peak flight on 17 July, about 4 days later than the trend. The Small Skipper overwinters as a larva which was less affected by the late spring than the Essex Skipper, which
Butterfly Report Harry E. Clarke, County Butterfly Recorder
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 10
overwinters as an ovum. Interestingly the Small Skipper shows similar abundance and occupancy trends to the Essex Skipper.
Essex Skipper from 17 June to 24 August, with the peak flight period on 23 July, nine days later than the trend. The greatest number of records were received in 2016. It is a difficult species to monitor on transects, and hence it is hard to analyse abundance trends.
However, since the 1990s the distribution has recovered from the declines and it is now found throughout most of the vice-county.
Large Skipper was flying between 17 May and 8 September, with peak flight two days later than normal on 12 July. The 20- and 30-year occupancy trend
remains negative, whilst the 10-year trend continues positively.
There is a similar picture for the abundance trend.
Pieridae – The whites and yellows
Wood White** first brood 12 May to 6 June with peak flight 28 May, about six days later than the trend. Second brood 19 July to 12 August, with peak about 4 August, also about six days later than the trend.
Occupancy continues its negative trend, and despite searches in 2016, some colonies have been lost. This is our most threatened butterfly in Surrey.
The transect at Oaken Wood shows the continued alarming decline in abundance since 2010 (see graph).
Total numbers recorded in Surrey are now a third of what they were back in 2004, despite a similar number of records. The main Wood White colonies in the Chiddingfold complex are now outside of the Oaken Wood reserve. Hopefully the habitat management carried out at Oaken Wood over the 2016/17 winter will help to reverse the decline in abundance, although it will take a few more years and a lot more work parties to allow numbers to fully recover to their 2004
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 11
level. It is also hoped that the cutting of the rides by the Forestry Commission in the rest of the Chiddingfold forest will help.
Orange-tip was on the wing between 26 March and 11 June, with what seemed like a second brood flying 6 July to 21 July.
Despite some early sightings, the peak flight period was delayed by the cool April, to 12 May, nearly two weeks later than the trend. There seems to be a steady long-term decline in the abundance and distribution of the butterfly, most noticeable in the Weald.
Large White from 12 April to 5 October, with the peak of first brood flight around 23 May and the second brood peak on 4 August as normal. Abundance and occupancy trends remain stable.
Small White from 17 March to 28 October, with the peak flight of first brood on 28 May a few days later than the trend, and 5 August for the second brood as normal. Abundance and occupancy trends remain stable, although abundance was down in 2016.
Green-veined White was recorded between 2 April and 5 October, with
peak flights being 21 May for the first brood and 3 August for the second, unaffected by seasonal weather. Distribution and abundance trends are fairly stable.
Clouded Yellow was seen in large numbers (159 records) in 2016, just above the 2013 peak (155 records), compared with only 22 records in 2015. There was a small first brood between 5-8 May, while most were seen in the second (and possible third) brood between 3 July to 4 October.
Brimstone were seen on the wing between 9 February and 14 December. However, the main spring flight period was delayed due to the cold April, and numbers recorded were down compared to the last two years. Over a 10-year period, the Brimstone continues its upwards trend.
Nymphalidae – The browns, fritillaries and aristocrats
Monarch was seen on 24 June. As a North American species, and well outside the main autumn migration to Mexico, this is most likely a release.
Speckled Wood from 25 March to 28 October with overlapping broods. The peak flight period for first brood was 28 May (about a week late); 15 August for the second brood (also a week late); and 25 September for the third brood (a couple of days earlier than the trend).
Abundance was slightly up in 2016, although the 10- and 30-year trends remain negative. The occupancy trend is still slightly negative.
Small Heath was flying between 4 May and 3 October with overlapping broods. Peak flight for the first brood was on 6 June (a few days earlier than the trend), and 15 August for the second
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 12
brood (also a few days early). While abundance was slightly down in 2016 despite more records, the 20-year trend remains stable.
Ringlet was on the wing between 10 June and 30 August, with peak flight 14 July, about five days later than the trend. While abundance was slightly down in 2016, the 10- and 20-year trend continues positively.
The occupancy trend continues to be positive, with the Ringlet now found in most of the vice-county, although the south-east of the county remains under-recorded.
Meadow Brown records from 4 May (confirmed) to 17 October, with peak flight on 25 July. Distribution is stable. Although abundance was down for 2016, the trends remain stable.
Gatekeeper was flying between 24 May and 18 September, with peak flight on 31 July, about 4 days later than the trend. A common butterfly found throughout the vice-county, although fewer records in 2016 compared with the peak in 2015.
Marbled White records from 10 June to 11 September, with peak flight 4 days later than the trend on 10 July. Abundance trends continue to be positive, especially in the last 10 years.
This is also reflected in the occupancy trends: see graph showing the distribution increasing threefold over the last 30 years. The best year for number of records by far.
Grayling** was seen between 9 July and 12 September, with peak flight period on 12 August, as normal.
While the distribution is stable, the abundance trend continued its worrying 10-year decline. More research is required to understand the reasons.
Dark Green Fritillary was on the wing between 18 June and 24 August, with peak flight on 14 July, a few days later than the average. Sightings were down in 2016 compared with the previous few years, although the longer-term abundance trends remain positive.
A new colony was found west of Guildford on private property.
Silver-washed Fritillary had a long flight period from 27 June to 28 September but with peak delayed by 12 days to 1 August.
The distribution continues its upwards trend, which is also reflected in the abundance trend.
White Admiral was flying between 26 June and 15 August, with peak flight 17
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 13
July about 10 days later than the trend. There were fewer records in 2016 compared with the last three years. Abundance seems stable, but there are insufficient records to draw conclusions other than from the last nine years. Occupancy remains stable.
Purple Emperor was flying between 4 July and 12 August, with peak flight 18 July nearly a week later than normal.
Distribution remains stable, but with only a few people recording the butterfly it is difficult to understand the true distribution. It is probably far more widespread than the few well-known hot spots.
Red Admiral, which is only a recent resident, was again the first butterfly to be recorded in 2016, with records from 10 January to 29 December. Peak flight periods were on 8 May (later than mid-April) for the hibernators; 10 June (five days earlier than normal) and 3 August (as normal) for the summer brood.
Abundance was up in 2016, although the abundance and occupancy trends remain stable.
Painted Lady was recorded between 4 May and 2 November from three generations. Only 325 records
compared with 540 in 2015, and well down from the 1,418 records in 2009.
Peacock was recorded in every month, with records from 15 January to 29 December, with peak flight for the hibernators on 30 April, a few days later than normal, and 6 August, about five days later than the trend for the summer brood.
Abundance and distribution trends remain stable. However, the number of records was significantly down compared with the previous three years.
Small Tortoiseshell was recorded from 11 January to 28 September, with peak flight of the hibernators delayed by the cold spring until 25 April (12 days later than the trend); 12 July for the first brood (six days late); and 3 September as normal for the second brood.
It is difficult to determine the abundance of this butterfly from transect records, but the 10-year trend continues to reverse the declines of the last 30 years. These trends are also supported by occupancy data.
Comma was recorded between 4 February and 24 November. The peak July brood at 24 July was about 8 days later than the long-term trend, while the peak flight of the second brood, 8 September, was four days later than the trend. Although the long-term abundance trend remains positive, the 10-year trend is negative.
Glanville Fritillary unauthorised releases at Hutchinson’s Bank continued in 2016, and were seen on the wing between 12 May to 24 June. It has been agreed with London Wildlife Trust - who manage the site - that no further releases will be made.
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 14
Lycaenidae – The coppers, hairstreaks and blues
Small Copper with overlapping broods between 5 May and 3 November. The first brood with peak 24 May (as normal); the second brood with peak 27 August (two weeks later than normal); third brood with peak 4 October (a few days later than the trend). While abundance was slightly better than 2015, the 10- and 30-year trends remain negative. What is of more concern is the decline in distribution, as reflected in the 20- and 30-year occupancy trends.
Brown Hairstreak adults were seen between 31 July and 10 October. Egg surveys were started in the 2015/16 winter, and continued in the 2016/17 winter. This has greatly improved our understanding of the distribution, which is far more widespread than thought. Wherever there is suitable Blackthorn that is not too isolated, then eggs are being found, even if in extremely low numbers. Surrey holds the largest population of this butterfly in the south-east, it being virtually absent in Kent and Middlesex.
Some Blackthorn was found in flower at the start of the 2016 year instead of normally at the start of spring.
Purple Hairstreak was recorded from 25 June to 1 September, with peak numbers 1 August, about 11 days later than normal. Distribution seems to be stable from the limited records available.
Green Hairstreak was recorded between 20 April and 24 June with peak flight on 20 May as normal. There were significantly more records this year. The distribution and abundance trends remain stable.
White-letter Hairstreak from 24 June to 15 August, with peak numbers 12 July about five days later than the trend. As a canopy butterfly, it is not possible to monitor its abundance, but a total of 165 were recorded this year compared with 44 in 2015, probably as a result of increased recorder effort. However, the 20- and 30-year occupancy trends remain negative.
Small Blue with overlapping broods from 9 May to 15 August. The first brood had peak flight about 9 June (as normal) whilst the second brood peak was about a week earlier than the trend on 29 July. Hopefully the Small Blue project which is due to start in 2017 will help reverse the 30-year occupancy trend decline. 2016 was the best year for the Small Blue for many years, continuing the positive 10- and 20-year abundance trends. However, the 30-year abundance trend remains negative.
Holly Blue first brood was flying between 3 April and 12 June with peak flight not until 19 May nearly three weeks later than the trend. The second brood was flying between 15 June and 30 September, with peak flight on 5 August, about a week later than normal. Whilst less than half the records of 2015, the 10-year abundance trend continues positive.
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 15
Silver-studded Blue** was recorded from 6 June to 16 August with worn and freshly emerged adults seen flying together in mid-July. Peak flight period was 6 July about 10 days later than the trend. Surrey heathlands are the key sites for this butterfly within the south-east. Hence it is of concern that the 20- and 30-year occupancy trend is negative, although the 10-year trend appears to be stable.
The MoD sites are the most important for this butterfly, but more needs to be done on other sites to improve things. Inappropriate habitat management is probably the reason for the worrying abundance declines (see graph).
Very detailed mapping of adults on a large number of sites has helped give a better understanding of their habitat requirements.
A new colony was discovered at a site nearly 3km south-east from the nearest colony at Witley Common, demonstrating the colonisation capabilities of the butterfly and contradicting the sedentary nature as documented in most books.
Brown Argus was on the wing between 12 May and 30 September, with the peak of the first brood as normal on 2 June, and the second
brood later than average on 22 August. Abundance was similar to 2015, although the 10- and 20-year trends continue downwards.
Common Blue records were down in 2016 compared with the previous two years, while the long-term abundance and occupancy trends remain stable. There were two overlapping broods between 5 May and 10 October, with peak flights of the two broods on 1 June and 13 August as expected.
Adonis Blue** spring brood was flying 12 May to 30 June with peak flight on 30 May little changed from the long-term average. However, the taller sward height - especially during 2016 - has resulted in a longer development time for larvae, resulting in a later summer brood, 16 August to 23
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 16
September with peak flight period on 29 August. Worryingly the 10- and 20-year abundance trends continue downwards.
Chalk Hill Blue were seen from 8 July to 21 September, with peak flight period of 6 August as normal.
Although numbers were down in 2016, the long-term abundance trend was still upwards, in contrast to the Adonis Blue.
Survey Records Monads Recorders
Big Butterfly Count 5,431 607 699
Brown Hairstreak transect 2 2 1
Butterflies for the New Millennium 5,531 460 54
Croydon Birders 201 16 11
Garden Butterfly Survey 2,284 70 74
iRecord App 146 37 20
iRecord Butterfly App 2,156 418 130
iRecord general data 1,885 312 96
iRecord Multi-site 61 18 4
Living Record 4 2 1
London Butterfly Survey 203 59 4
Migrant Watch – Painted Lady 37 31 29
UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 32,761 171 116
Wider Countryside Butterfly Scheme 456 33 27
TOTALS (unique) 51,158 1,205 1,089
Acknowledgments
We received more records during 2016 than ever before. This butterfly report would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of all those who recorded their sightings and sent them into one of the recording schemes. Our thanks to them all.
Verified records were received from the following schemes. Note that some monads and recorders have records in more than one scheme - the totals given are for the unique numbers in each case.
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 17
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Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 18
Surrey is a very good county for moths, probably the best in Britain for a landlocked county, with 540 larger moth species recorded in the Wildlife Trust Atlas series (1997, ref 1). The Atlas for smaller moths, published in 2012, notes that over 1,130 species have been recorded, out of a national total of some 1,600 (2).
This distinction between larger and smaller moths (“micromoths”) is along taxonomic lines, in that no family (e.g. Noctuidae, Pyralidae) has both groups - though the largest pyrales are much bigger than the smallest noctuids.
With so many species, moth recording allows trends in biodiversity to be picked up easily. Thus, in the space of my 15 years recording in Surrey, Orange Footman has gone from a scarce moth that required fieldwork on the chalk to a regular in my garden trap in Chobham, on one of the most acidic substrates in Britain. Kent Black Arches are now often seen on moth trapping field trips throughout Surrey.
Other moths have declined seriously. The Garden Tiger, with its “woolly
bear” caterpillar, could be found almost everywhere, even in cities where there were a few gardens, but now it is difficult to find away from the coast, while the V-moth has suffered the greatest decline of all (3). Sadly, there have been extinctions in Surrey such as the Feathered Ear, Wood Tiger and Bordered Gothic. Others are hanging on, or are so elusive (e.g. the Orange Upperwing) because they are already extinct here.
Knowing the detailed requirements of Britain’s butterflies is achievable. However, with so many species, this is not feasible for most moths. The focus for conservation of individual species is on top Biodiversity Action Plan species. Here, well-planned ecology research has revealed the requirements for some of our scarcest moths: Heart Moth, Straw Belle and Coleophora wockeella.
We have a national responsibility for these three and their loss in Surrey would make the first two highly endangered in Britain and the third extinct (C. wockeella is restricted to a single site). These species are individually monitored. For most scarce
Moth Report Paul Wheeler, Branch Moth Officer
A large micromoth - the Boxworm Moth, and the smallest “larger moth” - the Marsh
Oblique-barred (inset). Images approx. 75% life size on A5 print.
One of our most endangered larger moths,
the Straw Belle
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 19
species, good management of important sites has to suffice.
Recording is key to monitoring success of habitat management and trends in the fortunes of moths. The 525 species recorded on Pewley Down (often over 200 in a night), from over 2,700 records, is an example of the sheer volume of the data that can be obtained. My garden records totalled 1,656 in 2016.
With so much data, we are not able to produce a report based on last year’s verified records early in the year.
Therefore, the moths listed in this report are based on records that have been generated by the Surrey Moth Group (butterfly-conservation.org/surreymoths), mostly on moth trapping events and sessions in the field, but
also in gardens.
These are from ca. 12,000 records, which will be less than 20% of the total number of moth records for 2016. They have not been verified by the County Moth Recorder (Graham Collins), but efforts have been made to confirm identification, including genitalia determination for the “difficult” species.
Provisional priority moth records for Surrey, 2016
These are shown in the table.
Here “priority” is used to mean: new for VC17; Nationally Scarce; RDB (Red Data Book) species; plus Surrey Notables.
For micros, this means: <10 tetrads (2km x 2km grid squares) of the 517 in VC17. For larger moths, it needs to be more records as many micromoths are relatively under-recorded. Therefore, any moth with records listed in full in the 1997 Atlas (1) (usually <20 tetrads), is included. Some moths that are new to Surrey, or were Notable with <5 tetrad records, are now super-abundant. Two such species’ abundance in London are exemplified in records in the table.
It is very likely that records from the SW London area of the VC17 are
The Heart Moth, also endangered
Dentated Pug, an extremely local moth,
recorded in two Surrey locations in 2016
Balsam Carpet. A candidate for best site in
GB discovered on our moth events.
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 20
under-represented in this provisional list.
Some records have not yet been verified because voucher specimens need to be dissected.
Examples of the excellent records for 2015 that were revealed by this rigorous approach are Cydia cosmophorana, Gypsonoma oppressana and Oegoconia novimundi, all of which were recorded in a Sheerwater garden. These had 1, 11
and no records respectively in the 2012 Atlas (2).
Migrants seen most years are not included in the table: these include Vestal, Humming-bird Hawk-moth and Dark Sword Grass.
The sheer numbers of Diamond-back Moths (maxima for my Chobham garden 370; Clandon Wood Natural Burial Site 500 ± 100) was remarkable, and made the national news.
References
1. Collins G.A. (1997). Larger Moths of Surrey. Surrey Wildlife Trust Atlas series.
2. Palmer R.M., Porter J. & Collins G.A. (2012). Smaller Moths of Surrey. Surrey Wildlife Trust Atlas series.
3. Fox, R., Parsons, M.S., Chapman, J.W., Woiwod, I.P., Warren, M.S. & Brooks, D.R. (2013) The State of Britain’s Larger Moths 2013. Butterfly Conservation and Rothamsted Research.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Surrey Moth Group members for allowing use of their records and images in this report: Dick Alder, Martin Angel, Robert Arnfield, Anthony Beasley, Colin Hart, A.V. Kingston, Phil Osso.
Thanks to landowners, rangers and volunteers for allowing access and events on sites: Alison Boyce and Guildford Borough Council countryside team, Isobel Chamberlain, Sarah Clift, Stewart Cocker and Epsom and Ewell countryside team, Daniel Creech, Gemma Grant, Diane Gurney, Mark Hargreaves, Fiona Hayes, Gareth Hurd and Clandon Wood Natural Burial Site, Andrea Neal, The Pewley Down volunteers, Gemma Grant, and The Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Plesiomorpha flaviceps. Being checked if new to
Britain.
Cydia interscindana. Very few records in Britain, all recent.
Alder Kitten. Good appearance in 2016,
very localised in Surrey.
Pro
vis
ion
al p
rio
rity
mo
th r
eco
rds f
or
Su
rre
y,
20
16
BF
* N
am
e
Lo
ca
tio
n
Date
s
Co
un
t C
om
me
nts
S
tatu
s
20
Ecto
ede
mia
de
cen
tella
P
ew
ley D
ow
n;
Sh
ee
rwa
ter
23
/8
2,
1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
36
a
Ecto
ede
mia
he
ring
ella
C
ho
bh
am
- C
astle
Gro
ve
2
1/1
2
>1
00
Min
es in
Holm
Oa
k
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
17
3
Fe
sto
on
Ap
od
a lim
aco
des
Bro
okw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry;
Norb
ury
Pa
rk
6/6
, 3
/7
6
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
31
4
Le
uco
spila
pte
ryx
om
issella
P
rie
st
Hill
, E
we
ll 1
0/1
1
1
Min
e in
Art
em
isia
o
pe
ned
to
re
ve
al silk
a
nd
fra
ss
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
31
6a
Ph
yllo
no
rycte
r p
asto
rella
W
andsw
ort
h -
Wand
le s
pit
28
/9
~1
5
Min
es in
Will
ow
, a
dults
em
erg
ed
28
, 30
/9
New
to
Su
rre
y s
ince
2
01
2 A
tlas -
rece
nt G
B
co
lon
ist
37
4
Ye
llow
-le
gg
ed
Cle
arw
ing
S
yn
an
the
do
n v
esp
ifo
rmis
B
oo
kha
m C
om
mo
ns
23
/7
1
Ad
ults t
o p
he
rom
on
e
lure
N
atio
nally
Sca
rce B
37
8
Ora
ng
e-t
aile
d C
lea
rwin
g
S.
an
dre
na
efo
rmis
B
rockh
am
Qua
rry
20
/7
1
Ad
ult to
phe
rom
on
e
lure
N
atio
nally
Sca
rce B
37
9
Red
-be
lte
d C
lea
rwin
g
S.
myo
pa
efo
rmis
P
utn
ey
21
/6
1
Alig
hte
d o
n
lep
ido
pte
rist!
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
38
0
Red
-tip
pe
d C
lea
rwin
g
S.
form
icae
form
is
Cho
bh
am
Com
mo
n;
Bo
okh
am
C
om
mon
s
20
, 2
3/7
1
, 2
Ad
ults t
o p
he
rom
on
e
lure
N
atio
nally
Sca
rce B
38
8
Pro
ch
ore
utis m
ylle
ran
a
Cho
bh
am
Com
mon
20
/7
1
Nett
ed
by d
ay
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
40
9b
Cyp
ress T
ip M
oth
A
rgyre
sth
ia c
up
ressella
S
he
erw
ate
r 4
/6
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(2
) -
loca
l
45
6
Yp
so
lop
ha
ho
rrid
ella
P
ew
ley D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
55
2
Cole
oph
ora
la
ssella
B
roo
kw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
6/5
, 2
5/8
6
, 1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
55
6
Cole
oph
ora
tro
ch
ilella
P
rie
st
Hill
, E
we
ll 2
3/7
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
61
6
Ela
chis
ta b
ed
elle
lla
Pe
wle
y D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht, 2
nd
mo
de
rn c
ou
nty
reco
rd
(sin
ce
19
67
)
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
, th
ou
gh
t e
xtin
ct in
Su
rre
y
62
9
Ela
chis
ta u
ton
ella
H
ed
ge
co
urt
La
ke
2
4/8
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
64
2a
Me
tala
mp
ra ita
lica
Fa
rnh
am
; N
ew
Ha
w;
Sh
ee
rwa
ter;
Pu
tne
y;
Cho
bh
am
Com
mon
Fis
h P
oo
l a
nd
vill
ag
e
20
/7 -
1
7/8
1
2
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(2
) -
mig
ran
t co
lon
ist
67
1
Dep
ressa
ria
ultim
ella
C
hilw
ort
h G
un
po
wd
er
Mill
s
8/5
3
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(2
) -
loca
l
70
5
Ag
on
opte
rix u
mb
ella
na
Fre
nsh
am
; C
hilw
ort
h
Gu
np
ow
de
r M
ills
8/4
, 8
/5
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(2
) -
loca
l
71
5
Ag
on
opte
rix c
ap
reo
lella
P
ew
ley D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
RD
B1
72
7
Me
tzn
eri
a n
eu
rop
tere
lla
Pe
wle
y D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
RD
B2
73
2
Eu
lam
pro
tes u
nic
olo
rella
B
roo
kw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
6/6
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
76
7
Carp
ato
lech
ia d
eco
rella
C
ho
bh
am
Com
mon
Fis
h P
oo
l 2
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
80
9
Holly
ho
ck S
ee
d M
oth
P
exic
op
ia m
alv
ella
C
ho
bh
am
vill
ag
e;
Ne
w H
aw
2
5/6
-
16
/7
4
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
86
1
Aco
mp
sia
sch
mid
tie
llus
Pe
wle
y D
ow
n
23
/8
2
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
87
3a
Bla
sto
basis
vitta
ta
Pu
tne
y;
Hed
ge
co
urt
La
ke
17
, 2
4/8
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Not
in 2
01
2 a
tla
s (
2)
95
0
Ae
the
s f
rancill
ana
Pri
est
Hill
, E
we
ll 2
3/7
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(2
) -
loca
l
95
2
Com
mo
ph
ila a
en
ea
na
Hu
tch
inson
's B
an
k
22
/5
1
Fly
ing
by d
ay
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
11
25
An
cylis
uncu
lan
a
Pe
wle
y D
ow
n;
Cho
bh
am
vill
ag
e
23
, 2
4/8
1
, 1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
11
88
Pe
loch
rista
ca
ecim
acula
na
Norb
ury
Pa
rk
3/7
5
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce A
12
09
Pse
udo
coccyx t
urio
nella
B
roo
kw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
6/5
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
12
36
a
Pa
mm
en
e h
err
ich
ian
a
Cla
nd
on
Wood
NB
S
4/6
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce A
12
68
Cyd
ia c
onife
ran
a
Cho
bh
am
Com
mon
; B
roo
kw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
6/6
1
, 1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
-
Cyd
ia in
ters
cin
da
na
P
utn
ey
24
/9
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Ne
w t
o S
urr
ey s
ince
2
01
2 A
tlas (
2),
p
resum
ed a
dve
ntive
12
71
Pa
mm
en
e g
alli
ca
na
Pe
wle
y D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
12
99
Cra
mb
us h
am
ella
C
ho
bh
am
Com
mon
; B
roo
kw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
2,
16
/8
1,
3
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
13
23
Pe
dia
sia
con
tam
inella
C
ho
bh
am
Com
mon
; P
ew
ley
Dow
n
2-2
3/8
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
13
28
Sch
oen
obiu
s g
iga
nte
lla
Mo
lese
y -
fo
rme
r L
am
be
th &
C
he
lse
a R
ese
rvo
ir s
ite
3
0/6
1
A
du
lt m
ale
to
lig
ht
New
to
Su
rre
y s
ince
2
01
2 A
tlas (
2)
14
03
a
Dup
on
ch
elia
fo
vea
lis
Sh
ee
rwa
ter
?
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(2
) -
ad
ve
ntive
14
08
Pa
lpita
vitre
alis
N
ew
Ha
w
7/1
0
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(2
) -
imm
igra
nt
14
09
a
Bo
x M
oth
Cyd
alim
a p
ers
pecta
lis
New
Ha
w;
Cho
bh
am
vill
age
; F
arn
ham
; S
he
erw
ate
r 1
7/7
-
26
/9
14
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Was S
urr
ey N
ota
ble
(2
) -
ad
ve
ntive
, sp
rea
din
g
14
09
a
Bo
x M
oth
C.
pe
rsp
ecta
lis
Pu
tne
y -
one
reco
rde
r 3
0/6
-
15
/10
39
8
Ad
ults
Now
ab
un
da
nt in
SW
L
on
don
14
41
On
co
ce
ra s
em
iru
bella
P
rie
st
Hill
, E
we
ll; P
ew
ley
Dow
n
23
/7,
23
/8
5,
1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
14
49
Ele
gia
sim
ilella
H
ort
on
Co
un
try P
ark
; C
ho
bh
am
vill
ag
e;
Sh
ee
rwa
ter
5-2
0/7
4
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
14
61
Assa
ra t
ere
bre
lla
Cho
bh
am
vill
ag
e a
nd
C
om
mon
Fis
h P
oo
l 2
/8
1,
1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce A
14
78
b
Vitu
la b
ivie
lla
Cho
bh
am
Com
mon
Fis
h P
oo
l 2
/8
2
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce A
14
86
Ap
om
ye
lois
bis
tria
tella
C
ho
bh
am
vill
ag
e
2/8
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
16
76
Th
e M
och
a
Cyclo
ph
ora
ann
ula
ria
P
ew
ley D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
17
21
Ba
lsam
Ca
rpe
t
Xa
nth
orh
oe
bir
ivia
ta
Chilw
ort
h G
un
po
wd
er
Mill
s
11
/4,
5/5
, 8
/7
4,
3,
9
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
un
com
mo
n
17
35
Rud
dy C
arp
et
C
ata
rho
e r
ubid
ata
N
orb
ury
Pa
rk
3/7
2
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
17
39
Wood
Ca
rpe
t
Ep
irrh
oe
riv
ata
Norb
ury
Pa
rk
3/7
8
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
17
51
Devo
n C
arp
et
L
am
pro
pte
ryx o
treg
iata
H
ed
ge
co
urt
La
ke
1
6/8
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Not
in 1
99
7 a
tla
s (
1)
17
71
a
Cyp
ress C
arp
et
T
he
ra c
up
ressa
ta
Fa
rnh
am
; C
ho
bh
am
vill
ag
e;
New
Ha
w;
Sh
ee
rwa
ter
15
/5
-15
/11
25
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Rece
nt colo
nis
t, n
ot in
1
99
7 a
tlas (
1)
17
93
Clo
ake
d C
arp
et
E
up
hyia
bia
ng
ula
ta
Cho
bh
am
vill
ag
e;
Sab
le W
ood
(S.
Fa
rnha
m)
7,
9/7
1
, 1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
18
41
Ya
rro
w P
ug
Eu
pithe
cia
mill
efo
liata
P
rie
st
Hill
(E
we
ll)
23
/7
2,
1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
or
du
ske
d
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
18
55
Cyp
ress P
ug
E.
ph
eon
ice
ata
N
ew
Ha
w;
Cho
bh
am
vill
age
; S
he
erw
ate
r 2
9/7
-
4/1
0
22
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Was S
urr
ey N
ota
ble
(1
) -
un
com
mo
n
18
61
Bilb
err
y P
ug
Pa
sip
hila
deb
ilia
ta
Sa
ble
Woo
d (
S.
Fa
rnh
am
) 7
/7
5
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
18
63
Den
tate
d P
ug
An
tico
llix s
pa
rsa
ta
Bro
okw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
6/5
, 2
5/8
1
, 1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce A
18
63
Den
tate
d P
ug
A.
sp
ars
ata
Hed
ge
co
urt
La
ke
2
4/8
8
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce A
18
90
Sh
arp
-ang
led
Pe
acock
Ma
ca
ria
alte
rna
rta
Bro
okw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry;
Cho
bh
am
Com
mon
and
vill
ag
e
6/6
-
17
/8
4
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
19
01
Little
Th
orn
Cep
ph
is a
dven
aria
Sa
ble
Woo
d (
S.
Fa
rnh
am
);
Pe
asla
ke
29
/5,
6/6
1
, 2
Dis
turb
ed
by d
ay
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
19
05
Hors
e C
hestn
ut
P
achycne
mia
h
ipp
ocasta
na
ria
Sa
ble
Woo
d (
S.
Fa
rnh
am
);
Els
tea
d;
Cho
bh
am
Com
mo
n
an
d v
illa
ge
7/7
- 2
/8
8
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
- P
lesio
mo
rph
a f
lavic
eps
Pu
tne
y
31
/7
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
New
to
Su
rre
y s
ince
2
01
2 A
tlas (
2),
p
resum
ed a
dve
ntive
19
12
Au
gu
st T
ho
rn
En
no
mo
s q
ue
rcin
ari
a
New
Ha
w
17
/7
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
19
14
Dusky T
ho
rn
E.
fusca
nta
ria
Th
rou
gh
ou
t S
urr
ey;
tota
l fr
om
6
loca
tio
ns
29
/7 -
2
4/9
4
6
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
BA
P4
- w
as g
rea
test
de
clin
e (
3)
19
40
Sa
tin
Bea
uty
Deile
pte
nia
rib
ea
ta
Norb
ury
Pa
rk
3/7
7
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Was S
urr
ey N
ota
ble
(1
)
19
43
Gre
at
Oa
k B
ea
uty
Hyp
om
ecis
ro
bo
raria
Sa
ble
Woo
d (
S.
Fa
rnh
am
) 2
9/5
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
19
96
Ald
er
Kitte
n
Fu
rcula
bic
uspis
S
na
kesfie
ld, O
ckha
m;
Cla
nd
on
Wood
Na
tura
l B
uri
al
Site
, C
hilw
ort
h G
un
po
wd
er
Mill
s
8/5
- 4
/6
3
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Was S
urr
ey N
ota
ble
(1
)
20
22
Oa
k P
roce
ssio
na
ry
Th
au
me
top
oe
a
pro
cessio
ne
a
Pu
tne
y;
Sh
ee
rwa
ter
7-1
1/8
6
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Rece
nt colo
nis
t, n
ot in
1
99
7 a
tlas (
1)
20
34
Gyp
sy M
oth
Lym
an
tria
dis
pa
r P
utn
ey
2,
10
/8
2
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Rece
nt colo
nis
t, n
ot in
1
99
7 a
tlas (
1)
20
39
Red
-ne
cked
Fo
otm
an
Ato
lmis
ru
brico
llis
Bro
okw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
6/6
3
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
20
43
Ora
ng
e F
oo
tma
n
Eile
ma
so
rorc
ula
T
hro
ug
ho
ut S
urr
ey;
tota
l fr
om
9
loca
tio
ns
8/5
- 4
/7
10
7
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Was S
urr
ey N
ota
ble
(1
) -
local, in
cre
asin
g
20
45
Hoa
ry F
oo
tma
n
Eile
ma
ca
nio
la
Warr
en
Fa
rm, G
uild
ford
; P
rie
st
Hill
, E
we
ll; C
ho
bh
am
vill
ag
e
9/7
- 5
/8
16
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
, n
ot
in 1
99
7 a
tlas (
1)
20
67
Je
rse
y T
ige
r
Eu
pla
gia
qu
ad
rip
un
cta
ria
Pe
wle
y D
ow
n -
sa
me
adu
lt
vis
ite
d t
hre
e t
rap
s
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht.
Fre
qu
en
tly r
eco
rded
in
S
W L
on
do
n
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
, ra
pid
sp
rea
d in
Lo
nd
on
. F
irst
reco
rd a
t P
ew
ley.
20
68
Sca
rlet
Tig
er
C
alli
mo
rph
a d
om
inu
la
Cho
bh
am
vill
ag
e
12
, 1
6/7
2
F
lyin
g b
y d
ay
Lo
cal, n
ot
in 1
99
7 a
tlas
(1)
20
76
Ke
nt
Bla
ck A
rche
s
Me
ga
no
la a
lbu
la
Norb
ury
Pa
rk;
Priest
Hill
, E
we
ll 3
, 2
3/7
2
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
, in
cre
asin
g
20
76
Ke
nt
Bla
ck A
rche
s
M.
alb
ula
C
om
pto
n;
Els
tea
d
9-1
8/7
4
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
20
85
Arc
he
r's D
art
Ag
rotis v
estig
ialis
P
ew
ley D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
21
35
Hea
th R
ustic
Xe
stia
aga
thin
a
Cho
bh
am
vill
ag
e
6/9
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
21
65
Sm
all
Ra
nun
culu
s
Heca
tera
dysod
ea
New
Ha
w;
als
o,
larv
ae
on
P
utn
ey H
ea
th (
15
/9)
24
/7
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht; a
lso
la
rva
e
Pro
v.
RD
B,
Su
rre
y
sta
tus e
xtin
ct in
19
97
atlas (
1)
21
91
Dou
ble
Lin
e
Myth
imn
a t
urc
a
Pu
tne
y
8/7
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
21
94
White
-po
int
M
. a
lbip
un
cta
T
hro
ug
ho
ut S
urr
ey;
tota
l fr
om
5
loca
tio
ns
27
/6 -
2
3/8
8
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Mig
ran
t, r
ecen
t co
lon
ist
22
04
Ob
scu
re W
ain
sco
t
Le
uca
nia
obso
leta
Cla
nd
on
Wood
NB
S;
Mo
lese
y
L&
C
4,
30
/6
2,
3
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
22
23
To
ad
fla
x B
roca
de
Calo
pha
sia
lun
ula
N
ew
Ha
w
18
/5
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
RD
B,
Su
rre
y s
tatu
s
va
gra
nt
in 1
99
7 a
tlas (
1)
22
60
Dott
ed
Che
stn
ut
C
on
istr
a r
ubig
ine
a
Chilw
ort
h G
un
po
wd
er
Mill
s;
New
Ha
w;
Els
tea
d; S
ab
le
Wood
(S
. F
arn
ha
m)
3/4
- 6
/5
7
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
22
92
Tre
e-l
iche
n B
ea
uty
Cry
ph
ia a
lga
e
Pri
est
Hill
Ew
ell;
Cho
bha
m
Com
mon
Fis
h P
oo
l; N
ew
Ha
w
21
/7 -
2
3/8
9
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Rece
nt colo
nis
t, n
ot in
1
99
7 a
tlas (
1)
22
92
Tre
e-l
iche
n B
ea
uty
C.
alg
ae
Pu
tne
y -
one
reco
rde
r 1
9/7
-
19
/8
69
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
No
w a
bu
nd
an
t in
SW
L
on
don
23
73
Webb
's W
ain
sco
t
Glo
bia
sp
arg
anii
Hed
ge
co
urt
La
ke
; N
ew
Ha
w
24
, 2
6/8
2
A
du
lts t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
23
75
La
rge
Wain
sco
t
Rhiz
ed
ra lu
tosa
New
Ha
w
28
/10
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
)
23
85
Sm
all
Mo
ttle
d W
illo
w
Sp
od
opte
ra e
xig
ua
Pe
wle
y D
ow
n
23
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Mig
ran
t, b
ut se
en h
ere
in
2
01
5, to
o
23
94
An
om
alo
us
Stilb
ia a
no
ma
la
Bro
okw
oo
d C
em
ete
ry
25
/8
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
24
12
Silv
er
Ho
ok
Delto
te u
ncu
la
Els
tea
d
16
/7
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
) -
loca
l
24
36
Dew
ick's
Plu
sia
Ma
cd
un
no
ugh
ia c
onfu
sa
P
utn
ey
7/8
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht, f
irst
for
site
Mig
ran
t, r
ecen
t co
lon
ist
24
39
Go
ld S
po
t
Plu
sia
festu
ca
e
Sto
ke
Me
ad
ow
s;
Cho
bh
am
vill
ag
e
1,
2/9
1
, 1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Su
rre
y N
ota
ble
(1
)
24
49
Dark
Sp
ecta
cle
Ab
rosto
la t
rip
lasia
C
ho
bh
am
vill
ag
e
2/8
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Was S
urr
ey N
ota
ble
(1
)
24
75
Waved
Bla
ck
Pa
rasco
tia
fulig
ina
ria
Fa
rnh
am
; C
ho
bh
am
vill
ag
e;
New
Ha
w
20
/7 -
6
/8
8
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
24
80
Bu
tto
ned
Sn
ou
t
Hyp
en
a r
ostr
alis
S
he
erw
ate
r ?
1
A
du
lt to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
24
85
Ma
rsh
Obliq
ue
-ba
rre
d
Hyp
en
od
es h
um
ida
lis
Pri
est
Hill
, E
we
ll; B
rookw
oo
d
Cem
ete
ry;
Cho
bh
am
vill
age
23
/7,
25
, 2
7/8
1
, 1
, 1
Ad
ults t
o lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
24
93
Dott
ed
Fa
n-f
oo
t
Ma
cro
ch
ilo c
rib
rum
alis
H
ort
on
Co
un
try P
ark
5
/7
1
Ad
ult to
lig
ht
Natio
nally
Sca
rce B
. E
xtin
ct
in 1
99
7 S
urr
ey
atlas (
1)
No
te:
* B
F =
Bra
dle
y a
nd F
letc
he
r nu
mb
er,
fro
m "
A R
eco
rde
r's L
og
Bo
ok o
r La
bel L
ist
of
Bri
tish B
utt
erf
lies a
nd
Mo
ths"
by B
radle
y,
J.D
. a
nd
F
letc
he
r, D
.S.
(197
9)
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 21
This is a national scheme that involves people recording the moths they trap once a week from March to November.
The data gathered give a UK-wide picture of how moth populations are varying over time.
Regular newsletters are produced showing an analysis of results across the UK and including articles on moths of general interest. See the website at www.gardenmoths.org.uk.
The scheme started running nationally in 2007 and currently involves over 350 recorders across the UK. Our tally in Surrey for 2016 was only six recorders.
We have five joiners for 2017 but would like more, particularly in the areas south of Guildford and in the London area to improve our coverage.
If you are a regular moth recorder please consider joining the scheme. It will probably not involve significant extra work, but the data collected will be very valuable.
If you are new to moth recording we would encourage you to join, as the
species chosen are easy to identify with the aid of the numerous guides now available.
If you are interested in participating, please contact the regional coordinator via the Branch website.
The number of species recorded has grown during the lifetime of the scheme. Over the past two years, a total of 294 moth species has been recorded in VC17, including 53 common micromoths.
Of the total, 234 are recorded nationally, with the remainder being regional specialities that are seen only in the south east.
Compared with 2015, all the established Surrey recorders saw a drop in total numbers, an average of 30% (range from 24% to 32%).
This excludes the huge numbers of Diamond-back Moths - over 1,000 specimens recorded across four traps on single nights during the week beginning 3 June.
The total number of species recorded has also declined overall, an average of 10% down across the same recorders.
It is difficult to draw detailed conclusions due to the small number of recorders, but species consistently bucking the trend included Angle Shades and Treble Lines, increasing counts fivefold and threefold on average.
Garden Moth Scheme Janet Cheney, Regional Coordinator
GMS recorders in VC17
GMS recorders in 2016
New GMS recorders for 2017
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 30
The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) was established in 2009 to improve data on the population status of butterflies across the countryside as a whole.
This is important given that most site-based monitoring is biased towards good quality semi-natural habitat relatively rich in butterflies.
This wider countryside monitoring is organised in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
In 2016 in Surrey BC volunteers monitored 23 randomly-assigned WCBS squares, and BTO volunteers monitored 10 squares (see map below).
Monitoring involves walking a transect once in July and August, and optionally in May and June, thus requiring significantly less effort than the 26 weeks for a UKBMS Transect.
A new online service has just been launched for those who want to know which butterfly species have been spotted in the past in their area. It is called Butterflies Near Me. This makes use of the Butterflies for the New Millennium data.
Link - http://butrfli.es/seennearme.
Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey Harry E. Clarke
Small Tortoiseshell - widespread in Surrey
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 31
Records were returned from 94 transects in VC17 in 2016, walked by some 140 people. This is an increase from 82 in 2015 and 59 in 2014.
Even with the additional routes, the number of butterflies recorded on transects (101,679) is still below the number for 2015, which reflects what a poor season 2016 was.
Transect walking is dependent upon the availability of walkers, and many routes are walked by a local person who undertakes to “do their patch”. This is very welcome but does not necessarily provide the ideal transect coverage. More strategic goals have to be set and, in framing a recording strategy, other priorities have to be taken into account, for example:
• It is important to achieve a good geographical spread across VC17, especially on our three most important habitats for butterflies: the chalk of the North Downs, the Surrey Heaths, and the clay of the West Weald. It is also important not to forget South West London.
• It is important to monitor key areas for nature conservation, e.g. National Nature Reserves (NNR), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which tend to be butterfly hotspots. Transects work best in areas of high butterfly interest due to the level of commitment involved and the need to maintain the motivation of walkers.
• The value of an individual transect rises over a period of years as more data accrues on butterfly numbers at the site. For this reason, it is usually
better to prioritise lapsed routes with long data runs over the creation of new transects. In practice, this is sometimes not possible if the design of the initial route was flawed or its course was never properly recorded.
This year, the Regional Action Plan (RAP) has become our primary strategic guide, as it sets out the species that are a priority for conservation (see RAP section, p6).
These species need to be monitored with a sufficient number of transects to give a meaningful measure of abundance.
There is a need to increase the routes walked around the West Weald for the Wood White, and on heathland for the Silver-studded Blue and Grayling.
Some species are not amenable to transect walking methodology such as the Purple Emperor and the White-letter Hairstreak. The Brown Hairstreak is best monitored via egg counts.
Only around half of our transect walkers come from the Branch.
Transect Report Bill Downey, Transect Coordinator
Brown Hairstreak egg on Blackthorn
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 32
Many walkers are volunteers with the land management organisations such as the National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts, the City of London Commons or Borough Councils. These are people who are used to working on nature reserves and they are an invaluable source of walkers, particularly on these types of sites. “Friends of” groups are likewise an invaluable resource.
There is constant flux in our group of walkers and so there is a need for a yearly programme of training in butterfly identification and transect walking methodology.
The map shows all the existing transects as at the end of the 2016 season. In all,17 new or reinstated routes have been walked in 2016:
Surrey Wildlife Trust
• Colekitchen
• Blindley Heath
• Inholms Clay Pit
• Spynes Mere
• Water Colours / The Moors
National Trust
• Hackhurst Down
• Leith Hill Place
RSPB
• RSPB Farnham Heath
Guildford Borough Council / Brookwood Cemetery
• Dawney’s Hill Common and Brookwood Cemetery
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
• Chipstead Downs and Fames Rough
London Borough of Croydon
• Selsdon Wood (with NT)
• Featherbed Lane Golf Course
Guildford Borough Council
• The Mount, Guildford
• Merrow Downs
Epsom & Ewell Borough Council
• Horton Country Park North
• Nonsuch Park
London Borough of Richmond
• Barnes Common
So, in 2016 there was progress towards our goals:
• Monitoring on the chalk around Guildford has increased significantly (The Mount, Merrow Downs, Colekitchen and Hackhurst) and all the important chalk sites in the area now have transects. This will be important for the upcoming Small Blue Stepping Stones Project. Two of these routes are reinstatements: Colekitchen and Hackhurst Down.
• Chipstead Downs and Fames Rough is an important site that was on the target list and so it is pleasing that a transect has been established here.
• There are three more routes in London: Barnes Common, Selsdon Wood and Featherbed Lane Golf Course. There is the possibility of a future BC project in London and so more London sites are targetted.
• There are two new routes on heathland sites (Dawney’s Hill Common and RSPB Farnham Heath). Both sites have Silver-studded Blue and Grayling, and the Dawney’s Hill route extends into Brookwood Cemetery which is the only location north of the chalk for the Grizzled Skipper.
• There are three more sites in the Weald, which is under-recorded by transects: Blindley Heath, Inholms
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 33
Clay Pit and Leith Hill Place. The route at Leith Hill Place in fact spans the Greensand and the Weald Clay. It is also a step towards working more closely with the National Trust.
• Nonsuch Park is a site that was on the target list and complements the existing transect at Warren Farm. It benefits from having a strong “Friends” group.
• Horton Country Park North is a second transect at this important site in Epsom and Ewell, whose Countryside Team are great supporters of butterfly monitoring.
• Two walkers from the Haslemere Natural History Society have been recruited for the Oaken Wood transect.
On the minus side, four transects were not walked in 2016: Ashtead Common
B, Frensham Little Pond and two routes at RHS Wisley.
Data from one other transect was only entered after the New Year deadline.
New routes are being planned for 2017 including those below as priorities:
In London
• Beddington Farmlands, Nunhead Cemetery, Dulwich Park
On chalk grassland
• Headley Warren, Mickleham Gallops, Reigate Hill, Oxted Downs
On the Surrey Heaths
• Hankley Common, Elstead and Ockley Commons, Puttenham Common
On the Weald
• Sidney Wood, Holman’s Grove and Stroud Wood, Newdigate Brickworks
The 94 transects walked in 2016
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 34
Oaken Wood is the only Butterfly Conservation Reserve in VC17.
The reserve is managed under licence from the Forestry Commission, who own the land.
This means that while Butterfly Conservation manage the reserve, they must comply with the conditions as set out in the licence. Jayne Chapman of BC Head Office is Reserves Officer for Oaken Wood.
Oaken Wood is an important site for a number of Lepidoptera and plants, the key butterflies and moths being:
• Leptidea sinapis – Wood White
• Coleophora wockeella – Betony Case-bearer
• Coleophora calycotomella
• Anania funebris – White-spotted Sable moth
The Betony Case-bearer is extremely rare and only found at Oaken Wood. An article about the moth appeared in the Autumn 2016 issue of Butterfly.
The licence for Oaken Wood was renewed in 2015 by John Davis (Head of Reserves), after a gap of a couple of years. Consequently, no management had been undertaken at the reserve for three years (picture opposite).
The licence extended the area under management to two compartments.
In winter 2015/16, contractors were employed to remove Sallows along the track, and to open up the ride leading to the main pond.
In the summer of 2016, Jayne Chapman arranged for the South Downs Voluntary Ranger Service (SDVRS) on two working parties to
clear brash left by the contractors around the Pond, and to cut some of the bracken in the grassland area.
In September, a walk around the site by John Davis, Jayne Chapman, Harry Clarke, Bill Downey and Gail Jeffcoate, agreed the priority of work for the forthcoming winter season’s work.
The rides within Oaken Wood are being managed on the three-zone system. The central zone is the footpath which is kept open every year. A zone either side of the footpath is managed on a four-year cycle.
One side of the ride is cleared in one year, and the other side in the next year. In order to provide micro-habitats at different stages, each ride is managed on different years, which also helps to even out the work.
SDVRS did two working parties in October and November to clear one side of three of the rides, with Harry Clarke leading the working parties (see above).
Branch volunteers were recruited by Bill Downey, and an impressive 14 volunteers were joined by John Davis and Jayne Chapman for the December working party, led by Harry Clarke clearing Silver Birch between the track and the grassland area 1.
The January working party continued clearing the huge task of clearing the trees. The February working party cleared scrub from around the pond which had become very shaded.
The March working party cut scrub from the Betony area and the verge along the track, and completed the work started in December.
Oaken Wood Reserve Harry E. Clarke and Jayne Chapman
Surrey & SW London Branch, Butterfly and Moth Report 2016 35
Oaken Wood in 2015, after three years without management
Work party in autumn 2016
Published in April 2017 by Surrey & SW London Branch of Butterfly Conservation.
Authors: Harry E. Clarke, Steve Wheatley, Paul Wheeler, Bill Downey and Janet Cheney.
Edited by Simon Saville.
www.butterfly-conservation.org/surrey
Printed by Anglebury Press, Poole, Dorset
Butterfly Conservation
Company limited by guarantee, registered in England (2206468). Registered Office: Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Dorset, BH20 5QP. Tel: 01929 400 209.
Charity registered in England & Wales (254937) and in Scotland (SCO39268). VAT No. GB 991 2771 89
www.butterfly-conservation.org
Photographs
Cover image: Wood White © Iain Leach, www.ukbutterflies.co.uk Page 4 Grayling © Vince Massimo, www.ukbutterflies.co.uk Page 4 White-letter Hairstreak, p8 Adonis Blue, p30 Small Tortoiseshell, p31 Brown Hairstreak egg, p36 Small Blue and Silver-studded Blue © Peter Eeles, www.ukbutterflies.co.uk Page 18 Boxworm Moth, Marsh Oblique-barred, p20 Alder Kitten © Martin Angel Page 18 Straw Belle, p19 Heart Moth, Balsam Carpet, Dentated Pug © Paul Wheeler Page 20 Plesiomorpha flaviceps, Cydia interscindana © Robert Arnfield
All images remain the copyright of the photographer. Images from UK Butterflies are reproduced with thanks.
Small Blue, subject of a new “Stepping
Stones” conservation project in 2017
Silver-studded Blue, found on the Surrey
Heaths
