The Macro Moths of Berrylands Railway Station (and other stories): February 2012

A greenhorn lepidopterist at large in suburban London

Berrylands Station is on the London Waterloo to Hampton Court line between New Malden and Surbiton, a 25 minute train journey from central London. I became aware of its potential for attracting moths in late August 2008. The station is situated on an embankment with the Hogsmill Sewage Farm directly to the north and a typical mix of suburban houses and gardens to the south. The elevated aspect of the station and the comparative lack of domestic and street lighting in the immediate area mean that it acts like a huge moth trap, there are white-painted covered waiting areas and staircases on both platforms, these are illuminated at night and most of the moths are found in these areas. What follows is my attempt as a novice lepidopterist to record and catalogue all the macro moths I encounter on my daily commute to work along with the occasional "awayday" in search of other British lepidoptera .

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Micro Moths of Berrylands Station (No. 1 in an occasional series)

Beautiful Plume (Amblyptilia acanthadactyla) 28/2/2012

It is beyond the scope of this blog (and the identification skills of the author) to put a name to all the micro moths encountered at the station but if an identifiable micro presents itself for photography then it will be duly snapped and posted here for posterity. This Amblyptilia acanthadactyla is the first species for the station in 2012, it is usually a toss up between this and Emmelina monodactyla; for the first moth of the year, no other plume moths have yet been recorded although some of them are so similar I have probably overlooked a species or two,

Sunday, February 26, 2012

A February Comma

Comma at Gallions Reach, 27/2/2012

I came across this Comma whilst out birding at Gallions Reach. I was half expecting to find a butterfly today on account of the incredibly mild weather, but I thought it would be a Red Admiral or Small Tortoiseshell. According to my Collins Butterfly Guide if the weather is mild Commas will emerge from hibernation in the winter months but I have never seen one in February; my 2012 lepidoptera list now stands at three: Early Moth at New Malden Station on February 19th, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla at Berrylands Station on February 25th and Comma at Gallions Reach on February 26th.