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

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 .

Monday, May 02, 2016

Ghost Moth

Hepialus humili

2013: one on July 4th.

Sunday, May 01, 2016

Orange Swift

Hepialus sylvina

2009: one on August 14th.
2014: one on September 4th & 5th.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Common Swift

Hepialus lupilinus

2009: singles on May 5th & 25th and June 15th.
2010: singles recorded on nine dates between May 21st and June 4th.
2012: one on May 31st and June 1st.
2014: singles on June 10th, 13th & 14th.

Friday, April 29, 2016

Leopard Moth

Zeuzera pyrina

2011: one on June 27th.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Pebble Hook-tip

Drepana falcataria

2010: one on June 2nd.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Peach Blossom

Thyatira batis

2011: one on July 14th.
2012: one on June 20th.
2014: one on June 6th.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Buff Arches

Habrosyne pyritoides

2013: one on July 23rd.
2014: one from June 16th to 20th.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Figure of Eighty

Tethea ocularis

2009: singles on May 11th and June 18th.
2011: one on May 6th.
2013: one on June 21st.
2014: one on May 22nd.
2015: one on June 4th.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

March Moth

Alsophila aescularia

2009: singles from February 26th to 27th and from March 5th to 12th.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Blotched Emerald

Comibaena bajularia

2009: singles on June 12th & 18th.
2011: one on June 12th.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Common Emerald

Hemithea aestivaria

2009: two on June 10th & 23rd, three on June 22nd, one on July 8th.
2010: singles on June 25th & 29th and July 2nd, two on July 30th.
2011: singles on June 22nd & 30th, two on June 26th.
2012: two on July 25th.
2013: two on July 3rd, singles on July 6th & 15th.
2014: singles on six dates between June 17th and July 2nd, two on June 27th and July 1st.
2015: singles on June 22nd, 27th & 29th and July

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Small Emerald

Hemistola chrysoprasaria

2009: one on July 1st
2014: singles on June 25th & 26th and July 2nd & 11th.
2015: singles on June 30th and July 10th.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Maiden's Blush

Cyclophora punctaria

2009: one on August 28th.
2010: one from April 26th to 28th.
2012: one on May 28th.
2014: singles recorded on seven dates between June 2nd and July 29th.
2015: singles on August 1st, 18th & 19th.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Clay Triple-lines

Cyclophora linearia

2014: one on August 19th.

Blood-vein

Timandra comae

2008: one on September 11th.
2010: one on September 8th.
2014: one on August 16th.

Mullein Wave

2015: one on August 30th.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Small Blood-vein

Scopula imitaria

2008: singles on September 8th, 12th, 13th, 18th & 19th.
2009: recorded on 13 dates between June 23rd and September 11th, all singles except for two on June 23rd.
2010: recorded on 19 dates between June 24th and September 24th, all singles except for two on September 2nd, 3rd, 9th & 12th.
2011: recorded on 13 dates between May 31st and August 8th, all singles except for two on May 31st, June 26th and July 1st.
2012: singles on July 5th & 25th and August 2nd & 3rd, two on July 6th.
2013: recorded on 14 dates between July 5th and September 19th, all singles except for two on September 6th & 13th.
2014: recorded on 12 dates between May 27th and August 29th, all singles except for two on June 9th and July 16th.
2015: recorded on nine dates between July 5th and September 10th, all singles except for three on September 1st and two on September 2nd.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Least Carpet

Idaea rusticata

2009: recorded on 18 dates between June 16th and September 24th with a peak count of four on July 3rd.
2010: recorded on 26 dates between June 15th and October 14th with peak counts of five on July 12th, 13th, 20th & 21st.
2011: recorded on 38 dates between May 30th and October 13th with peak counts of seven on July 15th & 26th.
2012: recorded on 20 dates between June 20th and August 10th with peak counts of four on July 12th & 27th.
2013: recorded on 25 dates between July 3rd and October 4th, with a peak count of 12 on July 17th.
2014: recorded on 40 dates between May 20th and September 30th, with a peak count of seven on July 8th.
2015: recorded on 47 dates between June 13th and August 21st, with a peak count of seven on July 26th.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Small Fan-footed Wave

Idaea biselata

2010: one on June 23rd.
2011: one on August 26th.
2013: one on July 25th.
2014: one on july 14th.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Dwarf Cream Wave

Idaea fuscovenosa

2009: singles on June 22nd & 30th and July 15th, two on June 23rd.
2010: one on June 23rd, two on June 29th.
2011: recorded on 22 dates between May 31st and August 2nd with a peak count of four on July 3rd.
2012: recorded on nine dates between June 26th and August 1st, all singles except for two on July 5th and 24th and August 1st and three on July 6th.
2013: two on July 5th, singles on July 9th & 12th.
2014: recorded on 23 dates between June 9th and July 25th, with a peak count of three on July 2nd.
2015: singles on seven dates between July 1st and August 1st.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Small Dusty Wave

2008: recorded on 11 dates between August 31st and September 30th, all singles except for two on August 31st and September 1st & 12th.
2009: recorded on 29 dates between May 25th and September 25th, with peak counts of five on June 16th and September 1st.
2010: recorded on 40 dates between April 29th and October 9th, with peak counts of 12 on September 9th & 10th.
2011: recorded on 46 dates between May 6th and October 21st, with peak counts of three on June 16th and August 24th.
2012: recorded on 24 dates between March 21st and October 23rd, with peak counts of three on May 28th and June 18th.
2013: recorded on 47 dates between June 11th and November 4th, with a peak count of 11 on September 16th.
2014: recorded on 63 dates between March 31st and September 26th, with a peak count of eight on July 1st.
2015: recorded on 59 dates between May 20th and December 11th, with a peak count of five on September 2nd.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Single-dotted Wave

Idaea dimidiata

2009: recorded on 17 dates between June 17th and September 14th, all singles except for two on July 1st, 3rd & 17th and August 3rd.
2010: recorded on 15 dates between July 10th and August 31st, all singles except for two on August 5th & 11th and three on August 17th.
2011: recorded on 21 dates between May 31st and August 25th, all singles except for two on July 5th, 15th & 21st and a peak count f seven on July 28th.
2012: recorded on 10 dates between June 28th and August 20th, all singles except for two on July 8th.
2013: singles on July 15th & 24th and August 2nd, 6th & 12th, two on August 1st.
2014: recorded on 13 dates between June 5th and July 30th, all singles except for two on July 3rd & 30th and three on July 10th, 23rd & 24th.
2015: recorded on 18 dates between June 24th and August 7th, all singles except for two on July 7th, 17th, 24th & 25th and four on August 1st.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Treble Brown Spot

Idaea trigeminata

2009: singles on June 16th & 23rd, July 10th and October 5th & 6th.
2010: recorded on 16 dates between June 7th and July 9th, with a peak count of four on June 30th.
2011: recorded on 18 dates between May 30th and July 27th, all singles except for two on May 30th & 31st.
2012: recorded on seven dates between May 29th and June 28th, all singles except for two on June 28th.
2013: recorded on nine dates between June 25th and July 18th, all singles except for two on June 27th and July 18th.
2014: recorded on 14 dates between June 2nd and July 2nd with a peak count of four on June 16th & 17th.
2015: recorded on 13 dates between June 16th and July 11th, all singles except for two on June 20th and July 3rd & 5th.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Riband Wave

Idaea aversata

Idaea aversata: ab. remutata

2008: one of the nominate form on September 8th & 9th.
2009: recorded on 49 dates between June 4th and September 9th with a peak count of 11 on July 3rd; a total of 216 moths was recorded was recorded comprising 42 of the nominate form and 174 of the unbanded form.
2010: recorded on 59 dates between June 7th and September 29th with a peak count of six on June 22nd and July 2nd; a total of 154 moths was recorded comprising 41 of the nominate form and 113 of the unbanded form.
2011: recorded on 76 dates between May 16th and September 9th with a peak count of 12 on June 30th; a total of 191 moths was recorded comprising 41 of the nominate form and 150 of the unbanded form.
2012: recorded on 49 dates between June 1st and September 4th with peak counts of six on July 8th & 9th; a total of 139 moths was recorded comprising 35 of the nominate form and 104 of the unbanded form.
2013: recorded on 41 dates between June 18th and August 22nd with peak counts of nine on July 10th, 11th, 18th & 30th; a total of 139 moths was recorded comprising 37 of the nominate form and 102 of the unbanded form.
2014: recorded on 42 dates between June 9th and August 7th with a peak count of nine on July 8th; a total of 130 moths was recorded comprising 32 of the nominate form and 98 of the unbanded form.
2015: recorded on 46 dates between June 13th and September 19th with a peak count of eight on July 2nd; a total of 104 moths was recorded comprising 28 of the nominate form and 76 of the unbanded form.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Garden Carpet

Xanthorhoe fluctuata

2008: recorded on 15 dates between August 31st and September 25th, all singles except for two on September 10th, 16th, 17th & 23rd and three on September 15th.
2009: recorded on 15 dates between June 3rd and September11th, all singles except for two on June 9th and three on June 10th.
2010: singles recorded on ten dates between May 27th and September 28th.
2011: recorded on 15 dates between June 5th and September 9th, all singles except for two on June 22nd and July 1st.
2012: recorded on 14 dates between June 7th and August 28th, all singles except for two on June 7th, 8th & 9th and July 13th.
2013: two on June 25th, singles on June 26th, 27th & 28th, July 6th and September 23rd & 24th.
2014: singles recorded on ten dates between May 15th and September 19th.
2015: singles recorded on 11 dates between May 17th and September 22nd.