BR I INI NA I HIST., 13: 2001 



separate localities on the cast side of the Foresl and the light crimson underwing at a 

 sixth (Waring, 1996a & b). In 1996 we were investigating various heaths and bogs 

 near Sway when a light crimson underwing came to light in open ground at 

 Goatspcn Plain (SU2301), the nearest oak woodlands being the Inelosures oi 

 Wilverley, Holmsley and Brownhill in the south-west of the Forest (Waring. 1997). 

 Our meeting in 1997 was held in October to investigate the status of the southern 

 chestnut moth Agrochola haematidea Dup. in the western part of the Forest (Cook & 

 Pickles, 1998), with another meeting in October 1998 to extend our coverage for this 

 species (Pickles, 2000). We also returned to survey the crimson underwings in 

 breaking new ground by exploring Anses Wood, south of Fritham. We had no luck 

 here, but it was a cold night, though we recorded a couple of promissa and sponsa the 

 same night at the site in Whitley Wood where we had both in 1995 (D. Green, in 

 prep.). 



Sloden Inclosure is just northwest of Anses Wood and only 2km south of Coopers 

 Hill, where Ron Louch recorded several light crimson underwings at wine-ropes and 

 light on 27 July 1997, so we were hopeful of a positive result. In the event the weather 

 was against us again this year and we did not see any crimson underwings at Sloden. 

 nor during •simultaneous trapping and wine-roping at the usual site at Ladycross 

 where up to 15 promissa were being recorded per night at the end of July 1999. Here 

 is how the sessions progressed. 



The afternoon session was attended by David Burrows from Sussex. Bryan and 

 Trina Formstone from North Wales, Frank Lowe from Wiltshire and Rachel 

 Thomas and I. We met up at Furzey Lodge (SU366025) and after recording the 

 grayling butterfly Hipparchia semele (L.) on the open heath in sunshine, we drove 

 through a heavy rain shower to examine the heathland of Fritham Plain (SU225 1 35 1 

 before investigating the oak woodland on the south side of Sloden Inclosure 

 (SU216125) and selecting our trapping sites there for the evening. In the woodland at 

 Broomhill (SU260144), we spotted many flame orange brackets of the sulphur- 

 yellow polypore fungus Polyporus sulphureus growing on a dead old oak trunk \\ Inch 

 had lost its canopy. On closer inspection we found a scattering of frass over some of 

 the brackets and wondered if these were of the waved black moth Parascotia 

 fuliginaria (L.) but we couldn't see any larvae. Some of the frass pellets were large 

 and mouldy and the larvae should have moved off to pupate by this stage of the 

 summer. The fungi made a striking sight however. 



The weather was blustery and cloudy with occasional sunshine as we walked over 

 Fritham Plain. We flushed singletons of the chevron Eulithis testata (L.) and the 

 double-striped pug Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haw.) and a couple of graylings. Insects 

 were not flying and a common lizard Lacerta vivipara L. we found was distinctly 

 sluggish. The only caterpillar we saw was a final-instar larva of the broom moth 

 Ceramica pisi (L.). We adjourned for dinner to the Coach and Horses pub in 

 Cadnam, which has the advantage that it serves good hot food all day. The part) 

 then returned to Sloden while Rachel and I went to Ladycross to meet the evening 

 arrivals: Graham Dennis from Pamber Forest and Mark and Elizabeth Trasenster 

 from London. Others expected had clearly been put off by the bad weather and poor 

 forecast. Tawny owls Strix aluco (L.) were already vocal by the time we had set up 

 four light traps and ten wine-ropes at Ladycross in the corridor of old oaks, some of 

 which have dark patches on the trunks from previous sugaring sessions. By 2 1 .OOhrs 

 a copper underwing Amphipyra pyramided (L.) was already visiting an old sugar 

 patch and several other copper underwings and Svensson's copper underwings 

 A. berbera svenssoni Fletcher came to our wine-ropes, along with a couple of large 

 yellow underwings Noctua pronuba L.. Likewise at Sloden Inclosure. 



