SOME RECORDS OF LEPIDOPTERA IN SUFFOLK FOR 1972 BARON DE W O R M S
THE year 1972 will long be remembered as one of the leanest for butterflies and moths in general with a distinct lack of migrant species, while it was also one of the latest on record for times of emergences of the individual insects. However, as already referred to, there was one ray of light to relieve the gloom. This was a small immigration of the Bedstraw Hawk Moth (Celerio galii Rott.) which occurred about mid-July when some real summer set in after an extremely unpropitious period from April onwards with one of the coldest Junes ever known. Fortunately Suffolk had its share of these spectacular moths with two taken at light on the night of 14th July at Walberswick by Mr. T. Renshaw and Mr. E. H. Wild. Suffolk seems to have had its fair share of this fine insect which bred for a number of years regularly in a remote part of Norfolk. As usual several residents in the County have very kindly sent in their records for the year which has been much appreciated. Of these Mr. Charles Pierce has contributed quite a list from the Needham Market area where he says it has been a comparatively poor season. The Prominents have been scarce with only three of the Coxcomb Prominent (Lophopteryx capucina Linn.), while the Hooktips have been almost non-existent. The ubiquitous Silver-Y (Plusia gamma Linn.) only appeared very late in the year and then only very sparsely, while the Varied Coronet [Hadena compta Schiff.), the Sallow Kitten (Harpyia furcula Clerck.), and the V-Pug, all usually so common, only turned up on very few occasions. On the other hand the Hawk Moths were more numerous than usual in particular the Small Elephant (Deilephila porcellus Linn.) and the Eyed (Smerinthus ocellatus L.). The Sycamore (Apatele aceris Linn.) and the Miller (A. leporina Linn.) visited the light more frequently than for many years. The Marbled Coronet (Hadena conspersa Schiff.) was plentiful in June as also were the Dusky Sallow (Eremobia ochroleuca Schiff.) and the Mullein Wave (Scopula conjugata Borkh.). Other species not often seen which appeared during the summer were the Suspected (Parastichtis suspecta Hübn.), the Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata Hübn.), the Lilac Beauty (Apeira syringaria Linn.), and the Yellow Belle (Aspitates ochrearia Rossi). The White Colon (Heliophobus albicolon Hübn.) appeared on 16th June only the second record for the locality, as also was a Barred Rivulet (Perizoma bifaciata Haworth) on 18th July, though its foodplant, the Red Bartsia is prevalent in the area. But one of the