Subject: re P. moneta

From: Martin Honey <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 15:01:39 GMT

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From: A.P.K.Torry  <[email-masked]>
Tue, 23 Jul 1996 09:02:22 GMT
To: Multiple recipients of list LEPS-L <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: A. gamma - UK immigration [via LSMTP - see www.lsoft.com]

>Big surprise amongst a dozen gamma's I
>netted one male Polychrysia moneta, a very scarce species in Belgium. The
>previous record dates from 19 July 1988, and the last but one 1st July 1987.
>Were there any more sightings of P. moneta?  It seems to have populations in
>Holland and the UK, but could be a suspect migrant.

Never seen one but have a specimen labelled 'Icehouse Wood, Oxfordshire,
July 1973'. The species is resident in the UK and is expanding it's range,
this is probably due to the increased planting up of it's foodplant
(As a border perrenial) in many private gardens that being cultivars of
Delphinium.

Unless there is some evidence to the contrary, the current thought is that
this species is now (since about the 1960's) actually in decline in
Britain. It is difficult to be certain about the decline of a species as
the information that it is NOT being collected is less likeley to get into
the literature than a new record of a species in a particular area. I have
been informed that the next volume of Moths of Great Britain and Ireland
[due out NEXT MONTH!] actually contains a graph showing this possible
decline.

If there is anyone out there with relevant information about this species
it would be interesting to hear about it (either on Leps-L or direct to me).

******************************************************************
Martin R. Honey, Collections Management (Lepidoptera), Department
of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, LONDON,
SW7 5BD, Great Britain.
TELEPHONE: 0171 938 9338    International  +44 171 938 9338
FAX:       0171 938 8937    International  +44 171 938 8937
EMAIL:     [email-masked]
******************************************************************

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From: [email-masked] (Per S. Nielsen)
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 20:59:43 GMT

>it would be interesting to hear about it (either on Leps-L or direct to me).

Here in my garden abt. 15 km north of Copenhagen, DK, I usually get
some P. moneta at light each year just at this time, i.e. last half of
July. However it is my experience, that this species is very
fluctuating in number. In very good years I get perhaps 10-15
specimens in bad ones only very few. I do not think that Delphinium
has become more common in garden here, I guess the weather most likely
during winther or spring is regulating the population of moneta.
Perhaps it is as with P. c-aureum which larvae have a similar biology.
They are only found on warm spots protected from the wind. It could be
interesting to investigate moneta, but collected material is far to
insufficient for this purpose.
The same fluctutation also goes for P. jota, but not so evident for A.
pulchrina. This year the weather has been extremely bad by us, night
temp. only  6-10 dg. so I have only turned on my light this week. So
far I have only got 2 P. jota and no moneta.
If  I get a female of moneta, would anyone be interested in eggs ?

Regards 
P. Stadel Nielsen