A rare moth species has been discovered for the first time in Warwickshire.
The Pammene Suspectana is one of 120 species surveyed Southam Quarry, making it one of the most important Quarry sites in the Midlands for both moths and butterflies.
A ‘first’ for Warwickshire and the rarest moth spotted at the site so far, the Pammene Suspectana is listed in the Red Data book, a list of species of whose continued existence is threatened. Pammene suspectana is solely dependent on the Ash tree for its food and at Southam, Ash trees have been planted along the roadside on the edge of the site to provide screening from the operations.
Other species found include the Dingy Footman and the Dark Smudge, Ypsolopha horridella, which according to Butterfly Conservation's Moth Report is also a Nationally Scarce species. Horridella is derived from 'horridus' meaning 'shaggy' and highlights the raised crests on the moth’s wings.
Mike Slater from BC's Warwickshire Branch said: “I was delighted to find so many different species during the recent survey, particularly the Pammenes suspectana which is a new species for Warwickshire. This is yet further evidence that the CEMEX restoration at Southam Quarry is working superbly for wildlife.
“The site has a varied habitat including rare calcareous and scrubby grasslands as well as wet and marshy areas. CEMEX has seeded a varied wildflower mix to help the biodiversity and in between the seeded areas there is a lot of bare ground which allows increasing ground temperatures.”
Other species found at Southam include Garden Pebble, Marbled Beauty, Small Phoenix and Wormwood Pug. Moths, like bess, are important pollinators and are often just as beautiful as butterflies, with some boasting superb camouflage. The Buff-tip moth is one example, as it can be easily mistaken for a broken twig of silver birch.
Southam Quarry has also prooved to be an ideal breeding ground for the Small Blue butterfly and the site now has one of the largest colonies in the Midlands. Numbers began to increase after an area planted with a wildflower mix resulted in the Small Blue caterpillar food plant, Kidney Vetch, growing extensively.