The Association's Activities 1993

2459 Orygla recens (rosy marsh moth). The species lives on Betula and Salix. Typical biotopes are the edges of small fens and mires in rich mosaic landscapes. In recent years, the species has declined significantly at many of its localities in southern Sweden. It was previously known only from Gästrikland in a few specimens from "the Gävle region and Hille 1943" (Östlund 1954). During a visit to the area around Gustavsmyren on 28 July, I found five larvae on Betula pubescens (downy birch) (KICS).

2474 Setina irrorella (silky wainscot) (Threat Class 4) occurs on both dry and moist ground, dry meadows, heaths and forest glades. The larva feeds on lichens. The species is known from only a few specimens in Gästrikland. Ragnar Östlund reported three findings from Hedsjön, Ockelbo in 1948 (Östlund 1954). In addition, there is one finding from Hyttön in 1991 (KICS). During a "butterfly walk" on 12 July along the power line east of Gustavsmyren, a flying irrorella was encountered (RYRS). This was the 24th threatened species found in the area and the only new one for the year. There is also another finding of irrorella from Gästrikland in 1993 (Mårtsbo on 11 August, KJCS).

2577 Nola karelica (Karelian nola) (Threat Class 4). Found in great numbers during the sixties on mire ground "south of Grinduga". The species is extremely local and appears to be very demanding; however, its biology is poorly known. The literature contains several different suggestions for host plants such as Rubus, Vaccinium and Andromeda (Skou 1991). There is only one finding of karelica from 1993. I flushed a female from a small fen east of Gustavsmyren on 18 July (KICS). Since the species is known to move very little, but swarms for a short period at sunset, I should have investigated the locality later in the day. Unfortunately, this never happened, but I am convinced that my finding is an indication that a population of karelica persists around Gustavsmyren.

Reporters: ELHS = Claes Eliasson, HALS = Jan Hallén, KJCS = Clas Källander, RPLS = Göran Rippler, RYRS = Nils Ryrholm, SINS = Göran Sjöberg.

Literature:

Cederholm L. 1978. Namnkoder - ett förslag till enhetliga personangivelser inom biologin.
-Ent. Tidskt. 99:135-141

Ehnström B., Gärdenfors U. & Lindelöw Å 1993. Rödlistade evertebrater i Sverige 1993.
Databanken för botade arter.

Palm E. 1986. Nordeuropas Pyralider. Danmarks Dyreliv Bind 3. Copenhagen (Fauna Bgger)

Palmqvist, G. 1993. Intressanta fynd av storfjärilar (Macrolepidoptera) i Sverige 1992.
-Ent. Tidskt. 114(1-2):37-42

Skou P. 1991. Nordens Ugler. Danmarks Dyreliv Bind 5. Stenstrup (Apollo Books)

Svensson I., Elmquist H., Gustafsson B., Hellberg H., Imby L. & Palmqvist G. 1987. Catalogus
Lepidoptorum Sueciae. Stockholm (Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet & Entomologiska
föreningen).

Svensson I. & Palmqvist G. 1990. Förteckning över svenska fjärilsnamn. Stockholm (Naturhistoriska
Riksmuseet & Entomologiska föreningen).

Svensson I. 1993. Fjärilskalender. Hellbergs förlag, Stockholm

Thomas I. & Lewington R. 1991. The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland.

Östlund R. 1954. Bidrag till kännedom om Gästriklands storfjärilsfauna.
-Ent. Tidskt. 75(2-3):208-220.

The Association's Activities in 1993

The Association's spring meeting on 20 April was attended by Ingemar Frycklund from Uppsala, who gave a presentation on techniques for studying insects. The Association further discussed the emerging threat to insect fauna arising from Banverket's track alternative VA4. It was decided that 1993 would be mainly devoted to work to prevent this alternative from being adopted.

The Association organized a couple of official and unofficial excursions to the Trösken area. The Association also arranged a "City Walk" in Gävle under the auspices of Arbetarbladet and Gävle Municipality. This "Night Moth Walk", despite cool weather, was fairly well attended and was held at "Villa Rettig" by the inner bay. See photograph.

The local night moth fauna was investigated using two UV lamps and a fluorescent tube. Two power stations provided the electricity supply. The "Villa Rettig" area is a highly interesting "forgotten" forest area that has housed both White-backed Woodpecker and Kingfisher, a small oasis between Brynås and Bomhus. We hope it will be a long time before the area is detailed planned for any "purpose".

Guide: Göran Sjöberg. ÅS

Warm clothes. Please bring a coffee basket.

Meeting at the Regional Museum from where the bus departs. Note the time.

Tickets at 35 kr can be purchased at the Regional Museum. Remaining tickets are sold on the bus.

+ Under the guidance of Göran Sjöberg we will follow along to a forest area quite close to Gävle. There we will get to see which night moths are flying at this time of year. Hopefully we will be able to find at least a hundred butterflies, many with very beautiful color and pattern combinations.

Göran Sjöberg is chairman of Gästrikland's Entomological Association and an expert on the world's day-flying butterflies. He also knows quite a bit about our night-flying butterflies. An entomologist is a person who studies insects.

Arr: Gästrikland's Entomological Association, Gävle Tourist Office, Kultur Gävle and Arbetarbladet.

Radio Gävleborg

The Association's chairman also had the pleasure of hosting Radio Gävleborg at his butterfly meadow on 16 July 1993. In brilliant weather, radio listeners were treated to impressions from the meadow all morning. A good many species were seen, but the sun-loving reporter probably had some difficulty seeing the small beautiful butterflies among the meadow's flowers. The patrolling Marbled White and Fragrant Orchid butterflies were probably the most visible, along with Grass Skippers and Pearl-bordered Fritillaries.

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