Rare Sussex Emerald moth recorded in Birchington area for first time

The first ever record of a Sussex Emerald moth in the Birchington area has now been made after a sighting by village dad-of-two Steve Tomlinson.

Steve is no stranger to making discoveries. He previously unearthed a 3,000-year-old, late Bronze Age toddler’s shoe which is the oldest found in the British Isles and the smallest Bronze Age shoe found in the world. Just six months after discovering the shoe piece while mudlarking, Steve then made another incredible find – a piece of tanned leather thought to be from a water bottle or foraging bag that dates back an incredible 4,488 to 4,600 years to the Neolithic period.

But this time, no digging was required as Steve found the moth in his garden on July 23 while taking part in a conservation moth survey. The beautiful green specimen was found in the moth trap in his garden (pictured) which was an aid for the survey.

The Sussex Emerald is one of Britain’s rarest moths. It was thought that in Kent it was originally only present from around 1950 in shingle at Dungeness, where it is now known to breed.

Originally the moth was found in Eastbourne nearly 70 years ago, but no records have been noted there since 1956 until recently, when two Sussex Emerald Larva were discovered at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in East Sussex in 2021. This was the first proven for the county and since then they have spread within that area.

The Sussex Emerald has also been recorded occasionally elsewhere in the UK including Dorset, Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Essex but likely only as an immigrant species.

In Kent the moth is now slowly beginning to spread and has been seen with Larva on the coast at Kingsdown and in Sandwich in 2015/2016, and other new sites away from the coast such as Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve in 2018.

In the UK it is still classed as a very rare, endangered species and is a priority species within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). As such it is fully protected.

The moth feeds on wild carrot and occasionally common and hoary ragwort and flies between the months of July and August.

The Birchington moth caught by Steve has just recently been confirmed as the 1st ever record of a Sussex Emerald for the Birchington and nearby area.

Steve said: “Many Thanks to Dave Shenton from the Kent Moth Group for confirming this record.

“When I saw the moth, it was an amazing feeling, I couldn’t quite believe it, and to think that a moth that rare on a national scale was resting on top of my moth trap. It was a certain wow feeling that’s for sure.”

The Sussex Emerald can be confused with the Common Emerald although the Sussex Emerald has more distinct red and white chequering along the wing fringe, the hindwing having a distinct concave scallop between two points.

The adults fly at dusk and dawn. The caterpillars can be found from August to early the following June, overwintering as small larvae.