The beautiful splashes of colour butterflies bring to our gardens are definitive of spring and summer, but what about their night-time relatives? Here at Coombes the moth trap is out almost every night so we can see who visits our reserve once darkness falls. It’s really easy to do, you can even do it at home.
Set the scene in your own garden...as dusk falls and the sun sets on a still night, the air comes alive with the thrum of all kinds of busy bugs. If you don’t own your own moth trap they are very easy to make at home from a cardboard or plastic box: http://www.bcni.org.uk/downloads/DIY%20Moth%20Trap%20Project.pdf
Look out for Elephant Hawk Moths later in the year, taken by Simon Gray
Even simpler is a live moth trap. Around dusk, hang a bed sheet from your washing line with a bright bulb behind. The moths will be drawn in and some will land on the sheet, making it easy for you to look closely and count them. Definitely a summer treat for kids if it means staying up after bedtime!
It’s very early in the year but as the season progresses the range of moths will diversify. We’ll keep you updated on our recent moth sightings; let us know what you find at home.
March Moth:
The appropriately named march moth was the first catch of the year! Common throughout Britain, these moths are (probably very obviously) active during March and April. As caterpillars they feed on a range of trees including hawthorn and oak, making Coombes the perfect place for them. Perhaps the strangest feature of the march moth is that the females lack wings. So for those first few days of catching only march moths we can be sure that the trap was a bit of a boys club.
Hebrew Character, image by Steve Brown
Hebrew Character:
Hebrew characters are another very widespread species and can be found in almost any British habitat. Like the march moth they are most active in March and April, although they can be active later in the year. The ‘c’ shaped black mark found on their forewings gives them their name because it‘s similar in shape to the letter ‘Nun’ that is part of the Hebrew Alphabet.
Brindled Beauty, image by RSPB images
Brindled Beauty
The brindled beauty has only made one appearance so far but is relatively common, especially at this time of the year. The male moths are much more likely to be attracted to light and are distinguishable by their large feathery antennae, which help them sniff out the females! Their beautiful peppered patterning helps to camouflage them from predators, making them blend into the bark when they rest on trees.
Early Thorn, taken by Simon Gray
Early Thorn
Whenever a new type of moth makes an appearance in the trap it’s very exciting, like an early morning present! On Sunday I awoke to find the first early thorn. Unlike all the moths above the early thorn has two distinctive waves through the year; now and again in August/September. The other obvious difference is that they hold their wings together like a butterfly and so are much easier to tell apart from other types of thorn moth.
If you want to help wildlife at home in your garden, visit http://homes.rspb.org.uk/ for more information. Thank you to Butterfly Conservation Northern Ireland for their moth trap how to.