At Mersehead, we have two staff cottages with both the Warden and Assistant Warden living on the reserve. We are going to try and keep you updated on the wonderful wildlife we see at Mersehead during our daily walks.
Mersehead Moments: Moth of the Week
This week’s Moth of the Week is the Red Chestnut. This common moth is a member of the Noctuidae family which, with over 400 species recorded in Britain, is our largest family of macro-moths. Noctuids are often brown colours and have a narrow appearance, as they rest with their wings flat and overlapping against their body.
In northern Britain, the Red Chestunt tends to be on the wing between April and May. As its name suggests, this moth is plain reddish brown in colour, which really helps to narrow down the moths to consider during identification. There is only one other moth – the White-marked – which has a similar colour and wing shape but, as well as having some distinguishing markings, is found much further south in the UK.
The Red Chestnut favours broadleaved woodland, open country and scrub but is also often seen in gardens, so is one you could see visiting your moth trap at this time of year.
Paul Radford, Assistant Warden