A Moth for all Seasons
Moths are some of our most fascinating and intriguing insects. You can see them throughout the year and many species are likely to be resident in your garden.
Moths
are closely related to butterflies, but often have the undeserved reputation of
being somewhat dull and boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. The UK
has about 2,500 moth species and their sheer diversity, in terms of their
colour, size, form, pattern and intricacy of markings, and their varied and
often remarkable ecology, is nothing short of astonishing.
Take the bizarrely named goat moth for example. Like all moths and butterflies, it has egg, larval and pupal stages. However, amazingly its caterpillar, or larva, overwinters for several years before emerging to spend a comparatively brief couple of months as an adult. Locally, this nationally scarce species is found in the New Forest. But why goat moth? Well, the caterpillars are said to smell of goats!
Interestingly, several of our moths are named after their caterpillars: the lobster moth and the elephant hawk-moth are good examples. They are reminders of a time before modern light traps made it easier to find the adults and searching out larvae was the main means of recording moths.
Light traps, where ultra violet electric light bulbs are used to attract moths, make it possible to record and enjoy (and release unharmed) night flying moths that would otherwise be very difficult to find. But not all moths are night flyers. Several species are diurnal and fly mainly during the day. Among these is an unusual group known as the clearwing moths, which do not conform at all to most people’s ideas of a moth.
With their transparent, narrow wings and black bodies banded with yellow or red, they look more like wasps: probably a protection against predators. Though active during the day, clearwings are rarely seen. However, in recent years male clearwings looking for unmated females have been lured to traps with synthetic pheromones, which has allowed these elusive moths to be recorded.
Many Wildlife Trust reserves are havens for moths, as traditional management techniques, such as coppicing, help to provide valuable shelter and food for them. Regular surveys by staff and volunteers allow us to monitor how well moths are doing. Here are a few of the moths you might see through the year – Mottled umber, Hewbrew character, Oak beauty, Brimstone, Buff-tip, Lappet, Six-spot burnet, Hummingbird hawk-moth, Pink-barred sallow, Merveille du jour, Red-line quaker, December moth.
For more photographs and help identifying Hampshire and Isle of Wight moths, visit www.hwt.org.uk and www.hantsmoths.org.uk.