2011's record-breaking weather has had knock-on consequences for our butterflies and moths
The record-breaking weather of 2011 bamboozled our butterflies and moths with many species appearing much earlier and later than in a typical year.
The hot, dry spring combined with the second warmest autumn on record saw butterflies on the wing from early March to mid-December.
Threatened species such as the Pearl bordered Fritillary and Grizzled Skipper benefitted from extended flight periods by emerging weeks ahead of their normal dates as spring temperatures soared.
The endangered Black Hairstreak typically emerges in June but was seen in May - the earliest emergence on record, and the Lulworth Skipper, which is restricted to Southern Dorset, was also on the wing seven weeks earlier than normal.
The balmy conditions of September and October saw a huge influx of migrant moths from Southern Europe.
The spectacular Humming-bird Hawk-moth is thought to have enjoyed its best ever year in the UK with more than 9,000 records sent to Butterfly Conservation, beating the previous 2006 high of 6,500.
Unseasonably warm winter weather has seen Red Admirals still on the wing in the run up to Christmas while some spring moths have emerged months ahead of schedule.
It was hoped that the warm spring would produce a bumper butterfly summer, but Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count revealed that the number of common species were down byaround 11% as they struggled in the coldest summer for 18 years.
But the effects of the record-breaking spring were still felt in some places.
Several single-brooded species were recorded much later than normal – a rare Marsh Fritillary being seen in mid-September, almost eight weeks after the butterfly should have disappeared for the year.
The second warmest autumn on record saw a huge influx of migrant moths from Southern Europe with exotic species such as the Crimson Speckled and Vestal moths recorded into October.
The UK recorded the largest number of rare Flame Brocades for 130 years, with a colony discovered at a secret location in Sussex.
And the unusual sightings are continuing well into December. Red Admirals are still regularly being seen and the unseasonably warm winter has prompted some species to hatch before Christmas, weeks ahead of schedule.
Spring Usher moths together with Hebrew Character and Common Quaker have been reported regularly since November - months earlier than they are supposed to appear.
Butterfly Conservation Surveys Manager Richard Fox said: “The weather is a matter of life and death for butterflies and moths, and 2011 has been a year of extremes.
“It’s too soon to tell exactly how the UK’s butterflies and moths have fared but the signs are that spring species, including many threatened butterflies, benefited from the hot weather in April and May.
“In contrast most summer-flying species struggled to survive in the cold and damp. Autumn brought a reprieve for our beleaguered butterflies and moths, with many native species able to extend their flight periods or squeeze in an extra brood, as well as the arrival of marvellous migrant moths from overseas.”
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/article/9/272/butterflies_bamboozled_by_2011s_weird_weather.html
Showing posts with label moths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moths. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Nature Studies by Michael McCarthy: In search of another great moth snowstorm
One of the lousiest aspects of the lousy summer which ended yesterday, for me at least, was that for yet another year, there was no chance of witnessing the moth snowstorm. Not in England, anyway.
Five sodden summers on the trot – July 2006 was the last time it was truly baking for anything more than the blink of an eye – seems like an unconscionably long time to go without all-enveloping warmth, almost as if we're being punished. Maybe we are. Maybe we've offended heaven by having impure hearts. Or giving way to greed. Or splitting infinitives. Or something.
But the point I am making about yet another wretchedly damp and chilly June, July and (especially) August, is that if it was bad for us, it was even worse for insects, which, being cold-blooded, need ambient heat above a certain level simply to be able to function, let alone flourish. There was no chance of seeing of one of the spectacular flourishings of the insect world, that crowding-together of moths on warm summer nights, so abundant that if you drive a car through them you have to wash your windscreen afterwards.
In the headlights it does indeed seem like a blizzard, a myriad of white flakes whirling through the dark towards you. Or at least it did. For the moth snowstorm, as I and many people think of it and remember it, seems to be a phenomenon of the past. When I asked Mark Parsons about it, the top moths bod at the charity Butterfly Conservation, he told me he recalled seeing it on many occasions 20 or 30 years ago, but, he said, "I've probably only witnessed it once or twice in the last decade".
Its disappearance seems to be a particularly notable instance of the great thinning-out of our wildlife which has taken place in the last half-century, probably because of the intensification of farming: things are still there, but an awful lot fewer of them. Yet it was a supreme example of natural abundance, arising from the simple fact that moths are multitudinous.
We tend to think that Lepidoptera, the order of insects with scaly wings, contains butterflies first and moths second, as a sort of afterthought; but actually it's the other way round. Moths were going for millions of years, and so had ample time to develop into a multitude of species, before butterflies came along as a mere branching twig on the Lepidopteran evolutionary tree; in essence, butterflies are merely a group of moths which have specialised in flying during the day and so have evolved bright colours to recognise each other.
Thus, there are about a quarter of a million moth species in the world but fewer than 20,000 types of butterfly; and in Britain there are nearly 900 larger moths, while butterfly species number fewer than 60.
We don't see this, because most moths are nocturnal. Yet it is possible to fish them out of the night, if you become more and more interested in them and eventually go into full Moth Nerd Mode, as I did in June when my wife asked me what I would like for my birthday, and I said: "A moth trap".
She paused. She said: "Wouldn't you like an iPod?"
I said: "I'd like a moth trap, please."
She said: "You haven't got an iPod. They're great. You can load all your music onto them. Even the old stuff that you like. You could listen to the children's, just to get the idea. They won't mind. Why don't you have a listen?"
I said: "Moth trap."
She sighed then and went away shaking her head, but her being the good egg that she is, the moth trap duly arrived, in a parcel big enough to hold a lavatory bowl. It's basically just a box with a lamp and a narrow entrance, through which moths, attracted by the lamp, fly in, but can't get out till you release them (having identified them first from your guide).
It is astounding in its effect. On my first use of it, in west London on one of the few warm nights in June, it tempted out several species which I never dreamed were living during the day in the surrounding suburban vegetation, ranging from the dark arches and the riband wave to the broad-bordered yellow underwing.
But then in August I took it with us on holiday to Normandy, and on a sultry night in a country garden, on the edge of an orchard, it excelled itself, attracting scores and scores of examples of more than a dozen species, some of them spectacular: at midnight six Jersey Tiger moths, which are exquisite, were flying round the lamp, as part of a swarming cloud of insects flashing in and out of the halo of light.
It was the moth snowstorm, I thought. Still there, in France. But I wish I could see it in England.
The butterflies' last hurrah
As for butterflies – even though summer's over, there are three late-occurring species worth looking out for: the silver-spotted skipper, the brown hairstreak (the female of which is fabulous) and the clouded yellow, a lovely immigrant from the continent. Plus the colourful quartet of red admiral, peacock, tortoiseshell and painted lady, now in their second broods and feeding up frantically on buddleia nectar, as the first three of them are preparing to hibernate in a corner of your shed. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/nature_studies/nature-studies-by-michael-mccarthy-in-search-of-another-great-moth-snowstorm-2347670.html
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Rare moth spotted during Lambeth wildlife count
Bat populations also thriving August 2011: A rare species of moth that until recently had hardly ever been seen in London has been spotted by volunteer conservationists in Brockwell Park in Lambeth.
The group discovered the rare Jersey tiger moth - which used to be found only in the Channel Islands and the far south of England - while recording local moth and bat populations in Brockwell and Ruskin Parks at night.
Experts believe that brightly coloured tiger moths are gradually moving northwards as the summers become more reliably warm, and they are becoming more common in London.
More than 40 local people volunteered to stay in Brockwell Park on two consecutive nights with local experts and the Friends of Brockwell Park to record the number of bats and moths found there.
BatsIn Brockwell Park at least 14 bats were spotted during the course of the first night, and included common pipistrelle in healthy numbers, as well as soprano pipistrelles and, even more excitingly, Daubenton's bat, which prefers hunting for insects over water.
Most bat activity centred on the park's middle pond which has good habitat structure for these flying mammals being sheltered on either side by trees. Bats are a superb indicator of the ‘ecological quality' of an open space, with each species tending to specialise - a range of species indicates a healthy balance of places to feed and travel, and the success of the park's meadow areas and ponds with 'wild' edges.
This success is also demonstrated by the variety and quantity of moths found next night in Brockwell Park, with 24 different species recorded, including the flame shoulder moth, marbled minor moth and notable sightings of the rare Jersey tiger and small clover case-bearer moths.
Ruskin Park, which contains a similar mixture of ponds and natural wildlife habitats, was also well used by common and soprano pipistrelle bats. A new wildlife-friendly community garden in the centre of the park is also helping to increase the number of feeding opportunities for bats as well as insects like moths on which they feed.
All of the sightings, both common and scarcer species, will be submitted to Greenspace Information for Greater London which collates and makes available information on London's wildlife, parks, nature reserves, gardens and other open spaces.
Donald Campbell from Veolia Environmental Services, which manages both Brockwell and Ruskin Park, said: ‘We're really pleased with the number of moths and bats recorded over each evening. It's great that the residents of Lambeth have this much biodiversity on their doorstep, and we will continue to ensure that all of our parks are a place for both residents and wildlife.'
Iain Boulton from Lambeth Council's Parks and Greenspaces department said: ‘To see a Jersey tiger moth was fantastic. This is an important sighting, which will be recorded and used to monitor the spread of Jersey moths as they apparently move further northwards through the UK. It's also interesting evidence of how our changing climate seems to be having an impact on wildlife.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/lambeth-moth.html
The group discovered the rare Jersey tiger moth - which used to be found only in the Channel Islands and the far south of England - while recording local moth and bat populations in Brockwell and Ruskin Parks at night.
Experts believe that brightly coloured tiger moths are gradually moving northwards as the summers become more reliably warm, and they are becoming more common in London.
More than 40 local people volunteered to stay in Brockwell Park on two consecutive nights with local experts and the Friends of Brockwell Park to record the number of bats and moths found there.
BatsIn Brockwell Park at least 14 bats were spotted during the course of the first night, and included common pipistrelle in healthy numbers, as well as soprano pipistrelles and, even more excitingly, Daubenton's bat, which prefers hunting for insects over water.
Most bat activity centred on the park's middle pond which has good habitat structure for these flying mammals being sheltered on either side by trees. Bats are a superb indicator of the ‘ecological quality' of an open space, with each species tending to specialise - a range of species indicates a healthy balance of places to feed and travel, and the success of the park's meadow areas and ponds with 'wild' edges.
This success is also demonstrated by the variety and quantity of moths found next night in Brockwell Park, with 24 different species recorded, including the flame shoulder moth, marbled minor moth and notable sightings of the rare Jersey tiger and small clover case-bearer moths.
Ruskin Park, which contains a similar mixture of ponds and natural wildlife habitats, was also well used by common and soprano pipistrelle bats. A new wildlife-friendly community garden in the centre of the park is also helping to increase the number of feeding opportunities for bats as well as insects like moths on which they feed.
All of the sightings, both common and scarcer species, will be submitted to Greenspace Information for Greater London which collates and makes available information on London's wildlife, parks, nature reserves, gardens and other open spaces.
Donald Campbell from Veolia Environmental Services, which manages both Brockwell and Ruskin Park, said: ‘We're really pleased with the number of moths and bats recorded over each evening. It's great that the residents of Lambeth have this much biodiversity on their doorstep, and we will continue to ensure that all of our parks are a place for both residents and wildlife.'
Iain Boulton from Lambeth Council's Parks and Greenspaces department said: ‘To see a Jersey tiger moth was fantastic. This is an important sighting, which will be recorded and used to monitor the spread of Jersey moths as they apparently move further northwards through the UK. It's also interesting evidence of how our changing climate seems to be having an impact on wildlife.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/lambeth-moth.html
Sunday, July 10, 2011
‘Barcoding blitz’ on Australia’s butterflies
About 65 per cent of Australia's 10,000 known species
DATABASE: The blue-banded eggfly - one of Australia's 10,000 known butterflies and moths
July 2011: In just 10 weeks a team of Canadian researchers has succeeded in 'barcoding' 28,000 moth and butterfly specimens - or about 65 per cent of Australia's 10,000 known species - held at CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) in Canberra.
Conducted in collaboration with the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) as part of the International Barcode of Life (IBoL), the project involved extracting DNA from each specimen to record its unique genetic code and entering the results, together with an image and other details, to the ALA and ANIC databases. ANIC is the first national collection to integrate the new barcoding approach for a major group of insects.
The Collection's Director, Dr John La Salle, said DNA barcoding is a kind of 'genetic fingerprinting' which has proven useful in identifying different forms of life.
Barcoding useful for biosecurity
'Barcoding will be critically important to our goal of being able to rapidly identify most organisms on the planet within the next decade or so,' Dr La Salle said. 'This will produce strong benefits for entomology, life sciences and biosecurity.'
He said barcoding has already achieved some interesting successes in, for example, Europe and the US where it is being used to investigate food fraud, such as selling one type of fish as another type of fish.
According to Atlas of Living Australia Director, Donald Hobern, many moths and butterflies are of economic and/or environmental importance to Australia.
'Using barcoding for rapid species identification will transform how we handle monitoring of biodiversity across Australia and how we respond to potential pest arrivals at Australian borders,' Mr Hobern said. 'Barcoding for rapid species identification is a powerful new tool which will also assist taxonomists in recognising and describing new species.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/barcode-butterflies.html#cr
July 2011: In just 10 weeks a team of Canadian researchers has succeeded in 'barcoding' 28,000 moth and butterfly specimens - or about 65 per cent of Australia's 10,000 known species - held at CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) in Canberra.
Conducted in collaboration with the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) as part of the International Barcode of Life (IBoL), the project involved extracting DNA from each specimen to record its unique genetic code and entering the results, together with an image and other details, to the ALA and ANIC databases. ANIC is the first national collection to integrate the new barcoding approach for a major group of insects.
The Collection's Director, Dr John La Salle, said DNA barcoding is a kind of 'genetic fingerprinting' which has proven useful in identifying different forms of life.
Barcoding useful for biosecurity
'Barcoding will be critically important to our goal of being able to rapidly identify most organisms on the planet within the next decade or so,' Dr La Salle said. 'This will produce strong benefits for entomology, life sciences and biosecurity.'
He said barcoding has already achieved some interesting successes in, for example, Europe and the US where it is being used to investigate food fraud, such as selling one type of fish as another type of fish.
According to Atlas of Living Australia Director, Donald Hobern, many moths and butterflies are of economic and/or environmental importance to Australia.
'Using barcoding for rapid species identification will transform how we handle monitoring of biodiversity across Australia and how we respond to potential pest arrivals at Australian borders,' Mr Hobern said. 'Barcoding for rapid species identification is a powerful new tool which will also assist taxonomists in recognising and describing new species.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/barcode-butterflies.html#cr
Friday, July 1, 2011
Wade Scholte, Parker, Colorado Boy, Has Moth Pulled From His Ear
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/29/wade-scholte-parker-color_n_886985.html
PARKER, Colo. -- Doctors have removed a stubborn moth from a 12-year-old Colorado boy's ear after trying in vain to kill it. In the end, the moth was removed with tweezers. Wade Scholte of Parker, southeast of Denver, says the moth crawled into his ear Sunday night after he fell asleep. He awoke screaming and crying.
Read on (and watch the video)...
PARKER, Colo. -- Doctors have removed a stubborn moth from a 12-year-old Colorado boy's ear after trying in vain to kill it. In the end, the moth was removed with tweezers. Wade Scholte of Parker, southeast of Denver, says the moth crawled into his ear Sunday night after he fell asleep. He awoke screaming and crying.
Read on (and watch the video)...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Ermine moth larvae in Bradford's Shipley Hall Fields
17 May 2011
A Yorkshire urban park has been infested with thousands of caterpillars, stripping 15 trees of all their leaves.
The caterpillars have been identified as Ermine moth larvae and the normally busy Shipley Hall Fields in Bradford is now empty of people.
The larvae have formed large communal webs covering railings and tree trunks in the small park at Frizinghall.
The infestation is not dangerous, but has been caused by recent warm weather.
The larvae are about an inch long.
Rizwan Malik, a Bradford councillor, said: "It's not a serious situation but obviously is distressing.
"I'd like this to be resolved as soon as possible so at least the park can be used again."
Birds and hedgehogs
Dennis Shipway, Bradford Council's pest control manager, said: "We are going to let nature run its course because the Ermine moth larvae is harmless.
"If we were to spray insecticide it could damage the environment more and pose a risk to residents.
"The trees have been stripped of their leaves and bark, but it is too early to say what will happen to them."
The park contains around 40 trees - 15 have been stripped completely bare.
Leaving the larvae to nature will provide a bounty for the local birds and hedgehogs.
All moths start life as a caterpillar, form a pupa, then emerge as a winged adult.
Over 2,400 species of moth have been recorded in the British Isles.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-13425031
A Yorkshire urban park has been infested with thousands of caterpillars, stripping 15 trees of all their leaves.
The caterpillars have been identified as Ermine moth larvae and the normally busy Shipley Hall Fields in Bradford is now empty of people.
The larvae have formed large communal webs covering railings and tree trunks in the small park at Frizinghall.
The infestation is not dangerous, but has been caused by recent warm weather.
The larvae are about an inch long.
Rizwan Malik, a Bradford councillor, said: "It's not a serious situation but obviously is distressing.
"I'd like this to be resolved as soon as possible so at least the park can be used again."
Birds and hedgehogs
Dennis Shipway, Bradford Council's pest control manager, said: "We are going to let nature run its course because the Ermine moth larvae is harmless.
"If we were to spray insecticide it could damage the environment more and pose a risk to residents.
"The trees have been stripped of their leaves and bark, but it is too early to say what will happen to them."
The park contains around 40 trees - 15 have been stripped completely bare.
Leaving the larvae to nature will provide a bounty for the local birds and hedgehogs.
All moths start life as a caterpillar, form a pupa, then emerge as a winged adult.
Over 2,400 species of moth have been recorded in the British Isles.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-13425031
Friday, April 22, 2011
Outbreak of toxic caterpillars in Pangbourne
 |
| The oak processionary moth caterpillar feeds on oak tree leaves |
Residents in Pangbourne and parts of west London have been warned to steer clear of a toxic caterpillar.
The Forestry Commission has issued a caution not to touch the caterpillars of the oak processionary moth.
Their hairs contain a toxin that can cause itchy skin rashes as well as eye and throat irritations.
The Forestry Commission's Stewart Snape said residents can report sightings but that the caterpillars should only be removed by pest control operators.
Officials are now dealing with outbreaks of the moth in Pangbourne in West Berkshire and the London boroughs of Ealing, Brent, Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames and Hammersmith & Fulham.
Health Protection Agency director Dr Brian McCloskey said: "We strongly advise people not to touch or approach the caterpillars or their nests because of the health risks caused by the toxin-containing hairs.
"Pets can also be affected and should be kept away as well".
He added that anyone who experiences an itchy skin rash or other allergic symptoms after being near oak trees in these areas should consult their GP.
As a caterpillar, each oak processionary moth has around 62,000 hairs, which they can eject.
Hairs that fall to the ground can be active for up to five years.
The moths only live for two to three days in July or August.
It is thought that the moths were brought into the UK on trees imported from Europe for a landscape project.
A population of oak processionary moths then established itself in the west London area in 2006.
The species was discovered in Pangbourne in 2010.
Sighting reports can be sent to Forest Research, part of the Forestry Commission, on 01420 22255 or via christine.tilbury@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.
Residents having oak trees pruned or felled in any of the affected areas should first contact the Forestry Commission's Plant Health Service on 0131 314 6414 or via plant.health@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-13116458
Monday, January 31, 2011
Romney Marsh & Dungeness the last refuge of rare species
Monday, 31 January 2011
An area of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay has been identified as one of the ten most important wildlife sites in the country by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.
The sites, registered as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) which mark the best examples of wildlife and geology that the UK can offer, are the last refuge of some of England’s rarest species. The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI being the last place in the South East were the Sussex Emerald moth is found.
The larvae of the moth loves the Dungeness peninsular, where the caterpillar's favoured food – wild carrot – thrives on the free-draining, vegetated shingle.
Helen Phillips, Natural England’s Chief Executive, said: "SSSIs are often all that stand between some of our most threatened species and extinction. By providing essential habitat that may not be found elsewhere, they represent a life support system whose importance cannot be overstated. It’s important that we celebrate these last refuges and the species they sustain, so that we can ensure they receive the attention and support they need."
The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI was one of 10 sites highlighted by Natural England without which the organisation says a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
The other sites identified are:
The ten SSSIs are among 4,119 across England, ranging from a 4.5 sq m barn in Gloucestershire (home to lesser horseshoe bats) to huge areas such as 37,000 hectares of the Humber estuary (where a colony of grey seals and 50,000 golden plovers are found) which in total cover more than 8 per cent of England.
http://www.romneymarshtimes.com/2011/01/romney-marsh-dungeness-last-refuge-of.html
An area of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay has been identified as one of the ten most important wildlife sites in the country by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.
The sites, registered as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) which mark the best examples of wildlife and geology that the UK can offer, are the last refuge of some of England’s rarest species. The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI being the last place in the South East were the Sussex Emerald moth is found.
The larvae of the moth loves the Dungeness peninsular, where the caterpillar's favoured food – wild carrot – thrives on the free-draining, vegetated shingle.
Helen Phillips, Natural England’s Chief Executive, said: "SSSIs are often all that stand between some of our most threatened species and extinction. By providing essential habitat that may not be found elsewhere, they represent a life support system whose importance cannot be overstated. It’s important that we celebrate these last refuges and the species they sustain, so that we can ensure they receive the attention and support they need."
The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI was one of 10 sites highlighted by Natural England without which the organisation says a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
The other sites identified are:
- Avon Gorge SSSI in Bristol/Somerset,
- Derbyshire Cressbrook Dale SSSI,
- Cranmore SSSI on the Isle of Wight,
- Lindisfarne SSSI in Northumberland,
- Windsor Forest and Great Park SSSI,
- Upper Teesdale SSSI in Co. Durham.
The ten SSSIs are among 4,119 across England, ranging from a 4.5 sq m barn in Gloucestershire (home to lesser horseshoe bats) to huge areas such as 37,000 hectares of the Humber estuary (where a colony of grey seals and 50,000 golden plovers are found) which in total cover more than 8 per cent of England.
http://www.romneymarshtimes.com/2011/01/romney-marsh-dungeness-last-refuge-of.html
Romney Marsh & Dungeness the last refuge of rare species
Monday, 31 January 2011
An area of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay has been identified as one of the ten most important wildlife sites in the country by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.
The sites, registered as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) which mark the best examples of wildlife and geology that the UK can offer, are the last refuge of some of England’s rarest species. The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI being the last place in the South East were the Sussex Emerald moth is found.
The larvae of the moth loves the Dungeness peninsular, where the caterpillar's favoured food – wild carrot – thrives on the free-draining, vegetated shingle.
Helen Phillips, Natural England’s Chief Executive, said: "SSSIs are often all that stand between some of our most threatened species and extinction. By providing essential habitat that may not be found elsewhere, they represent a life support system whose importance cannot be overstated. It’s important that we celebrate these last refuges and the species they sustain, so that we can ensure they receive the attention and support they need."
The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI was one of 10 sites highlighted by Natural England without which the organisation says a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
The other sites identified are:
The ten SSSIs are among 4,119 across England, ranging from a 4.5 sq m barn in Gloucestershire (home to lesser horseshoe bats) to huge areas such as 37,000 hectares of the Humber estuary (where a colony of grey seals and 50,000 golden plovers are found) which in total cover more than 8 per cent of England.
http://www.romneymarshtimes.com/2011/01/romney-marsh-dungeness-last-refuge-of.html
An area of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay has been identified as one of the ten most important wildlife sites in the country by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.
The sites, registered as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) which mark the best examples of wildlife and geology that the UK can offer, are the last refuge of some of England’s rarest species. The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI being the last place in the South East were the Sussex Emerald moth is found.
The larvae of the moth loves the Dungeness peninsular, where the caterpillar's favoured food – wild carrot – thrives on the free-draining, vegetated shingle.
Helen Phillips, Natural England’s Chief Executive, said: "SSSIs are often all that stand between some of our most threatened species and extinction. By providing essential habitat that may not be found elsewhere, they represent a life support system whose importance cannot be overstated. It’s important that we celebrate these last refuges and the species they sustain, so that we can ensure they receive the attention and support they need."
The Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay SSSI was one of 10 sites highlighted by Natural England without which the organisation says a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
The other sites identified are:
- Avon Gorge SSSI in Bristol/Somerset,
- Derbyshire Cressbrook Dale SSSI,
- Cranmore SSSI on the Isle of Wight,
- Lindisfarne SSSI in Northumberland,
- Windsor Forest and Great Park SSSI,
- Upper Teesdale SSSI in Co. Durham.
The ten SSSIs are among 4,119 across England, ranging from a 4.5 sq m barn in Gloucestershire (home to lesser horseshoe bats) to huge areas such as 37,000 hectares of the Humber estuary (where a colony of grey seals and 50,000 golden plovers are found) which in total cover more than 8 per cent of England.
http://www.romneymarshtimes.com/2011/01/romney-marsh-dungeness-last-refuge-of.html
Friday, January 28, 2011
Rare Moth Thrives in "Last Refuge" on the Island
Thursday, January 27th 2011 07:00
The Isle of Wight is the last refuge for a rare moth.
A report by Natural England, called Protecting England's Natural Treasures, shows the reddish buff species is now confined to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Cranmore, one of the three most important sites for rare wildlife in the country.
The insect was previously found in Hampshire and Dorset, but attempts to reintroduce the moth to the mainland have failed.
The report highlights the hard work of landowners, farmers and volunteers who have transformed the fortunes of England's SSSIs, halting or reversing the long process of decline experienced by many SSSIs over recent decades.
Without these wildlife havens, the report says, a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
Richard Grogan, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, told IW Radio: "Cranmore has a number of small areas of land that have not been improved by chemicals or application of fertilizer or ploughing, and so they are very old grasslands. And it is in those grasslands that a plant called saw-wort lives and it's the food plant for this very rare moth.
"We have to keep the grassland open and sunny so we have spent a long time removing small, scrubby thorn trees from the site where the food plant grows. The residents are very keen to help and we call it [the moth] the Giant Panda of the Isle of Wight."
Work to enhance the moth's habitat at Cranmore has been funded by the West Wight Landscape Partnership, of which Natural England is a partner, and Higher Level Stewardship agreements.
http://www.iwradio.co.uk/newscentre/iw-radio-news/rare-moth-thrives-in-last-refuge-on-the-island-1923
The Isle of Wight is the last refuge for a rare moth.
A report by Natural England, called Protecting England's Natural Treasures, shows the reddish buff species is now confined to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Cranmore, one of the three most important sites for rare wildlife in the country.
The insect was previously found in Hampshire and Dorset, but attempts to reintroduce the moth to the mainland have failed.
The report highlights the hard work of landowners, farmers and volunteers who have transformed the fortunes of England's SSSIs, halting or reversing the long process of decline experienced by many SSSIs over recent decades.
Without these wildlife havens, the report says, a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
Richard Grogan, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, told IW Radio: "Cranmore has a number of small areas of land that have not been improved by chemicals or application of fertilizer or ploughing, and so they are very old grasslands. And it is in those grasslands that a plant called saw-wort lives and it's the food plant for this very rare moth.
"We have to keep the grassland open and sunny so we have spent a long time removing small, scrubby thorn trees from the site where the food plant grows. The residents are very keen to help and we call it [the moth] the Giant Panda of the Isle of Wight."
Work to enhance the moth's habitat at Cranmore has been funded by the West Wight Landscape Partnership, of which Natural England is a partner, and Higher Level Stewardship agreements.
http://www.iwradio.co.uk/newscentre/iw-radio-news/rare-moth-thrives-in-last-refuge-on-the-island-1923
Rare Moth Thrives in "Last Refuge" on the Island
Thursday, January 27th 2011 07:00
The Isle of Wight is the last refuge for a rare moth.
A report by Natural England, called Protecting England's Natural Treasures, shows the reddish buff species is now confined to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Cranmore, one of the three most important sites for rare wildlife in the country.
The insect was previously found in Hampshire and Dorset, but attempts to reintroduce the moth to the mainland have failed.
The report highlights the hard work of landowners, farmers and volunteers who have transformed the fortunes of England's SSSIs, halting or reversing the long process of decline experienced by many SSSIs over recent decades.
Without these wildlife havens, the report says, a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
Richard Grogan, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, told IW Radio: "Cranmore has a number of small areas of land that have not been improved by chemicals or application of fertilizer or ploughing, and so they are very old grasslands. And it is in those grasslands that a plant called saw-wort lives and it's the food plant for this very rare moth.
"We have to keep the grassland open and sunny so we have spent a long time removing small, scrubby thorn trees from the site where the food plant grows. The residents are very keen to help and we call it [the moth] the Giant Panda of the Isle of Wight."
Work to enhance the moth's habitat at Cranmore has been funded by the West Wight Landscape Partnership, of which Natural England is a partner, and Higher Level Stewardship agreements.
http://www.iwradio.co.uk/newscentre/iw-radio-news/rare-moth-thrives-in-last-refuge-on-the-island-1923
The Isle of Wight is the last refuge for a rare moth.
A report by Natural England, called Protecting England's Natural Treasures, shows the reddish buff species is now confined to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Cranmore, one of the three most important sites for rare wildlife in the country.
The insect was previously found in Hampshire and Dorset, but attempts to reintroduce the moth to the mainland have failed.
The report highlights the hard work of landowners, farmers and volunteers who have transformed the fortunes of England's SSSIs, halting or reversing the long process of decline experienced by many SSSIs over recent decades.
Without these wildlife havens, the report says, a number of fragile species clinging to survival would disappear from the UK and some would become globally extinct.
Richard Grogan, from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, told IW Radio: "Cranmore has a number of small areas of land that have not been improved by chemicals or application of fertilizer or ploughing, and so they are very old grasslands. And it is in those grasslands that a plant called saw-wort lives and it's the food plant for this very rare moth.
"We have to keep the grassland open and sunny so we have spent a long time removing small, scrubby thorn trees from the site where the food plant grows. The residents are very keen to help and we call it [the moth] the Giant Panda of the Isle of Wight."
Work to enhance the moth's habitat at Cranmore has been funded by the West Wight Landscape Partnership, of which Natural England is a partner, and Higher Level Stewardship agreements.
http://www.iwradio.co.uk/newscentre/iw-radio-news/rare-moth-thrives-in-last-refuge-on-the-island-1923
Saturday, January 15, 2011
New atlas catalogues UK's large moth species
Volunteers compile huge database which locates 11.3m individual moth records and shows species decline
Martin Wainwright
guardian.co.uk, Friday 14 January 2011 18.06 GMT
The silent and subtly beautiful visitors which grace Britain's gardens after dark have for the first time been monitored on a massive – and scientifically significant – scale.
Despised and even feared by some, the country's remarkable range of larger moths is catalogued in a new atlas made up of 11.3m individual records.
Hunched over light traps, beating bushes for caterpillars or painting a mix of rum and treacle on tree trunks, volunteers have compiled the enormous database. Their quarry ranges from the noble-sounding splendid brocade and slender burnished brass – both clinging on at a handful of sites in southern England – to moths which drew the short straw for their names, such as the lead-coloured drab and sloe pug.
Based on records from thousands of 10x10km squares across the country, including traps at the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, the atlas charts a familiar story of species decline. But while there are serious threats to once-familiar moths such as the lappet, which combines a curious snout with the camouflage colour and shape of a dead leaf, others are proving an unexpected success.
Since 1900, some 540 new species have been added to the official British list of larger moths, which is approaching 3,000-strong. Mark Parsons of Butterfly Conservation estimates that 112 are sufficiently well-established to be considered permanent settlers, compared with 62 passing into extinction.
Recorders contributing to the atlas describe as "truly astonishing" the pace of colonisation by newcomers such as the Jersey mocha, dusky peacock and sombre brocade. But changes in climate and the landscape, which largely dictate the health or otherwise of moth populations, have been less kind to the bordered gothic and Brighton wainscot. Both are now officially considered lost.
Moths are important indicators of the welfare of wildlife generally, sensitive to atmospherics and with their caterpillars central to bird diet in the country's food chain. Richard Fox, surveys manager for Butterfly Conservation, said: "Moths have a lot to tell us. Their declines alert us to deterioration in the environment. Where they are found can also tell us something significant about climate change.
"This is why the new atlas is so important. It is a huge step forward in helping to protect Britain's moths. It's been a fantastic effort to get to this stage, with thousands of volunteer moth recorders sending in sightings from every county across the UK."
The data, described as "provisional" because of major analysis and further records yet to come, also shows a steady migration of many species northwards across the UK. Scientists are provisionally linking this to the warming effects of climate change, but remain tentative about definite conclusions.
They also hope that the atlas will increase the number of moth enthusiasts, whose ranks have grown at an unprecedented rate since the invention of digital photography. Far from dull and drab, the insects boast an extraordinary range of colours, including light-reflective metallic wing scales. Camouflage resembles everything from an owl to a fox and Winter moths – currently visible, weakly fluttering in car headlights – survive through a natural anti-freeze in their blood.
Only two species damage fabrics and only one – the flame shoulder – has a genuine reputation for seeking out the warmth and shelter of the human ear. Moths are also one of the UK's relatively few "unknowns" where fresh discoveries can be made; a Dr Blair on the Isle of Wight has three new species to his credit, and all are named after him.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/14/insects-wildlife
Martin Wainwright
guardian.co.uk, Friday 14 January 2011 18.06 GMT
The silent and subtly beautiful visitors which grace Britain's gardens after dark have for the first time been monitored on a massive – and scientifically significant – scale.
Despised and even feared by some, the country's remarkable range of larger moths is catalogued in a new atlas made up of 11.3m individual records.
Hunched over light traps, beating bushes for caterpillars or painting a mix of rum and treacle on tree trunks, volunteers have compiled the enormous database. Their quarry ranges from the noble-sounding splendid brocade and slender burnished brass – both clinging on at a handful of sites in southern England – to moths which drew the short straw for their names, such as the lead-coloured drab and sloe pug.
Based on records from thousands of 10x10km squares across the country, including traps at the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, the atlas charts a familiar story of species decline. But while there are serious threats to once-familiar moths such as the lappet, which combines a curious snout with the camouflage colour and shape of a dead leaf, others are proving an unexpected success.
Since 1900, some 540 new species have been added to the official British list of larger moths, which is approaching 3,000-strong. Mark Parsons of Butterfly Conservation estimates that 112 are sufficiently well-established to be considered permanent settlers, compared with 62 passing into extinction.
Recorders contributing to the atlas describe as "truly astonishing" the pace of colonisation by newcomers such as the Jersey mocha, dusky peacock and sombre brocade. But changes in climate and the landscape, which largely dictate the health or otherwise of moth populations, have been less kind to the bordered gothic and Brighton wainscot. Both are now officially considered lost.
Moths are important indicators of the welfare of wildlife generally, sensitive to atmospherics and with their caterpillars central to bird diet in the country's food chain. Richard Fox, surveys manager for Butterfly Conservation, said: "Moths have a lot to tell us. Their declines alert us to deterioration in the environment. Where they are found can also tell us something significant about climate change.
"This is why the new atlas is so important. It is a huge step forward in helping to protect Britain's moths. It's been a fantastic effort to get to this stage, with thousands of volunteer moth recorders sending in sightings from every county across the UK."
The data, described as "provisional" because of major analysis and further records yet to come, also shows a steady migration of many species northwards across the UK. Scientists are provisionally linking this to the warming effects of climate change, but remain tentative about definite conclusions.
They also hope that the atlas will increase the number of moth enthusiasts, whose ranks have grown at an unprecedented rate since the invention of digital photography. Far from dull and drab, the insects boast an extraordinary range of colours, including light-reflective metallic wing scales. Camouflage resembles everything from an owl to a fox and Winter moths – currently visible, weakly fluttering in car headlights – survive through a natural anti-freeze in their blood.
Only two species damage fabrics and only one – the flame shoulder – has a genuine reputation for seeking out the warmth and shelter of the human ear. Moths are also one of the UK's relatively few "unknowns" where fresh discoveries can be made; a Dr Blair on the Isle of Wight has three new species to his credit, and all are named after him.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/14/insects-wildlife
New atlas catalogues UK's large moth species
Volunteers compile huge database which locates 11.3m individual moth records and shows species decline
Martin Wainwright
guardian.co.uk, Friday 14 January 2011 18.06 GMT
The silent and subtly beautiful visitors which grace Britain's gardens after dark have for the first time been monitored on a massive – and scientifically significant – scale.
Despised and even feared by some, the country's remarkable range of larger moths is catalogued in a new atlas made up of 11.3m individual records.
Hunched over light traps, beating bushes for caterpillars or painting a mix of rum and treacle on tree trunks, volunteers have compiled the enormous database. Their quarry ranges from the noble-sounding splendid brocade and slender burnished brass – both clinging on at a handful of sites in southern England – to moths which drew the short straw for their names, such as the lead-coloured drab and sloe pug.
Based on records from thousands of 10x10km squares across the country, including traps at the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, the atlas charts a familiar story of species decline. But while there are serious threats to once-familiar moths such as the lappet, which combines a curious snout with the camouflage colour and shape of a dead leaf, others are proving an unexpected success.
Since 1900, some 540 new species have been added to the official British list of larger moths, which is approaching 3,000-strong. Mark Parsons of Butterfly Conservation estimates that 112 are sufficiently well-established to be considered permanent settlers, compared with 62 passing into extinction.
Recorders contributing to the atlas describe as "truly astonishing" the pace of colonisation by newcomers such as the Jersey mocha, dusky peacock and sombre brocade. But changes in climate and the landscape, which largely dictate the health or otherwise of moth populations, have been less kind to the bordered gothic and Brighton wainscot. Both are now officially considered lost.
Moths are important indicators of the welfare of wildlife generally, sensitive to atmospherics and with their caterpillars central to bird diet in the country's food chain. Richard Fox, surveys manager for Butterfly Conservation, said: "Moths have a lot to tell us. Their declines alert us to deterioration in the environment. Where they are found can also tell us something significant about climate change.
"This is why the new atlas is so important. It is a huge step forward in helping to protect Britain's moths. It's been a fantastic effort to get to this stage, with thousands of volunteer moth recorders sending in sightings from every county across the UK."
The data, described as "provisional" because of major analysis and further records yet to come, also shows a steady migration of many species northwards across the UK. Scientists are provisionally linking this to the warming effects of climate change, but remain tentative about definite conclusions.
They also hope that the atlas will increase the number of moth enthusiasts, whose ranks have grown at an unprecedented rate since the invention of digital photography. Far from dull and drab, the insects boast an extraordinary range of colours, including light-reflective metallic wing scales. Camouflage resembles everything from an owl to a fox and Winter moths – currently visible, weakly fluttering in car headlights – survive through a natural anti-freeze in their blood.
Only two species damage fabrics and only one – the flame shoulder – has a genuine reputation for seeking out the warmth and shelter of the human ear. Moths are also one of the UK's relatively few "unknowns" where fresh discoveries can be made; a Dr Blair on the Isle of Wight has three new species to his credit, and all are named after him.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/14/insects-wildlife
Martin Wainwright
guardian.co.uk, Friday 14 January 2011 18.06 GMT
The silent and subtly beautiful visitors which grace Britain's gardens after dark have for the first time been monitored on a massive – and scientifically significant – scale.
Despised and even feared by some, the country's remarkable range of larger moths is catalogued in a new atlas made up of 11.3m individual records.
Hunched over light traps, beating bushes for caterpillars or painting a mix of rum and treacle on tree trunks, volunteers have compiled the enormous database. Their quarry ranges from the noble-sounding splendid brocade and slender burnished brass – both clinging on at a handful of sites in southern England – to moths which drew the short straw for their names, such as the lead-coloured drab and sloe pug.
Based on records from thousands of 10x10km squares across the country, including traps at the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, the atlas charts a familiar story of species decline. But while there are serious threats to once-familiar moths such as the lappet, which combines a curious snout with the camouflage colour and shape of a dead leaf, others are proving an unexpected success.
Since 1900, some 540 new species have been added to the official British list of larger moths, which is approaching 3,000-strong. Mark Parsons of Butterfly Conservation estimates that 112 are sufficiently well-established to be considered permanent settlers, compared with 62 passing into extinction.
Recorders contributing to the atlas describe as "truly astonishing" the pace of colonisation by newcomers such as the Jersey mocha, dusky peacock and sombre brocade. But changes in climate and the landscape, which largely dictate the health or otherwise of moth populations, have been less kind to the bordered gothic and Brighton wainscot. Both are now officially considered lost.
Moths are important indicators of the welfare of wildlife generally, sensitive to atmospherics and with their caterpillars central to bird diet in the country's food chain. Richard Fox, surveys manager for Butterfly Conservation, said: "Moths have a lot to tell us. Their declines alert us to deterioration in the environment. Where they are found can also tell us something significant about climate change.
"This is why the new atlas is so important. It is a huge step forward in helping to protect Britain's moths. It's been a fantastic effort to get to this stage, with thousands of volunteer moth recorders sending in sightings from every county across the UK."
The data, described as "provisional" because of major analysis and further records yet to come, also shows a steady migration of many species northwards across the UK. Scientists are provisionally linking this to the warming effects of climate change, but remain tentative about definite conclusions.
They also hope that the atlas will increase the number of moth enthusiasts, whose ranks have grown at an unprecedented rate since the invention of digital photography. Far from dull and drab, the insects boast an extraordinary range of colours, including light-reflective metallic wing scales. Camouflage resembles everything from an owl to a fox and Winter moths – currently visible, weakly fluttering in car headlights – survive through a natural anti-freeze in their blood.
Only two species damage fabrics and only one – the flame shoulder – has a genuine reputation for seeking out the warmth and shelter of the human ear. Moths are also one of the UK's relatively few "unknowns" where fresh discoveries can be made; a Dr Blair on the Isle of Wight has three new species to his credit, and all are named after him.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/14/insects-wildlife
Saturday, September 18, 2010
1,000 moth species living in England’s protected woodlands
Saturday, 18th September 2010
Emily Beament, PA
More than 1,000 species of moth were found living in the treetops of England’s protected woodlands, a two-year survey revealed yesterday.
Nearly 100 of the country’s rarest moths were identified among 22,500 separate records of the insects in the study of the canopies of woodland sites of special scientific interest.
The survey took samples from 45 of the protected sites, and a total of 1,083 moth species were found, the government’s conservation agency, Natural England, said.
At Roudsea Wood and Mosses SSSI in Cumbria, scientists identified 348 moth species, while 15 of England’s rarest and most threatened moths were found in Langley Wood in Wiltshire.
Tom Tew, chief scientist for Natural England, said: “Moths, by their nature, are elusive, so the findings of this comprehensive study into the diversity and distribution of moths in our woodlands provides an important scientific record. “The findings also demonstrate how important these woodland habitats are for some of our most threatened species of moth, such as the dark crimson underwing and the triangle.
“Moths, like their daytime cousins butterflies, play an important role in England’s biodiversity and the pollination of plants and flowers.
“We have been given a rare glimpse of the habits of these night-time beauties and this data will enhance future habitat protection.”
Mark Parsons, of Butterfly Conservation, said: “Woodlands, and their associated habitats, are known to support a wide range of species and appropriate management is key to the continued survival of many of these moths and other insects.
“Long-term monitoring of moths show large-scale losses since the late 1960s so it is great to reveal just how important these sites are.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100918/world-news/1-000-moth-species-living-in-england-s-protected-woodlands
Emily Beament, PA
More than 1,000 species of moth were found living in the treetops of England’s protected woodlands, a two-year survey revealed yesterday.
Nearly 100 of the country’s rarest moths were identified among 22,500 separate records of the insects in the study of the canopies of woodland sites of special scientific interest.
The survey took samples from 45 of the protected sites, and a total of 1,083 moth species were found, the government’s conservation agency, Natural England, said.
At Roudsea Wood and Mosses SSSI in Cumbria, scientists identified 348 moth species, while 15 of England’s rarest and most threatened moths were found in Langley Wood in Wiltshire.
Tom Tew, chief scientist for Natural England, said: “Moths, by their nature, are elusive, so the findings of this comprehensive study into the diversity and distribution of moths in our woodlands provides an important scientific record. “The findings also demonstrate how important these woodland habitats are for some of our most threatened species of moth, such as the dark crimson underwing and the triangle.
“Moths, like their daytime cousins butterflies, play an important role in England’s biodiversity and the pollination of plants and flowers.
“We have been given a rare glimpse of the habits of these night-time beauties and this data will enhance future habitat protection.”
Mark Parsons, of Butterfly Conservation, said: “Woodlands, and their associated habitats, are known to support a wide range of species and appropriate management is key to the continued survival of many of these moths and other insects.
“Long-term monitoring of moths show large-scale losses since the late 1960s so it is great to reveal just how important these sites are.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100918/world-news/1-000-moth-species-living-in-england-s-protected-woodlands
1,000 moth species living in England’s protected woodlands
Saturday, 18th September 2010
Emily Beament, PA
More than 1,000 species of moth were found living in the treetops of England’s protected woodlands, a two-year survey revealed yesterday.
Nearly 100 of the country’s rarest moths were identified among 22,500 separate records of the insects in the study of the canopies of woodland sites of special scientific interest.
The survey took samples from 45 of the protected sites, and a total of 1,083 moth species were found, the government’s conservation agency, Natural England, said.
At Roudsea Wood and Mosses SSSI in Cumbria, scientists identified 348 moth species, while 15 of England’s rarest and most threatened moths were found in Langley Wood in Wiltshire.
Tom Tew, chief scientist for Natural England, said: “Moths, by their nature, are elusive, so the findings of this comprehensive study into the diversity and distribution of moths in our woodlands provides an important scientific record. “The findings also demonstrate how important these woodland habitats are for some of our most threatened species of moth, such as the dark crimson underwing and the triangle.
“Moths, like their daytime cousins butterflies, play an important role in England’s biodiversity and the pollination of plants and flowers.
“We have been given a rare glimpse of the habits of these night-time beauties and this data will enhance future habitat protection.”
Mark Parsons, of Butterfly Conservation, said: “Woodlands, and their associated habitats, are known to support a wide range of species and appropriate management is key to the continued survival of many of these moths and other insects.
“Long-term monitoring of moths show large-scale losses since the late 1960s so it is great to reveal just how important these sites are.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100918/world-news/1-000-moth-species-living-in-england-s-protected-woodlands
Emily Beament, PA
More than 1,000 species of moth were found living in the treetops of England’s protected woodlands, a two-year survey revealed yesterday.
Nearly 100 of the country’s rarest moths were identified among 22,500 separate records of the insects in the study of the canopies of woodland sites of special scientific interest.
The survey took samples from 45 of the protected sites, and a total of 1,083 moth species were found, the government’s conservation agency, Natural England, said.
At Roudsea Wood and Mosses SSSI in Cumbria, scientists identified 348 moth species, while 15 of England’s rarest and most threatened moths were found in Langley Wood in Wiltshire.
Tom Tew, chief scientist for Natural England, said: “Moths, by their nature, are elusive, so the findings of this comprehensive study into the diversity and distribution of moths in our woodlands provides an important scientific record. “The findings also demonstrate how important these woodland habitats are for some of our most threatened species of moth, such as the dark crimson underwing and the triangle.
“Moths, like their daytime cousins butterflies, play an important role in England’s biodiversity and the pollination of plants and flowers.
“We have been given a rare glimpse of the habits of these night-time beauties and this data will enhance future habitat protection.”
Mark Parsons, of Butterfly Conservation, said: “Woodlands, and their associated habitats, are known to support a wide range of species and appropriate management is key to the continued survival of many of these moths and other insects.
“Long-term monitoring of moths show large-scale losses since the late 1960s so it is great to reveal just how important these sites are.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100918/world-news/1-000-moth-species-living-in-england-s-protected-woodlands
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tent caterpillar plague
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/05/27/forest-tent-catepillars/
http://images.publicradio.org/content/2010/05/26/20100526_tent-caterpillars02_33.JPG
St. Paul, Minn. - They don't really make tents, but forest tent caterpillars can be a nuisance.
If they're not in your yard -- yet -- you can look at some close-up at one of the city parks, like Kellogg Mall Regional Park in downtown St. Paul. Adam Robbins with the St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department examines a clump of the soft, squishy creatures, wriggling their way up a crab apple tree.
"The forest tent caterpillar has keyhole-shaped or footprint-shaped white dots along its back, with long hairs. You also see a greenish-blue stripe along the sides of the caterpillar," he says. That doesn't sound so bad. But wait til you see them in a writhing mass the size of your hand, worming their way up your favorite shade tree or even up the side of your house.
Up north, when you walk through an aspen forest, you can hear them eating.
- Adam Robbins
"Right now they're about an inch-and-a-half to 2 inches long, which means they're nearing the end of their life cycle, ready to pupate and turn into moths," Robbins says.
The moths are tan, and they only live for about a week. They fly around at night and lay eggs in cylindrical masses around twigs. The next generation of caterpillars will emerge from the eggs next spring. This year the caterpillars are stalking trees in the Twin Cities in much greater numbers than usual. Chris Boche, St. Paul's arborist, said he hasn't seen this kind of attack in his 35 years with the city.
"I remember the canker worm wars we used to have, but the tent caterpillar is real sporadic, and we don't have trees they like here," Boche said. "They love aspen, that's why they have the outbreak up in Duluth. They'll eat for two or three years, there'll be a big population, and then they'll just disappear."
Nearly everything about this caterpillar is ishy. Adam Robbins points to some brown scum on the paving at Kellogg Park. "That's actually the caterpillar excrement, called frass. It'll fall on our park benches, it'll fall on areas where people like to eat lunch," he says. "It's not a health concern, but it is an annoyance, and if more people knew what it was, they might be a little bit grossed out by the caterpillar excrement."
"Up north, when you walk through an aspen forest, you can hear them eating. You can hear the frass hitting the leaves too, it sounds like a light rain, but it's a hard rain because it bounces off." Another thing about tent caterpillars in the north woods: For about a month it can feel like midsummer, but the woods have a strange winter look to them because all the branches are bare.
Adam Robbins says healthy trees here in the metro should recover. "Even though they're mostly defoliated in some cases, they will send out another set of leaves, so in about a month's time, if we take good care of
them, they should recover fully," Robbins says. "We shouldn't see any ill-effects of the caterpillar this season."
Next year could be another story. Robbins says trees can begin to suffer if they're defoliated too often. So the city might go out in the early spring with shop vacs to suck up caterpillars as they huddle in clumps on tree
trunks.
Yet another way for this unloveable creature to gross us out.
http://images.publicradio.org/content/2010/05/26/20100526_tent-caterpillars02_33.JPG
St. Paul, Minn. - They don't really make tents, but forest tent caterpillars can be a nuisance.
If they're not in your yard -- yet -- you can look at some close-up at one of the city parks, like Kellogg Mall Regional Park in downtown St. Paul. Adam Robbins with the St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department examines a clump of the soft, squishy creatures, wriggling their way up a crab apple tree.
"The forest tent caterpillar has keyhole-shaped or footprint-shaped white dots along its back, with long hairs. You also see a greenish-blue stripe along the sides of the caterpillar," he says. That doesn't sound so bad. But wait til you see them in a writhing mass the size of your hand, worming their way up your favorite shade tree or even up the side of your house.
Up north, when you walk through an aspen forest, you can hear them eating.
- Adam Robbins
"Right now they're about an inch-and-a-half to 2 inches long, which means they're nearing the end of their life cycle, ready to pupate and turn into moths," Robbins says.
The moths are tan, and they only live for about a week. They fly around at night and lay eggs in cylindrical masses around twigs. The next generation of caterpillars will emerge from the eggs next spring. This year the caterpillars are stalking trees in the Twin Cities in much greater numbers than usual. Chris Boche, St. Paul's arborist, said he hasn't seen this kind of attack in his 35 years with the city.
"I remember the canker worm wars we used to have, but the tent caterpillar is real sporadic, and we don't have trees they like here," Boche said. "They love aspen, that's why they have the outbreak up in Duluth. They'll eat for two or three years, there'll be a big population, and then they'll just disappear."
Nearly everything about this caterpillar is ishy. Adam Robbins points to some brown scum on the paving at Kellogg Park. "That's actually the caterpillar excrement, called frass. It'll fall on our park benches, it'll fall on areas where people like to eat lunch," he says. "It's not a health concern, but it is an annoyance, and if more people knew what it was, they might be a little bit grossed out by the caterpillar excrement."
"Up north, when you walk through an aspen forest, you can hear them eating. You can hear the frass hitting the leaves too, it sounds like a light rain, but it's a hard rain because it bounces off." Another thing about tent caterpillars in the north woods: For about a month it can feel like midsummer, but the woods have a strange winter look to them because all the branches are bare.
Adam Robbins says healthy trees here in the metro should recover. "Even though they're mostly defoliated in some cases, they will send out another set of leaves, so in about a month's time, if we take good care of
them, they should recover fully," Robbins says. "We shouldn't see any ill-effects of the caterpillar this season."
Next year could be another story. Robbins says trees can begin to suffer if they're defoliated too often. So the city might go out in the early spring with shop vacs to suck up caterpillars as they huddle in clumps on tree
trunks.
Yet another way for this unloveable creature to gross us out.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
New British moth found in Hembury Woods is world first
By Matt WalkerEditor, Earth News
A moth new to science and found nowhere else in the world has been formally recognised as living in the UK.
The 3mm-long micro moth, which lives in Hembury Woods in Devon, was recognised as a new species this year.
This week, the biologist who discovered it is presenting the Natural History Museum of London with one of the first known specimens.
The receipt of this "type" specimen will mark the official acceptance of the moth's existence in the country.
The tiny micro moth, which has a wingspan of just 6mm, was first spotted in 2004.
At that time, amateur naturalist Bob Heckford sighted the unusual bright green caterpillars of this tiny leaf-mining moth on oak saplings within Hembury Woods, a site managed by the National Trust.
In January this year, the moth was officially recognised in the journal Zookeys as a new species, named Ectoedemia heckfordi after its discoverer.
It is not known to live outside of the UK.
Official presentation
Now Mr Heckford is presenting the Natural History Museum with the original specimen.
That is important, because it marks the official acknowledgement by the scientific world of the specimen as the "type" for that species, against which any future finds will be compared and determined.
"We hear so much about the losses to the natural world, and less about the gains; which makes this find, however small, so important," says Matthew Oates, an adviser on nature conservation at the National Trust.
"Amateur naturalists have a wonderful window on the wildlife world and nature continues to amaze us and throw up surprises even in the UK."
There are well over 2,000 species of micro moth in the UK.
They come in various shapes and sizes, but many are extremely pretty, though only appreciated under magnification.
A few are actually larger than some larger, so-called macro moths.
Their biology varies.
Most are plant feeders, with larvae often mining galleries in leaves, between the leaf surfaces.
A few mine stems.
Some, though, breed in fungi and a few have aquatic larvae.
Most are nocturnal but quite a few also fly by day.
Caterpillars of the new species are found mostly on oak saplings and low growth of oak in the shade.
The mines they make are quite dark and the caterpillars are bright green which is quite unusual for micro moths.
The adults lay their eggs on the underside of the leaf.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8647000/8647558.stm
(Submitted by Lindsay Selby)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Liberia: Mysterious insect identified
Posted on Friday 6 February 2009 - 07:25Murtala Mohamed Kamara, AfricaNews reporter in Freetown, Sierra Leone
The identity of mysterious caterpillars ravaging crops and contaminating water in northern Liberia has been established. A joint effort of the FAO, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Commonwealth Agriculture Bureau International named the insect as Achaea catocaloides.
Georg Goergen, IITA entomologist and taxonomist explains: “The moth plague in Liberia is not African armyworms, or Spodoptera exempta, as earlier reported in the media, but belongs to the species A. catocaloides. Although Spodoptera and Achaea moths are related, their feeding and breeding habits are quite different. For example, caterpillars of armyworms generally don't attack trees as larvae of A. catocaloides do.”
In less than 10 days, the species swept across 100 villages and six communities in neighboring Guinea forcing the Liberian government to declare a state of emergency. Responding to the outbreak a visiting ECOWAS delegation this week donated the sum of USD$100, 000 to help fight the species.
“Without proper identification, the FAO and the Liberian government would have engaged in a huge effort fighting the wrong insect,” stated Manuele Tamò, IITA entomologist.
Eric Boa, Head of the Global Plant Clinic at CABI added: "Correct taxonomic identification of this insect is crucial for managing this worrying problem. Now efforts can be focused in the right direction.”
According to Goergen, the larvae or caterpillars, of A. catocaloides are primarily forest insects that feed on trees. However, populations can develop in large numbers and attack agricultural crops, especially in the absence and inefficiency of natural enemies brought about by climatic disturbances, such as the sudden interruption in rains, thereby leading to outbreaks of the moth.
http://www.africanews.com/site/Liberia_Mysterious_insect_identified/list_messages/23048
Friday, October 9, 2009
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