Moths!

This year the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) launched a new project to monitor moth populations in Ireland.  The Farmer Moth Monitoring Programme.  The programme coordinator Dr Tim Butter of the NBDC was looking for farmers to volunteer for this programme back in January.  We naturally applied. The programme involves setting two moth traps in the same two locations, every fortnight, between April and September.  We would then take photos of the moths that we found and send them back to Tim, for formal identification.  Several farms across Ireland have taken part in the programme, creating a nationwide pool of data.

Moths go about their life largely unnoticed to us humans.  Until we signed up for this programme, we didn’t have a clue how many moths we have and how important they are as pollinators.  In Ireland we have over 1500 different species of moth. No, that is not a typo! They are incredibly varied in size shape and patterns.

A brimstone moth - Photo Cheryl Poole

A Muslin Moth - photo Cheryl Poole

An Angle Shades Moth - Cheryl Poole

Moths are in the same order as butterflies, they are both in the order lepidoptera. This is latin for scaly wings.  Believe it our not their wings are made up of tiny overlapping scales. There are some difference between them, the most noticeable may be that butterflies rest with their wings vertical above their body, where as moths mainly fold theirs down.  Butterflies also have a little knob like shape at the end of their antennae, where as moths don’t.  In general too, moths fly at night, whereas butterflies fly during the day.

It is thought that moths see much further into the UV end of the light spectrum than we do.  It is quite fascinating to imagine what their version of the world might look like.

As well as the official survey nights we have also set up the traps on other nights in other places such as our orchard.  We have definitely noticed some different moths in different places.

Green carpet moth - photo Cheryl Poole

Riband Wave moth - photo Cheryl Poole

Blood vein moth - photo Cheryl Poole

The traps consist of a UV light on top of a bucket.  The moths are attracted to the light and then fall into the bucket.  They hide comfortably in egg cartons placed in the bucket for that purpose and then we check in the morning and take their photos and they go on their merry way again.

Moth trap set up in a clover sward - photo Cheryl Poole

What the trap looks like in the dark - photo Cheryl Poole

It has been a fascinating project to be involved with, we have learnt a lot and have definitely had our eyes opened to the world of moths.  Last weekend we even managed to catch a moth which has only been recorded in Ireland 81 times before.  I think that is probably the rarest one that we have had in our traps.  It is called Crocidosema Plebejana.

Canary Shouldered Thorn - photo Cheryl Poole

Poplar Hawk Moth - photo Cheryl Poole

Burnished Brass Moth - photo Cheryl Poole

Crocidosema Plebejana - photo Cheryl Poole

Moths and butterflies are great indicator species. They are pollinators and so need plants to flower, to survive. They then play their part by carrying pollen between plants, helping seeds to form, and more plants to grow. So it is great to see so many around. I think I'm hooked now, I'll be setting the traps for ever more!