Spring Moth Workshop 10-12 May 2024: A Review

Our Spring Moth workshop has come to a very successful close after two nights trapping and a day searching. The weather played to our favour with the mercury hitting an incredible 25oC yesterday and maintaining its warmth at night. As a result we were successful in finding Kentish Glory and Netted Mountain Moth, two spring Cairngorms specialities and a superb supporting cast of other species including Scarce Prominent (one of six prominents), Red Sword Grass, Seraphim, Lead-coloured Drab, Pale Birch Tortix (Acleris logiana), Scotch Smudge (Rhigognostis incarnatella), Birch Mocha, Lunar Thorns, Emperor Moths, Edinburgh and Dwarf Pugs. In total over 50 species were recorded making for a very impressive weekend and many happy faces for those who joined us.

A male Kentish Glory poses beautifully for us in the morning sunshine

Possibly most interestingly was the significant impact that the huge solar storm played on moth behaviour with almost no moths in flight on Friday night during the incredible aurora display. For instance, four traps caught only five moths of three species during the night when catches on the run up were numbering around 150 moths per trap in similar conditions. Quite how the geomagnetic storm disrupts moth activity seems to be unknown but a fascinating phenomenon none the less.

We still have a couple of spaces on our summer moth workshop from 2-4 August 2024 if anyone is interested in looking for species such as Dark Bordered Beauty. More details here.

Moth trapping under the Aurora