Every week we hear from Master's student Stuart Brooker who traps moths weekly in the woodlands around Durham University. Stuart identifies, records and photographs the moths he traps and provides CEG with a weekly update of his trapping efforts. These moths were trapped on 13 July, 2014.
Here is Stuart's week 8 report:
"Week eight was another productive week at the trap, with a number of new faces showing up. My personal favourite was the Large Emerald - a large, handsome, green moth with a butterfly-like resting posture. The species has a habit of approaching the light but falling short of the trap; instead, choosing to rest on nearby foliage – exactly where this individual was found, and a possible reason why I have never seen one before.
Other attractive species were the Burnished Brass and the Swallow-tailed Moth. Sadly, like many of our moths, both of these species have suffered significant national declines in recent decades of 57% [1] and 60% [2] respectively. The fortunes of the Buff Footman however, could not have been more different, as the population has increased dramatically over the same period [1], and is another of those species marching northwards. It has been argued that this lichen- and algae-feeding species’ rise is attributable to the positive response of its food to a reduction in some atmospheric pollutants. However, not all lichen-feeders have enjoyed the same fate, indicating that causes behind the change in fortunes for our moths are many and complex."
Here is Stuart's week 8 report:
"Week eight was another productive week at the trap, with a number of new faces showing up. My personal favourite was the Large Emerald - a large, handsome, green moth with a butterfly-like resting posture. The species has a habit of approaching the light but falling short of the trap; instead, choosing to rest on nearby foliage – exactly where this individual was found, and a possible reason why I have never seen one before.
Other attractive species were the Burnished Brass and the Swallow-tailed Moth. Sadly, like many of our moths, both of these species have suffered significant national declines in recent decades of 57% [1] and 60% [2] respectively. The fortunes of the Buff Footman however, could not have been more different, as the population has increased dramatically over the same period [1], and is another of those species marching northwards. It has been argued that this lichen- and algae-feeding species’ rise is attributable to the positive response of its food to a reduction in some atmospheric pollutants. However, not all lichen-feeders have enjoyed the same fate, indicating that causes behind the change in fortunes for our moths are many and complex."
Large Emerald (Geometra papilionaria) | 
Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) |
Buff Footman (Eilema depressa) | 
Swallow-tailed Moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) |
Stay tuned weekly for more 'Stu's Top Moths' or follow us on twitter for updates and photos of moths and other wildlife around Durham University!
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