Moth Night at Loch Garten, RSPB Abernethy Forest  - 11th & 12th September 2015

There were approximately twenty attendees to the Moth Night event organised by Alison Greggans the RSPB Abernethy Forest and Local Community Ranger and myself from Butterfly Conservation. The event started with a look for bats along the shore of Loch Garten followed by a short discussion about moths and a look at the moths arriving to a couple of the five moth traps that had been previously set up at around the Osprey Centre and the car park.

We met again the following morning to see what had been caught with many of those who attended the previous evening coming back plus a few additional visitors. The theme for this year’s Moth Night was migrants which given our northerly location and the fact that we were away from the coast was always going to be a challenge however we did trap one Silver Y so at least had one migrant. In total we found 44 species of moth from the 326 moths that were trapped, not a bad haul given the very poor trapping conditions that preceded the event. Given that we were in a damp bit of the forest and beside the loch on a still air night it was not surprising that it was a good night for that Scottish favourite, the midge, so well done to everyone for their staying power and thanks to the variety moths for providing the interest to keep folk engaged.

Mike Taylor

Species found;

Taxon	Species	Quantity
Cedestis gysseleniella	Gold Pine Ermel	1
Argyresthia goedartella	Golden Argent	4
Hofmannophila pseudospretella	Brown House-Moth	2
Agonopterix assimilella	Dusted Flat-body	1
Acleris laterana	Dark-triangle Button	3
Apotomis betuletana	Birch Marble	2
Rhopobota naevana	Holly Tortrix	28
Epinotia trigonella	White-blotch Bell	1
Epinotia ramella	Small Birch Bell	5
Epinotia ramella	Larch Tortrix	3
Aphomia sociella	Bee Moth	1
Dioryctria abietella	Dark Pine Knot-horn	51
Catoptria margaritella	Pearl-band Grass Veneer	1
Hydriomena furcata	July Highflyer	25
Pennithera firmata	Pine Carpet	18
Thera obeliscata	Grey Pine Carpet	4
Eulithis testata	Chevron	1
Eulithis populata	Northern Spinach	19
Dysstroma truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	1
Dysstroma citrata	Dark Marbled Carpet	12
Eupithecia pusillata	Juniper Pug	12
Hylaea fasciaria	Barred Red	2
Autographa gamma	Silver Y	1
Syngrapha interrogationis	Scarce Silver Y	2
Celaena haworthii	Haworth's Minor	1
Amphipoea oculea agg.	Ear Moth agg.	41
Apamea monoglypha	Dark Arches	3
Mesapamea secalis agg.	Common Rustic agg.	3
Cirrhia icteritia	Sallow	1
Xylena solidaginis	Golden-rod Brindle	8
Enargia paleacea	Angle-striped Sallow	3
Parastichtis suspecta	Suspected	2
Diarsia dahlii	Barred Chestnut	8
Diarsia mendica	Ingrailed Clay	5
Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot	1
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing	16
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	3
Noctua janthe	Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing	6
Xestia baja	Dotted Clay	6
Xestia castanea	Neglected Rustic	6
Xestia agathina	Heath Rustic	3
Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot Rustic	6
Eugnorisma glareosa	Autumnal Rustic	3
Eugnorisma depuncta	Plain Clay	1