Insh Marshes RSPB Reserve - Moths at the Marshes - National Insect Week

June 23rd 2018

Just six folk gathered to go through three moth traps run the previous night and then go for a walk to look for butterflies and day-flying moths.

The night had been cool (clear skies) and breezy so there wasn’t a huge haul of moths but nevertheless we had 51 species in the traps which was plenty to enjoy. Some of the highlights were Sallow Kitten, Poplar Hawk-moth, Peppered moth, Large Emerald, Poplar Grey, Garden Tiger, Campion, White Ermine, Pebble Hook-tip and Grey Dagger. But my personal favourite was a micro – Argyresthia brockeella – which is an absolute beauty, as long as you have a hand lens!

Going through the traps took us up to lunchtime, then after eating our packed lunches at the reserve picnic tables, we took a wander along the trail. It had become cool and overcast and we weren’t expecting much in the way of butterflies, so we didn’t walk far but we actually saw four species: Ringlet, Small Heath, Dark Green Fritillary (freshly emerged) and Northern Brown Argus (also very fresh). And we added another eight moths to the list, including Yellow Shell and Straw Dot, which gave us a total moth list of 59 species. The full list is below:

beautiful golden Y	green arches	poplar hawk-moth
bright-line brown-eye	green carpet	sallow kitten
broken-barred carpet	grey dagger	silver-ground carpet
brown rustic	ingrailed clay	small dotted buff
campion	iron prominent	small square spot
chimney sweeper	July belle	smoky wainscot
clouded border	large emerald	smoky wave
clouded-bordered brindle	large yellow underwing	spectacle
common carpet	lesser swallow prominent	straw dot
common lutestring	light emerald	swallow prominent
common marbled carpet	map-winged swift	true lover's knot
common wave	marbled minor agg.	white ermine
common white wave	middle-barred minor	yellow shell
coxcomb prominent	mottled beauty	Ancylis badiana
dark arches	nut-tree tussock	Argyresthia brockeella
dark brocade	pale-shouldered brocade	Celypha lacunana
dusky brocade	peacock	Crambus lathoniellus
flame carpet	pebble hook-tip	Epinotia bilunana
flame shoulder	peppered moth	Scoparia ambigualis
garden tiger	poplar grey