Garden Moth Review 2006

As there are few critters about at the moment, I thought this would be a good time to review my 2006 garden Moth list. Most of the Moths that I observe are caught in my home made Moth trap, which I religiously put out in the back garden at least once a month throughout the year.

In 2006, I saw a total of 142 Moths with a species count of 50. This compares with 2005 when I saw 99 Moths with a species count of 51. The most abundant Moth was Epiphyas postvittana (Light Brown Apple Moth) with a count of 28 individuals.

One interesting point, which could be a good indicator of climate change for the future, is the number of different migrant species seen.
This year 4 different species were noted and these were as follows:
Nomophila noctuella (Rush Veneer).
Macroglossum stellatarum (Humming-bird Hawk-moth)
Autographa gamma (Silver Y)
Plutella xylostella (Diamond-back Moth)

The Diamond-back Moth is pictured above and 2 individuals were noted in the trap on the 16th June. This tiny moth is well-known for its migratory tendencies. Sometimes many thousands can appear during the night at coastal migration watch-points. Two or more generations occur between May and September, and the larvae feed on the leaves of certain types of vegetables as well as weeds.