CITIZEN SCIENCE

Biological

Recording

Moth Trapping – How to Get Started by Ricky Whelan

 Early Thorn by Chris Uys

 Elephant Hawk Moth - Ricky Whelan

Map -winged Swift by Chris Uys

Silver Y by Chris Uys

With the whole country on lockdown for several months and confined close to home, many of us took the opportunity to record the flora and fauna within our localities. As a result, the National Biodiversity Data Centre has been having a bumper year with biodiversity records in 2020 through the roof. Moths too have seen a spike in recording, with mothtrapping enjoying new recruits and increased effort from veteran trappers with some extra time on their hands in 2020. With around 1,400 species of moth in Ireland, this group offers rewards and challenges to those who take the time to explore the group in detail. This short article offers some tips and encouragement to those who might be ready to take the plunge.

If you are deliberately trapping moths, you will require a licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This is both free and necessary as you are trapping wild animals after all! You can download the application form from the department's website, or you can request to have your name added to the Moths Ireland Group (group) licence via their Facebook page.

Next, you will need a trap. A trap is a very loose term, but the core part of a moth trap is a light source to attract flying moths nocturnally. Once attracted, you need a vessel to hold them and keep them safe, dry and undamaged overnight. A box with a funnel is ideal. Inside, the common practice is to place cardboard egg trays to provide shelter for the moths overnight. Moths with nowhere to shelter will continue to thrash around in the light and either escape or damage themselves significantly. There is a range of traps available commercially, with the “Skinner” trap a popular choice for those starting out. You can also buy the electric components separately to put your own trap together. Most set-ups are mains powered but battery powered setups allow for some off-piste trapping in remote spots, with LED traps now becoming popular, offering a lightweight, low energy and very portable solution.

The method is simple; turn on the light at dusk and run during hours of darkness. The main trapping period is between early spring and mid-autumn. Trap on calm, warm and moonless nights for best catches. Trapping on blustery, wet and moonlit nights can be a wasted effort. Getting started early in spring and trapping regularly is advised; this will allow you to learn to identify manageable

 Improvised LED Moth Trap by Chris Uys

numbers of species gradually, as and when the adults are “on the wing”. In the morning before opening the trap, check the area immediately around it for moths that may not have made it inside; often the night’s best catch is to be found sheltering close by. Open the trap in a cool, shaded spot. When moths warm up, they will begin to take flight and you will lose your catch before you have them identified. Examine each moth, paying particular attention to its size and shape as these features will often lead you to the family in question. Next, look carefully at the colour and pattern displayed on the forewings. Close consideration of these patterns will clinch your ID by matching it to its likeness in your field guide. Using an identification aide (book/ website), identify the contents of the trap, make a list and tally numbers as you go. Take a photo of each species so you can confirm the ID with experienced recorders later if necessary. Once complete, free your catch near the cover of some bushes where they can shelter from birds until nightfall. Add value to your own efforts by contributing to the national database and submit your records online at www. biodiversityireland.ie.

Luckily not all moths are active during the same period, with individual species having discreet generations and flight seasons. While many overlap, it is this feature of their ecology that can help narrow down or rule out species when making a difficult species determination. The moth families are also distinctive in general size, shape and impression so familiarising yourself with the features of the larger families such as the Geometridae and Noctuidae is a useful tip and will help narrow the field significantly when searching the books and online resources for answers. Rarity, habitat and known distribution are also very good indicators of a correct or incorrect ID. If your suspect is deemed rare, take a closer look, cross-reference with additional images of the species online and do more homework before confirming the ID. Nine times out of 10 you will have the more common form - it’s just the Other than a trap of some description and your licence, you will need some reference material. The easiest thing to do is invest in one or two top field guides, of which there are many on the topic of moth identification. I recommend the following: British Moths: Second Edition: A Photographic Guide to the Moths of Britain and Ireland, by C Manley*. It includes both macro and micro moth groups, making it a one stop shop. *The third edition of the Manly photographic guide is available on pre-order ,with a publishing date in early May 2021.

In addition to field guides, Irish moth trappers are very well served by some excellent online resources. • irishmoths.net: Provides a fantastic photo reference library of many of the moths species found in Ireland. • mothireand.com: Has a great photo library and the most up-to-date distribution maps available. • Facebook/MothsIreland: Moths

Ireland also have a very active

Facebook group, moderated by the country's most active and experienced trappers who are always happy to offer advice, suggest identifications and confirm or correct your own attempts.

So if you are looking for a new wildlife related challenge, do consider having a go at trapping and recording moths in your area. It’s a rewarding and worthwhile activity that will add to your own knowledge of an amazing species group and contribute important records to the national database. With the dark evenings approaching, you have plenty of time to prepare and get a trap put together ahead of next spring and you can ask for a few related field guides for Christmas perhaps. Happy trapping!

way it is! Habitat preferences of species are also important, with many species restricted to the coast or reedbed specialists, for example. That rules out many options for me here in my little garden in Laois! Lastly, distribution; a species that has not been found in south west Ireland until now is unlikely to show up in your west Kerry garden tomorrow so reference the Moths Ireland web maps. These are kept up-to-date and are a useful resources for all moth’ers!