Our woodland rides and glades are managed and wildflowers planted to encourage insects, butterflies and moths. Over the years we have intermittently surveyed macro moths but we began to regularly survey and record in 2014.
Heath Moth Trap
Photo Su Haselton
During this time we were using a Heath Moth Trap which ran on battery power. As you can imagine this was sometimes a ‘bit hit and miss’ depending on the age of the battery!
Nevertheless we were encouraged with the results and so applied for a grant to invest in a new, bigger and mains powered trap.
Moth Trap
Photo by Jonathan Atkins
This new trap arrived in 2015 in time to try it out in the 5 Acre meadow adjoining the car park whilst there was an abundance of wildflowers and long meadow grass.
Lesser swallow prominents collected from the ‘Heath Trap’
Photo by Lily Zecherle
The moths are are attracted by the light, enter the trap and nestle down in the recesses of the egg boxes. In the morning the moths are carefully transferred from their hiding places into clear plastic pots of various sizes so they can be examined, identified and recorded. The moths are then released close to their capture point and some loiter long enough to be captured again but this time as a digital image!
Micro moths are now part of our ‘identity parade’ but you need a good hand lens as well as good eyesight!
We are used to seeing moths at home against our windows attracted by our house lights but how many of us realise the vast variety of macro moths and their vibrant colours? We do see some moths during the day such as Cinnabar moths and many of the micro moths. Did you know that one of the micro moth species has bright blue eyes?
Here is a photographic gallery of some of Gorse Hill moths:
Male Pale Tussock moth
Photo by Su Haselton
Female Pale Tussock moth
Photo by Su Haselton
Pale Tussock larva
Photo by Arron Heap
male and female Six-spot Burnet moths
Photo by Su Haselton
Chocolate-tip
Photo by Su Haselton
Merveille du Jour
Photo by Su Haselton
Eyed Hawkmoth
Photo by Su Haselton
Orange Swift
Photo by Su Haselton
Marbled Beauty
Photo by Su Haselton
True Lover’s Knot
Photo by Su Haselton
Sandy Carpet
Photo by Su Haselton
Beautiful Hook-tip
Photo by Su Haselton
Yellow-barred Brindle
Photo by Su Haselton
Feathered Thorn
Photo by Su Haselton
Pine Beauty
Photo by Su Haselton
Early Thorn
Photo by Su Haselton
Sallow Kitten
Photo by Su Haselton
Hebrew Character
Photo by Su Haselton
Small Quaker
Photo by Su Haselton
Powdered Quaker
Photo by Su Haselton
Early Tooth-striped
Photo by Su Haselton
Common Quaker
Photo by Su Haselton
Clouded Drab
Photo by Su Haselton
Dyseriocrania subpurpurella
Photo by Richard Walker
Common Marbled Carpet
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Yellow-line Quaker well camouflaged
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Red-line Quaker
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Green-brindled Crescent
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Grey Pine Carpet
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Beaded Chestnut
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Green Carpet
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Pink-barred Sallow
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Lunar Underwing
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Red Underwing
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Red Underwing
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Canary-shouldered Thorn
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Turnip Moth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Diamond back (micro moth)
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Carcina quercana
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Rosy Rustic
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
White Satin
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Small Phoenix
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Small Wainscot
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Argyresthia Brockeella
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Single Dotted Wave
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Bordered Beauty
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Catoptria falsella
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Clouded magpie
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Copper Underwing
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Dingy Footman
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Lychnis
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Mouse Moth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Willow Beauty
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Silver Y
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Shaded Broad-bar
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Poplar Grey
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Mother of Pearl
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Lesser Yellow Underwing
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Herald
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Grey Dagger
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Dun-bar
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Common White Wave
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Acleris forsskaleana
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Swallow-tailed Moth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Slender Brindle
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Scalloped Oak
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Eyed Hawkmoth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Clay
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Burnished Brass
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Buff Arches
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Bordered Pug
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Spectacle moth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Small Magpie
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Peppered moth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Peach Blossom
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Light Emerald
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Grey Arches
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Green Silver Lines
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Coxcomb Prominent
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Ghost moth (male)
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Ghost Moth (female)
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Buff Tip
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Bordered Sallow
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Angle Shades
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Uncertain yes it is its name Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Small Angle Shades
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Shoulder – striped Wainscot
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Garden Carpet
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Drinker
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
The Drinker caterpillar
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Scorched Wing
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Buff Ermine
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Purple Bar
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Poplar Hawkmoth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Middle-barred Minor
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Lesser Swallow Prominent
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Ingrailed Clay
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Green Arches
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Elephant Hawkmoth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Common Wainscot
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Clouded Border
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Brown China Mark
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Brimstone Moth
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
White Ermine
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Treble Lines
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Small Square Spot
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Shuttle-shaped Dart
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Pebble Prominent
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Heart and Dart
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Flame Shoulder
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Common Swift
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Cinnabar
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Ancylis badiana
Photo by Liz Brotherstone
Silver Ground Carpet Moth
Photo by Su Haselton
Ruby tiger
Photo by Katherine Morley
Lesser swallow prominents
Photo by Lily Zecherle
Large emerald
Photo by Katherine Morley
Green-brindled crescent
Photo by Katherine Morley
Garden tiger
Photo by Katherine Morley
Garden tiger
Photo by Katherine Morley
Dark arches
Photo by Katherine Morley
Canary-shouldered thorn
Photo by Katherine Morley
Broad-bordered yellow underwing
Photo by Katherine Morley
Svenssons Copper Underwing caterpillar
Photo by Liz Brotherstone