Mothwatch

Ecologists have become increasingly aware of the importance of moths in habitats both as part of food chains and as indicators of the health of the environment. For the last four years, with the help and expertise of Duncan Davidson, butterfly and moth recorder for East Scotland, we have contributed to local records by surveying moths in the area in front of Hermitage House.

To read more about moth recording click here. To see the Butterfly Conservation website click here.

Brick moth	Large yellow underwing	Light emerald

 

Scientific Name	Common Name	Sep-06	Aug-07	Jul-08	Sep-09	Aug-11	Larval Foodplant
Hepialus lupulinus	Common Swift			X			Grass roots and the roots of many wild and cultivated herbaceous plants.
Hepialus fusconebulosa	Map-winged Swift		X	X			Roots of Bracken
Yponomeuta evonymella	Bird-cherry Ermine					X	Bird Cherry
Agapeta hamana			X				Thistle
Agriphila tristella						X	Base of grass stems.
Udea olivalis				X			A variety of herbaceous plants
Pleuroptya ruralis	Mother of Pearl		X			X	Nettle.
Aphomia sociella	Bee Moth		X				The comb in bee and wasp nests
Ochropacha duplaris	Common Lutestring			X			Birch
Idaea aversata	Riband Wave		X			X	Low growing herbaceous plants, inc bedstraws, primrose, dandelion and docks.
Xanthorhoe montanata	Silver-ground Carpet		X	X			Herbaceous plants including cleavers, bedstraws and primrose.
Epirrhoe alternata	Common Carpet		X				Bedstraw
Eulithis prunata	Phoenix					X	Black Currant, Red currant, bramble and related plants.
Chloroclysta siterata	Red-green Carpet	X			X		Mainly Oak and Rowan.
Chloroclysta citrata	Dark Marbled Carpet				X	X	A range of bushes and plants, including sallow and blaeberry
Chloroclysta truncata	Common Marbled Carpet	X		X	X		Sallow, birch, bramble, heathers, privet and hawthorn.
Thera britannica	Spruce Carpet	X					Mainly Norway Spruce, but also Sitka and other conifers.
Hydriomena furcata	July Highflyer		X			X	Hazel, sallows and heather.
Perizoma didymata	Twin-spot Carpet		X				A range of plants such as blaeberry, sallow and heather.
Eupithecia pulchellata	Foxglove Pug			X			The stamens and developing seeds inside the flowers of Foxglove.
Eupithecia nanata	Narrow-winged Pug		X				The flowers of heather.
Gymnoscelis rufifasciata	Double-striped Pug		X				A range of plants and bushes, including gorse and holly
Chesias legatella	Streak	X					Broom
Lomaspilis marginata	Clouded Border			X			Sallow and poplars
Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth		X	X		X	Hawthorn, blackthorn, plum and occasionally rowan.
Biston betularia	Peppered Moth			X			A wide range of trees and plants, including hawthorn, birch, sallows, poplars, oaks, beech, rose, bramble.
Alcis repandata	Mottled Beauty		X				Many woody plants including Hawthorn, oaks, birch, blaeberry, heather, spruce etc.
Campaea margaritata	Light Emerald		X	X		X	Oak, hawthorn, hazel, birch and sallows
Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder			X			Wide range of herbaceous plants including groundsel, ribwort plantain and bedstraws.
Noctua pronuba	Large Yellow Underwing		X	X		X	Wide range of herbaceous plants and grasses, docks, brassicas, marigolds, foxglove and meadow grass.
Noctua comes	Lesser Yellow Underwing	X				X	Wide range of herbaceous plants such as common nettle, dock and foxglove.
Noctua fimbriata	Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing				X		A range of herbaceous plants, including nettle, dock and primrose.
Noctua janthe	Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing		X			X	Wide range of herbaceous plants such as dead-nettle, dock, mayweed and arum lily.
Lycophotia porphyrea	True Lover's Knot		X				Heather.
Diarsia dahlii	Barred Chestnut					X	Birch and Blaeberry.
Diarsia brunnea	Purple Clay			X			Foxglove, blaeberry, sallows, brambles and birches
Diarsia rubi	Small Square-spot			X			Range of herbaceous plants including dandelion, dock and foxglove.
Xestia triangulum	Double Square-spot		X	X			Many herbaceous plants such as buttercups, primrose cow-parsley and wood spurge.
Xestia baja	Dotted Clay					X	Common nettle, hawthorn, willows and birches.
Naenia typica	Gothic					X	Common comfrey, willowherbs, cleavers, sallows, apple and buddleia.
Cerapteryx graminis	Antler Moth		X			X	Sheep's fescue, mat-grass, purple moor-grass, sedges and rushes.
Mythimna impura	Smoky Wainscot					X	Grasses
Agrochola circellaris	Brick	X					Wych Elm and Poplar
Agrochola lota	Red-line Quaker	X					Sallow and Willow
Cryphia domestica	Marbled Beauty		X				Lichens.
Mormo maura	Old Lady					X	Blackthorn and other shrubs and trees.
Cosmia trapezina	Dun-bar				X	X	Most broad-leaved trees.
Apamea monoglypha	Dark Arches		X				Grasses including common couch and cock's-foot
Apamea lithoxylaea	Light Arches		X				Stems and roots of a number of grasses
Oligia fasciuncula	Middle-barred Minor			X			Various types of grass
Diachrysia chrysitis	Burnished Brass					X	Mostly nettle, but other herbaceous plants such as White Dead-nettle, Wild Marjoram and Spear Thistle.
Autographa jota	Plain Golden Y			X			range of plants including nettle.
Hypena proboscidalis	Snout	X		X			Common Nettle
Zanclognatha tarsipennalis	Fan-foot			X			Withered leaves from oak and beech.
Amphipyra pyramidea agg.	Copper Underwings	X					A range of deciduous trees, especially oak
Oligia strigilis agg.	Marbled or Tawny Marbled Minor			X			Various types of grass
Mesapamea secalis agg.	Common or Lesser Common Rustic		X			X	Grasses including cock's-foot and fescues.
Hoplodrina sp.	Rustic or Uncertain		X				Low plants such as dock and plantain
Number of species =	58	9	24	21	5	21