DAYTIME MOTHS ON THE
RESERVES
Most people think of moths as insects which come out at night. This is true, of course, but not of all moths. There are some which fly during the day. There are four species which have been seen regularly on or near the Reserves: the Burnet Companion, Mother Shipton, Six Spot Burnet and the Hummingbird Hawkmoth.
The caterpillars of the first three all feed on clovers and bird’s foot trefoil, and this probably explains why they are found on the Reserves. Our hay meadows are full of these plants and they seem to be spreading. In fact, the red clover and the yellow bird’s foot trefoil provide most of the colour in the meadows, along with meadow vetchling and meadow buttercup. Our management regime of only cutting the meadows in late Summer seems to suit these plants.
In appearance, the Burnet Companion and the Mother Shipton are fairly unremarkable; they are small and brownish, although lively flyers. The Mother Shipton was so named because of the markings on its wings are thought to look like the hooked nose of a witch’s face – Mother Shipton was a 16th century Yorkshire witch!
The Six Spot Burnet is very different. Its wings and body are a glossy black. On its wings are six pinky-red spots. All in all it is a striking looking insect and can be seen in the meadows from June to August feeding on the nectar of various meadow flowers. Its straw coloured chrysalises are also quite easy to find among the meadow grasses. They are usually attached half way up a grass stem and are triangular in shape.
Most people think of moths as insects which come out at night. This is true, of course, but not of all moths. There are some which fly during the day. There are four species which have been seen regularly on or near the Reserves: the Burnet Companion, Mother Shipton, Six Spot Burnet and the Hummingbird Hawkmoth.
The caterpillars of the first three all feed on clovers and bird’s foot trefoil, and this probably explains why they are found on the Reserves. Our hay meadows are full of these plants and they seem to be spreading. In fact, the red clover and the yellow bird’s foot trefoil provide most of the colour in the meadows, along with meadow vetchling and meadow buttercup. Our management regime of only cutting the meadows in late Summer seems to suit these plants.
In appearance, the Burnet Companion and the Mother Shipton are fairly unremarkable; they are small and brownish, although lively flyers. The Mother Shipton was so named because of the markings on its wings are thought to look like the hooked nose of a witch’s face – Mother Shipton was a 16th century Yorkshire witch!
The Six Spot Burnet is very different. Its wings and body are a glossy black. On its wings are six pinky-red spots. All in all it is a striking looking insect and can be seen in the meadows from June to August feeding on the nectar of various meadow flowers. Its straw coloured chrysalises are also quite easy to find among the meadow grasses. They are usually attached half way up a grass stem and are triangular in shape.
The real star is less predictable and probably only visits our Reserves rather than breeds on them. The best place to see this insect is the Butterfly Garden where it is attracted by the abundance of nectar plants.
It is called the Hummingbird Hawkmoth and is well named. This spectacular insect really does resemble a hummingbird. It is a strong flyer and hovers in front of flowers feeding on nectar. As large as a bumble bee, it has orangey brown wings and black and white markings on the sides of its body. Over the last couple of years, several have been seen in the Butterfly Garden during our regular Sunday morning work parties.
According to Butterfly Conservation, many moths are in decline. Moths play a vital part in the ecosystem. They are pollinators of flowers and both adults and larvae produce food for many animals including birds and bats. We are fortunate that some of these insects seem to be thriving on our Reserves and can be seen even during the day. If you would like to know more about day flying moths and see what they look like, visit the Butterfly Conservation website at www.butterfly-conservation.org
John Madden, Surveyor
Feb/March 2009