After two years and more than 22,500 recordings, Natural England has released the results of their latest moth survey in woodland designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). the survey covered 45 SSSI woodlands and was undertaken during 180 separate sampling sessions. During the survey 1083 species of moths was recorded living in the tree canopy of the woods.
Roudsea Wood & Mosses SSSI had the greatest diversity of moths with 348 species recorded while Langley Wood SSSI had the greatest number of threatened moths (either red list or notified) at 15 species. Throughout the survey sites 98 rare species were recorded. The survey highlighted Langley Wood’s importance for moth conservation, something not previously recognised.
Dr Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: “Moths, by their nature, are elusive, so the findings of this comprehensive study into the diversity and distribution of moths in our woodlands provides an important scientific record.
“The findings also demonstrate how important these woodland habitats are for some of our most threatened species of moth, such as the dark crimson underwing and the triangle. Moths, like their daytime cousins butterflies, play an important role in England’s biodiversity and the pollination of plants and flowers. We have been given a rare glimpse of the habits of these night time beauties and this data will enhance future habitat protection”.
One of the moths spotted at a Norfolk woodlands was recorded for only the fourth time at the site since records began. The ginger-haired moth, Pseudatemelia flavifrontella, was spotted at a National Trust woodland near Cromer. The moth has a patchy distribution across the UK and is restricted to the southern parts of England and Wales. Very little is still known about it’s habitat requirements and feeding habits. The moth is a pretty drab species apart from the splash of ginger coloured hairs on it’s head, hence the name. The moth was just 1 of 197 different species spotted at Felbrigg Hall’s ancient beech woods.
Natural Environment Minister, Richard Benyon, said “These results show just how important our SSSI and other wildlife sites are. We now have 94 per cent of SSSIs in a good condition and as we continue to make further progress I hope to see more plants and animals thriving in our natural environment.”
During the survey 10 species with Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) were recorded:
- Anania funebris
- Chalk Carpet (2 sites)
- Drab Looper
- Concolorous
- Heart Moth
- White-spotted Pinion
- Light Crimson Underwing
- Dark Crimson Underwing
- Common Fan-foot (5 sites)
- Clay Fan-foot (3 sites)
The survey also led to the discovery of a new site for the Buttoned Snout moth (Hypena rostralis) – a nationally scarce species now mainly restricted to river valleys in South-east England. Species previously covered by BAPs were also recorded during the survey; The Waved Carpet, Square-spotted Clay seen at 2 sites and White-lined Snout spotted at 3 sites.
Mark Parsons, of Butterfly Conservation, said: “We have been extremely pleased to have worked alongside Natural England in revealing the importance of these SSSIs for their moth fauna. Woodlands, and their associated habitats, are known to support a wide range of species and appropriate management is key to the continued survival of many of these moths and other insects. Long term monitoring of moths show large scale losses since the late 1960’s so it is great to reveal just how important these sites are”.
There is still a lot to be learnt about moths in Britain and amateur entomologists can still make their mark. A brand new species of moth was named earlier this year after being found in 2004 at Hembury Woods in Devon – another National Trust property. The species was named Ectoedemia heckfordi after Bob Heckford who discovered the species. The species is commonly known as the Heckford pygmy moth. The discovery demonstrates how important amateur naturalists still are in recording and discovering new wildlife. In celebration of the naming, the Natural History Museum named it as the species of the day for 2nd September 2010.
photo credit: suvodeb
