Hello Moth-ers,
The January challenge has now finished, the data is all in and has been collated in the two charts below.
This year only nine mothers took part, which considering the mild January we had is a little disappointing, but between us we did manage to record 30 species, the highest figure ever for the challenge (19 macro and 11 micro) and 643 moths (607 macro and 36 micro), which is an excellent effort on everyone's part. Because of the mild weather, (apart from the last few days of the month when it turned quite a bit colder) moth numbers were well up on last year.
Only one person achieved the macro part of the challenge, with 10 plus species that was myself with 14 species. Sue Southam was very unlucky, just missing the target with 9 species, followed closely by Julie Pearce/Mark Thomas who recorded 8 species. I also managed to achieve the micro part of the challenge with 9 species (the most micro species ever recorded for the challenge).
The January challenge has now finished, the data is all in and has been collated in the two charts below.
This year only nine mothers took part, which considering the mild January we had is a little disappointing, but between us we did manage to record 30 species, the highest figure ever for the challenge (19 macro and 11 micro) and 643 moths (607 macro and 36 micro), which is an excellent effort on everyone's part. Because of the mild weather, (apart from the last few days of the month when it turned quite a bit colder) moth numbers were well up on last year.
Only one person achieved the macro part of the challenge, with 10 plus species that was myself with 14 species. Sue Southam was very unlucky, just missing the target with 9 species, followed closely by Julie Pearce/Mark Thomas who recorded 8 species. I also managed to achieve the micro part of the challenge with 9 species (the most micro species ever recorded for the challenge).
The recorders who have shared this year's coveted ‘wooden MV bulb’ award (formally
the ‘wooden spoon’ award), are; Deborah Griffiths, Clare Boyes and Paul Roughley, but well done for having a go.
Now for a more in depth breakdown of what was recorded.
Macros - As can be seen in the chart above several people managed to record 4+ species. Across all recorders the most numerous species was the Mottled Grey (180 moths), pushing last year's species with top spot the Winter moth (108) into second place and the Mottled Umber (93) took the third spot.
The most moths recorded by individual recorders was 488 by myself, Sue 77 and Julie/Mark 27.
Recorder | BP | TS | DG | SOS | PR | CBo | JP & MTT | JeH | PRW | Count of species | Count of moths | |
Species: Macro moths | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | |||
Log No. | Days Trapped/recorded | 6 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 30 | ||
1769 | Spruce Carpet | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 |
1775 | Mottled Grey | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 177 | 2 | 180 |
1799 | Winter Moth | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 104 | 2 | 108 |
1925 | Small Brindled Beauty | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
1926 | Pale Brindled Beauty | - | 1 | - | 22 | - | - | 11 | 1 | 52 | 5 | 87 |
1932 | Spring Usher | - | - | - | 12 | - | - | 4 | - | 20 | 3 | 36 |
1934 | Dotted Border | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 1 | 4 |
1935 | Mottled Umber | 3 | - | - | 3 | - | - | 5 | - | 82 | 4 | 93 |
1947 | Engrailed | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 |
1960 | Early Moth | 1 | - | - | 6 | - | - | 3 | - | 6 | 4 | 16 |
2187 | Common Quaker | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
2188 | Clouded Drab | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 |
2190 | Hebrew Character | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
2241 | Red Sword-grass | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 |
2243 | Early Grey | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
2256 | Satellite | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 |
2258 | Chestnut | 3 | - | - | 26 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 30 | 5 | 61 |
2259 | Dark Chestnut | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | 3 | 5 |
2321 | Dark Arches | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Macro species recorded | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 14 | 19 | ||
Macro moths recorded | 12 | 1 | 0 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 488 | 607 | ||
Log No. | Species: Micro moths | |||||||||||
461 | Ypsolopha ustella | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 |
464 | Plutella xylostella | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 | 1 | 12 |
647 | Hofmannophila pseudospretella | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
688 | Agonopterix heracliana | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
688 | Agonopterix heracliana | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 |
1025 | Tortricodes alternella | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 3 | - | 2 | 3 | 6 |
1045 | Acleris notana | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | 6 |
1054 | Acleris cristana | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1057 | Acleris hastiana | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1288 | Alucita hexadactyla | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 2 |
1398 | Nomophila noctuella | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
Micro species/moths recorded | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 11 | ||
Micro moths recorded | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 36 | ||
Total species macro + micro | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 30 | ||
Total count macro + micro | 13 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 517 | 643 |
Now for a more in depth breakdown of what was recorded.
Macros - As can be seen in the chart above several people managed to record 4+ species. Across all recorders the most numerous species was the Mottled Grey (180 moths), pushing last year's species with top spot the Winter moth (108) into second place and the Mottled Umber (93) took the third spot.
The most moths recorded by individual recorders was 488 by myself, Sue 77 and Julie/Mark 27.
Of the 19 species recorded, those worthy of a special mention are, Dark Arches - which is the first January record for Montgomeryshire, which resulted from a partial very late second brood; Red Sword-grass - an overwintering species brought out by the mild weather. And an slightly early Small Brindled Beauty, which aren't usually on the wing until February.
Micros - Once again there were 11 micro species recorded, which matched last year's record number, so that was a particularly good effort on the part of the four recorders who recorded any micro species. The species recorded by the most recorders was Tortricodes alternella (3 people). Only one person achieved the target figure of five species, that was myself with 9 species. There weren't really any unexpected micro species recorded this year although the autumn/winter influx of Plutella xylostella was still quite apparent.
The chart below shows the top five macro species recorded (along with the total of moths) in the last eight years. 2019 was certainly one of the better years.
January moth challenge - Top five recorded macro species for the last eight years | ||||||||||||||||
Year | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||||||||
Species | Total | Species | Total | Species | Total | Species | Total | Species | Total | Species | Total | Species | Total | Species | Total | |
1 | Winter Moth | 131 | Winter Moth | 229 | Winter Moth | 169 | Winter Moth | 64 | Chestnut | 64 | Spring Usher | 244 | Winter Moth | 47 | Mottled Grey | 180 |
2 | Mottled Grey | 59 | Mottled Umber | 157 | Mottled Grey | 69 | Mottled Umber | 19 | Winter Moth | 30 | Mottled Umber | 109 | Mottled Umber | 31 | Winter Moth | 108 |
3 | Mottled Umber | 24 | Mottled Grey | 147 | Mottled Umber | 54 | Early Moth | 14 | Mottled Umber | 29 | Winter Moth | 76 | Mottled Grey | 26 | Mottled Umber | 93 |
4 | Chestnut | 20 | Pale Brindled Beauty | 61 | Early Moth | 22 | Spring Usher | 13 | Pale Brindled Beauty | 28 | Pale Brindled Beauty | 45 | Early Moth | 22 | Pale Brindled Beauty | 87 |
5 | Spring Usher | 13 | Early Moth | 16 | Herald | 15 | Chestnut | 13 | Mottled Grey | 21 | Mottled Grey | 23 | Chestnut | 18 | Chestnut | 61 |
Tot | 247 | 610 | 329 | 123 | 172 | 497 | 144 | 529 |
Key to the recorders who took part in this year's challenge are:-
BP Ben
Porter, Machynlleth
TS Tammy
Stretton, Welshpool
DG Deborah
Griffith, Welshpool
SOS Sue
Southam, Guilsfield
PR Paul
Roughly, Abermule
CBo Clare
Boyes, Middletown
JP&MTT Julie Pearce & Mark Thomas, Aberbechan
JeH Jeny
Heard, Montgomery
PRW Peter
Williams, Commins Coch
Happy mothing to all in 2019.
Peter.
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