The January challenge has now finished, the data is all in and has been
collated in the two charts below.
This year, as last year, only nine mothers took part (and two of those were from out of county recorders), which considering the mild January we
had is a little disappointing, but between us we did manage to record 28 species, which is only two species down on last years record number of species. There were 17 macro and 11 micro species recorded which resulted in 377 moths (347 macro and 30 micro), which is an excellent effort on everyone's
part. Despite the fairly mild weather throughout the month, moth numbers were well down on last years record total of 643.
Saturday 15 February 2020
January Moth Challenge 2020
Only two of us achieved the macro part of the challenge, with 10 plus species
that was myself with 12 species and 10 species from Alec Undrill, an Essex recorder. Sue Southam was once again (like last year) very unlucky, just missing the target with 9 species, as was Alan Sibley from Essex, also with 9 species. I also managed to scrape home with the micro part of the challenge with 5 species, with Alec just missing out with 4 species.
The recorders who have shared this
year's coveted ‘wooden MV bulb’ award (formally the ‘wooden spoon’ award), are; Tim Ward, Deborah Griffiths, Phil McGregor and Jeny Heard with no moths, but well done as always for having a go.
Recorder
’
|
AS
|
TW
|
SOS
|
DG
|
AU
|
PMG
|
CSB
|
PRW
|
JeH
|
Count of species
|
Count of moths
|
|
Species:
Macro moths
|
Count
|
Count
|
Count
|
Count
|
Count
|
Count
|
Count
|
Count
|
Count
|
|||
Log
No.
|
Days
Trapped/recorded
|
31
|
3
|
20
|
4
|
13
|
4
|
5
|
31
|
2
|
||
1663
|
March
Moth
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
3
|
1760
|
Red-green
Carpet
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
2
|
1769
|
Spruce
Carpet
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
1775
|
Mottled
Grey
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
64
|
-
|
1
|
64
|
1799
|
Winter
Moth
|
2
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
39
|
-
|
4
|
45
|
1926
|
Pale
Brindled Beauty
|
8
|
-
|
14
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
1
|
14
|
-
|
5
|
42
|
1927
|
Brindled
Beauty
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
1930
|
Oak
Beauty
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
1932
|
Spring
Usher
|
10
|
-
|
10
|
-
|
16
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
4
|
43
|
1934
|
Dotted
Border
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
4
|
6
|
1935
|
Mottled
Umber
|
3
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
17
|
-
|
-
|
26
|
-
|
4
|
48
|
1947
|
Engrailed
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
1960
|
Early
Moth
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
6
|
2241
|
Red
Sword-grass
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
2
|
2256
|
Satellite
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
2
|
6
|
2258
|
Chestnut
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
11
|
-
|
-
|
45
|
-
|
4
|
58
|
2259
|
Dark
Chestnut
|
12
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
16
|
Macro
species recorded
|
9
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
2
|
12
|
0
|
17
|
||
Macro
moths recorded
|
41
|
0
|
40
|
0
|
57
|
0
|
3
|
206
|
0
|
42
|
347
|
|
Log No.
|
Species: Micro moths
|
|||||||||||
435
|
Zelleria
hepariella
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
461
|
Ypsolopha
ustella
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
2
|
7
|
688
|
Agonopterix
heracliana
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
697
|
Agonopterix
arenella
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
893
|
Mompha
epilobiella
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
998
|
Epiphyas
postviteana
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
4
|
1044
|
Acleris
ferrugana
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
2
|
4
|
1045
|
Acleris
notana
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
2
|
5
|
1057
|
Acleris
hastiana
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
1498
|
Amblyptilia
acanthadactyla
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
1524
|
Emmelina
monodactyla
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
3
|
Micro
species/moths recorded
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
11
|
||
Micro
moths recorded
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
30
|
||
Total
species macro + micro
|
12
|
0
|
12
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
2
|
17
|
0
|
28
|
||
Total
count macro + micro
|
46
|
0
|
45
|
0
|
63
|
0
|
3
|
220
|
0
|
377
|
||
Now for a more in depth breakdown of what was recorded.
Macros - As can be
seen in the chart above four of us managed to record 4+ species. Across all
recorders the most numerous species (like last year) was the Mottled Grey with 64 moths, followed by the Chestnut with 58 moths and in third place was the Mottled Umber with 48 moths
The most moths recorded by individual recorders were 206 by myself, Alec 57 and Alan Sibley on 41.
Of the 17 species recorded, those
worthy of a special mention are, Brindled Beauty, which are normally not seen before late March; Red Sword-grass - an overwintering species brought out by
the mild weather.
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 all the micro species. There weren't really any
unexpected micro species recorded this year.
The chart below shows the top five
macro species recorded (along with the total of moths)from 2012 to 2020.
January moth challenge - Top five recorded macro species 2012 to 2020
| ||||||||||||||||||
Year
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
| |||||||||
Species
|
Total
|
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
|
Mottled Grey
|
64
|
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
|
Chestnut
|
58
|
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
|
Mottled Umber
|
48
|
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
|
Winter Moth
|
45
|
5
|
Spring Usher
|
13
|
Early Moth
|
16
|
Herald
|
15
|
Chestnut
|
13
|
Mottled Grey
|
21
|
Mottled Grey
|
23
|
Chestnut
|
18
|
Chestnut
|
61
|
Spring Usher
|
43
|
Tot
|
247
|
610
|
329
|
123
|
172
|
497
|
144
|
529
|
258
| |||||||||
Key the recorders who took part in this year's challenge is: -
AS Alan
Sibley - Sible Hedingham
TW Tim
Ward - Pentre Llifior
SOS Sue
Southam - Guilsfield
DG Deborah
Griffith - Welshpool
AU Alec
Undrill - Colchester
PMG Phil
McGregor - Llanfihangel
CSB Clare
Backshall - Llanymynech
PRW Peter
Williams - Commins Coch
JeH Jeny
Heard - Montgomery
Once again many thanks for all those who took part in this years challange.
Happy mothing in 2020
Peter.
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Well done Peter,
ReplyDeleteThere's such a lot of interesting info here, which must have taken some time to collate. The numbers of moths at your home are incredible - and even though Alan Sibley also trapped on 31 nights, his totals are nowhere near yours (but well done to both the Essex recorders for doing so well)How do you do it??!!
Hello Sue - yes, I do agree with you that there is some interesting data here, but the most obvious thing to note is that for those of us who did the most trapping the rewards were there for all to see.
DeleteAs to why I do so particularly well, I can only put this down to my sheltered valley site and my trap is sited next to the house wall which gives it even more shelter, apart from that I don't do anything else special.
The question remains, why do so many moth-ers put there traps away in the autumn and only take them out again once the spring is with us. I think I have proven beyond doubt that winter trapping can be very rewarding with the potential to record a whole raft of species which aren't usually recorded because nobody traps for them. Hopefully the 'January Challenge' will slowly change peoples minds on this.
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your efforts in producing such interest spreadsheets.
So disappointing so few entered but I look forward to 2021, as I will try to give you a better run for top spot by trapping more often and you not catching Mottled Grey (tongue in cheek).
Best regards
Alec Unbdrill
Hello Alec,
DeleteMany thanks for taking part and I'll certainly look forwards to your direct challenge for 'top spot' next year.
If you know of anyone else who would like to participate next year, please let me have their e-mail address, so that I can include them in the 'January Challenge mailing' list, thanks.
Peter.
Tester Peter
ReplyDeleteWell, anonymous person, I'm not exactly sure what your comment means, but as county moth recorder it's my job to encourage and promote mothing and therefore recording, throughout my county and I'm certainly not going to apologise for that.
DeletePeter.
From Alan Sibley
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Peter on a job well done, I was very pleased to have been invited to participate, it caused me to review my January records from the last decade. A brief summary as follows nights trapped between 3 and 13, highest year total of 29, highest year total Macro of 7, but a Decade total of just 4, with a no count night of 55%.
With those figures in mind and Peters stated target numbers to hand I decided my objective was to aim for a 31 night figure with e-mail support from Wales I achieved that figure and the best returns every for this site with a Red-green Carpet record mid point in a 20 week gap as a bonus and month tick
May I recommend that other moth-ers aim to raise the bar this coming January 2021 is was very rewarding indeed
Alan
Hello Alan - It was good to have you aboard for this year's 'January Challenge' and I must say, you were very unlucky just to miss out on the macro target, with nine species (but there's always next year!). Many thanks for your glowing post above, which hopefully you will encourage other moth-ers to have a go at the 'challenge' in the future.
DeletePeter.