Getting the moth trap out of moth balls!

With Spring definitely in the air, I put out the moth trap yesterday evening for the first time this year. I’ve still very much got my ‘L’ plates on when it comes to moths, so I’m going to need some help over the season. I think I’m ok with last night’s catch – just 4 species: The moths, in order, were Hebrew Character, Light Brown Apple Moth, Double-striped Pug and Emmelina monodactyla.

The Light Brown Apple Moth – or LBAM – has a fascinating history. It’s quite a pest in Australia and is reckoned to have been accidentally introduced to Britain in the 1930s. It was first found breeding in Cornwall in 1936 but has spread dramatically since then! If you put LBAM into your search engine you will discover how it has not only spread to Britain but also to New Zealand, Hawaii & the United States, leading to a lot of concern about the effect it might have on the fruit industry! Interestingly, we lost 62 resident moth species here in Britain in the 20th Century…..but gained 89 species!