Moths are pollinators too
We are incredibly fortunate in Marden to have a very active, friendly and celebrated Wildlife Group. Before I moved to Marden, I had no idea that moths could be caught, studied and released, (much like the kids’ beloved Pokemon!) It was Marden Wildlife Group who introduced me to ‘The Moths’ and I can’t explain what a simple pleasure it is to wake up, bleary-eyed, make a cup of tea and open the moth trap in the morning to find an incandescent Ibiza-rave pink Elephant Hawk Moth.
Marden Wildlife Group have won national awards (NBN Award 2021 & BBC Local Radio Environmental Award 2022) for their recording of our local nature. I would urge anyone who has not already had a look at their Facebook page, (along with the 793 other page members!) or website to spend a few minutes checking out the wild wonders of our village at www.mardenwildlife.org.uk There’s a certain magic to finding moths which are rare and previously unrecorded in Kent. Our proximity to the coast makes it possible that we can also find moths here in our Marden back gardens which have never been found elsewhere in the UK.
Anyone with an outside space (even a balcony) with access to a power supply can set a moth trap. They come in various price ranges and sizes and the recommended model for a novice is the Skinner Trap. Traps can be purchased second hand on eBay but it’s preferable to purchase through a reputable shop such as Anglian Lepidopterist Supplies www.angleps.com The traps work via an actinic light bulb suspended over a sturdy box with uni-directional Perspex flaps. The box is manually filled with used egg boxes before being plugged in and switched on. The moths are attracted to the light, fly into the box and settle on the boxes. In the morning the unharmed moths can be removed by picking up the egg boxes, the resident moths then are photographed with a mobile phone and recorded. It’s exciting to think that such a simple and fun project can help to change the way we understand the natural biodiversity of not just our little patch of rural Kent, but also the UK.
Moths are one of our most important pollinators and therefore the flowers we have growing in our gardens are as important for the day-flying insects as they are for our night visitors. That’s why it’s so important that alongside the buddleias and salvias we also don’t over-weed; the Elephant Hawk Moth larvae love Rosebay Willowherb, Small Magpie and the characterful Spectacle Moth are attracted to nettle, and native honeysuckle acts as a ‘hotel & restaurant’ for moths, including again our friend the Elephant hawk Moth, which is in turn predated by bats.
One of my very favourite things about Moths is that they have the most fabulous names; clearly lepidopterists have a sense of humour! I could write endlessly about the trials and tribulations of the ‘LBJ’s as we call them (Little Brown Jobbies) when it’s virtually impossible to identify one small brown moth from another, (genuine scientific British moth names include ‘Uncertain’, ‘Suspected’ and ‘Confused’!).
I’ve written at length over the last year about the soothing and restorative qualities of building a wildlife garden on mental health. The pinnacle of this has been the ability to notice and record the impact that creating space for nature has on the number of species in the garden. Observing first-hand the beauty of the moths has been such a pleasure, but please don’t take my word for it; give it a go yourself. Mothing comes with a caveat though; it’s so addictive you may find yourself giving up your Sunday morning lay-in to be in your pyjamas at 7am in the garden, crouched over a load of egg-boxes… and that’s a very positive thing.