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The Isle of Wight Moth Report 2018 is now available, and can be downloaded here.

Iain Outlaw says: “In what turned out to be a good year for moth recording there was a slow start to the season. The first three months of the year were particularly poor with overall numbers and species diversity lower than normal.

“A prolonged spell of hot dry weather in June and July saw a big change in moth numbers and a decent run of migrant moths. (more…)

The Isle of Wight Moth Report 2016 is now available to download here.

Iain Outlaw writes in the introduction to the report: ” Although the first two weeks of January were mild the following months were dominated by wet and unsettled weather causing a negative impact on Lepidoptera. (more…)

Mecyna asinalis © HS

Helen Slade saw a moth on her ceiling in late September and sent us some photo’s in the hope we could say what it was. The answer came back from Tim Norris ‘it is a pyralid, Mecyna asinalis‘ of which he had ‘never seen the adult but the larval feeding damage is very distinctive as it makes large white windows in the leaves of wild madder – very obvious at this time of year. Its an IoW speciality and is very rare in Hants’.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth © IF

Kris Codd & Pete Bradley mentioned finding one of these and asked was it unusual? Ian Fletcher said about it ‘The status given in the field guide says they are immigrant, suspected resident, and goes on to say, “a frequent immigrant from southern Europe and north Africa, most numerous near the south coast, but has reached all parts of the British Isles and the Channel Islands. The number recorded varies considerably annually and in some years exceeds 1000. Suspected breeding resident in south-west England, where it hibernates in small numbers.” and adds ‘we had 3 hummingbird hawk-moths here this year and our next door neighbour has had several at a time on her buddleia. We went today to photograph a moth which needed sending off for identification and the recorder had a couple of them on his buddleia’

White Admiral © KM

Mrs Hilary Pilcher from Thorley informed us of a ‘Jersey Tiger Moth in my garage on Sunday 23rd July. Also a White Admiral butterfly in the kitchen the week before.’

Cream-bordered Green Pea Moth © GTa

Gary Taylor sent two pictures of moths from Apse Heath in July and asked us to confirm his identifications. Ian Fletcher, one of our veteran moth recorders, affirmed “he is right with his identifications. We get ‘festoons’ here in small numbers but have not had the ‘cream bordered green pea.'” So, a new record for Gary, who tells us he’s new to moth recording!