Author name: Angus

Maurice Hughes

Obituaries /

It is with great sadness to inform of the passing of Maurice Hughes.

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Maurice closely acquainted with a White Prominent

Maurice was an all-round naturalist with over 30 years’ experience studying Lepidoptera. He was the first Regional Officer for Butterfly Conservation Northern Ireland from 2001 to 2010. In this role one of Maurice’s primary aims was to gain a better understanding of knowledge gaps in the distribution, range and ecology of Lepidoptera in Northern Ireland.

In conjunction with Brian Nelson, Maurice was intrinsically involved in the discovery of Cryptic Wood White in Ireland, painstakingly undertaking dissections of male wood whites and measuring the relevant bits! He also worked tirelessly on behalf of the Marsh Fritillary, championing the species with government, public and anyone who would listen! Maurice became quickly aware of the huge knowledge gap regarding micro-lepidoptera in Northern Ireland and procured funding for the first NI checklist compiled by Ken Bond and published in 2009.

Many moth’ers will be aware that he was an integral part of the team which rediscovered the White Prominent in Ireland in 2008, 70 years after it was last recorded. This was an event which Maurice always recalled with great pride, his joy radiates from the image.

Maurice Hughes Read More »

Micro-moth maps updated

website update /


About 830 micro-moth maps have been updated. For the first time these include Northern Ireland records to give an all Ireland view of distribution. Click this for the map page or click the map here. This map shows the distribution of Agriphila straminella from the records we have. This species leads the 10km square count, but in reality this moth should have complete coverage but the lack of recording in central Ireland and other areas are the reason for the holes in its distribution.

Please let us know of any errors ie. wrong map, missing species, missing records, erroneous records etc.

Micro-moth maps updated Read More »

Species missing from Vice-counties

Statistics /

Out of our 570+ species of macro-moth, only 34 have been recorded from all 40 Irish vice-counties.

These are
Emperor Moth
Flame Carpet
Silver-ground Carpet
Garden Carpet
Shaded Broad-bar
Common Carpet
Common Marbled Carpet
Green Carpet
Clouded Border
Brimstone Moth
Mottled Beauty
Common Heath
Common Wave
Poplar Hawk-moth
Buff-tip
Garden Tiger
White Ermine
Buff Ermine
Cinnabar
Heart and Dart
Large Yellow Underwing
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
Small Square-spot
Smoky Wainscot
Angle Shades
Dark Arches
Small Wainscot
Burnished Brass
Silver Y
Plain Golden Y
Spectacle
Straw Dot
Snout
Common Rustic agg.

If you’re wondering what vice-counties and/or macro-moths are then, hopefully the following helps.
For biological recording Ireland is divided into 40 regions. See this page for more info. Macro-moth are generally the larger moths. There are exceptions as the division between macro and micro-moths was based on families and not wholly on size.

The last species in the list above is not a single species but an aggregate of 2 that cannot be separated on external features. The vast bulk are left undetermined as simple recorded as an agg. There are a few aggregates among the macro-moths.

What is notable about the above list is how short it is! The list of common and widespread species is many times bigger! Below are species that have been recorded in at least 37 VCs along with the VCs they are missing from. Perhaps you can fill some gaps. Maybe you have already noted this species but never submitted the sighting?

Ghost Moth – Cavan
Map-winged Swift – Cavan
Peach Blossom – Monaghan
Buff Arches – North Tipperary
Small Fan-footed Wave – Longford
Single-dotted Wave – Longford
Riband Wave – Longford
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet – Monaghan
Yellow Shell – Sligo
Small Phoenix – Longford
July Highflyer – Longford
Magpie Moth – Monaghan
Latticed Heath – West Cork
Early Thorn – Monaghan
Scalloped Oak – Longford
Swallow-tailed Moth – Longford
Peppered Moth – Monaghan
Elephant Hawk-moth – Monaghan
Pale Prominent – Dublin
Flame – Monaghan
Flame Shoulder – Monaghan
Lesser Yellow Underwing – Longford
Double Dart – North Tipperary
Ingrailed Clay – Laois
Double Square-spot – North Tipperary
Bright-line Brown-eye – Longford
Broom Moth – Longford
Clouded Drab – Carlow
Hebrew Character – Laois
Common Wainscot – Monaghan
Rosy Rustic – Longford
Beautiful Golden Y – Laois
Dark Spectacle – Longford, Leitrim
Fox Moth – Laois, Kilkenny
Grass Emerald – Monaghan, Longford
Common Emerald – Monaghan, Longford
Oblique Carpet – Laois, Longford
Grey Pine Carpet – Monaghan, Longford
Spruce Carpet – Cavan, Longford
Common Pug – Laois, Longford
V-Pug – Laois, Longford
Brown Silver-line – Monaghan, Westmeath
Canary-shouldered Thorn – Monaghan, NE Galway
Willow Beauty – Monaghan, Kilkenny
Common White Wave – Monaghan, Kilkenny
Light Emerald – South Tipperary, North Tipperary
Pebble Prominent – Monaghan, Longford
Coxcomb Prominent – Laois, Kilkenny
Ruby Tiger – South Tipperary, North-east Galway
True Lover’s Knot – Carlow, Longford
Purple Clay – Cavan, Laois
Dotted Clay – Carlow, Kilkenny
Square-spot Rustic – Laois, Longford
Early Grey – Laois, Monaghan
Light Arches – Longford, Carlow
Dusky Brocade – Laois, Monaghan
Gold Spot – Longford, Kilkenny
Herald – Laois, Longford
Large Emerald – Laois, Longford, Monaghan
Broken-barred Carpet – Longford, Cavan, North Tipperary
May Highflyer – Monaghan, Longford, Kilkenny
Ruddy Highflyer – Monaghan, Longford, Carlow
Sharp-angled Carpet – Longford, Kilkenny, North-east Galway
Narrow-winged Pug – Monaghan, Longford, Kilkenny
Double-striped Pug – Monaghan, Longford, Cavan
Scalloped Hazel – Monaghan, Longford, Kilkenny
Brussels Lace – Longford, Kilkenny, North Tipperary
Clouded Silver – Monaghan, Longford, Kilkenny
Humming-bird Hawk-moth – Laois, Offaly, Leitrim
Iron Prominent – Monaghan, Longford, North Tipperary
Lesser Swallow Prominent – Monaghan, Longford, North-east Galway
Pale Tussock – Monaghan, Longford, West Donegal
Common Footman – Monaghan, Leitrim, East Donegal
Six-striped Rustic – Laois, Kilkenny, North Tipperary
Grey Arches – Monaghan, Longford, North Tipperary
Common Quaker – Laois, Carlow, North-east Galway
Black Rustic – Laois, Monaghan, North-east Galway
Clouded-bordered Brindle – Monaghan, Longford, Carlow
Middle-barred Minor – Longford, Kilkenny, South Kerry
Marbled White Spot – Monaghan, Kilkenny, Cavan
Gold Spangle – Monaghan, Carlow, Roscommon
Small Fan-foot – Laois, Longford, Kilkenny

The same counties are repeated many times. In particular Longford and Monaghan have very small species lists and Laois isn’t much better. 3 or 4 trapping sessions spread through the year in reasonable habitat could double the Longford list.
I’ll do another post about numbers of species per vice-county.

Species missing from Vice-counties Read More »

Macro-moth maps updated

website update /

2107 The macro-moth maps have been updated. These include an updated Northern Ireland dataset and the combined datasets make up in excess of 600,000 records. The maps can be access from here https://www.mothsireland.com/maps-overview/

There are also some special maps
https://www.mothsireland.com/special-maps/

Finally clicking the image here will open an explanation page which gives a brief outline of the numbering or code system and all the other data visible on the maps.

 

The micro-moth maps are even longer waiting for an update. This will happen before next season and will also have Northern Ireland data included.

 

Macro-moth maps updated Read More »

Chris Wilson

Obituaries /

It is with sadness to note the recent passing of Chris Wilson. Our deepest sympathy to family and friends and while he will be greatly missed, he will forever be fondly remembered. Below are tributes from Ken Bond and Michael O’Donnell.

I first got to know Chris Wilson when he was based in Co. Tipperary, and recording the Lepidoptera of Cappamurra Bog. Over the following years we exchanged many emails about moth identification, and I soon realised how wide his knowledge of wildlife ranged. When he later moved to live close to The Raven, Co. Wexford, he set up a weather station there, and we were then able to share our interest in meteorology too; this included the phenomenal rainfall in August 1997 that happened to peak around The Raven. I was able to visit Chris and Anne at their home in Ballinamorragh the previous month, providing an opportunity to trap moths there and to have a guided tour from Chris of The Raven. I still well remember this occasion, both because of his knowledge of the area, and the impression made on me by the diverse fauna of the area. I regret that I was unable to make an intended return visit. How perceptive of significant details he was is shown be the fact that Chris was probably the first person to mention to me that he noticed a decline in the Wall Brown butterfly and to comment on unusual features he noticed locally in what was then simply known as the “Wood White”. His reports on the fascinating journey to Antarctica showed another facet of his wide interests. He achieved a remarkable amount in the field of Irish natural history, and he will be sorely missed.

Ken Bond.

Chris moved to Co. Wexford in 1991 when he got the position of Warden at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve where he remained for 16 years before taking early retirement to focus on his travels and set up his own environmental consultancy. His travels brought him to every continent but particularly to Antarctica where he lectured on cruise ships about the exploration and wildlife of that continent. Always active, he was involved in numerous projects including butterfly, bumblebee, bird, hedgerow and cetacean surveys. He was an active bird-ringer and was warden of the tern colony at Lady’s Island Lake for a number of years. He was instrumental in setting up the Wexford Naturalists’ Field Club in 2004 and enthusiastically promoted the wildlife of Wexford at every opportunity. Always approachable and always happy to share his knowledge, he led numerous field-trips and regularly gave lectures for WNFC. In recent years his enthusiasm for moths was rekindled. Knowing the importance of getting the identification correct so that the record could stand up to scrutiny, Chris was never afraid to ask for help if he was unsure of something. He was always delighted to see a new species, even if it was a common species that he had never seen before. In 2009 he co-authored the WNFC publication The Lepidoptera of County Wexford and also co-authored The Odonata of County Wexford in 2015. He was actively working on the next WNFC publication on the Shieldbugs and Ladybirds of County Wexford. Knowing that he did not have much time left, he wanted to make sure that all his records were up to date and had been submitted to the relevant recorders. MothsIreland received his final batch of records only two weeks before his death. A thorough professional in everything he did and an absolute gentleman, Chris will be deeply missed throughout the recording community.

Michael O’Donnell.

Other tributes

Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
South East Radio
Nature Glenelg Trust South Australia
Edward Wilson of the Antarctic

Chris Wilson Read More »

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