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.