Moth trap results

[Roger C. KENDRICK]

Hi Sandy,

sandydavid wrote:

> Here are the results of running my home-made moth trap over the typically
> very wet bank holiday weekend in my ( small and overgrovn ) back garden.

species list using vernacular names snipped!

Sandy, for non-UK people (and there are quite a few on Leps-L!), using only
vernacular names for your list of species is more or less a waste of time;
please use the scientific names *as well* (grouping by family helps as well).
I don't doubt that if you've just started moth recording, these may be a
little more difficult to learn (my memories of the scientific names of UK
moths is now limited to some genus and a very few species names after three
years of not using them except for the names shared with genera in Hong Kong,
but having coped with the commonest species made learning the HK species names
much easier as I had a ball-park idea of where most species fitted
taxonomically). I found the best way to learn was simply to write down the
species list in both the scientific and vernacular nomenclature, trying not to
look up the species names unless I really couldn't remember them (and
definitely not copying them from a spreadsheet or database - this didn't help
me remember names at all!)

> Two queries, I assume the small numbers I caught were due to the poor
> weather, but somtimes I catch far more when it rains than when it doesn't,
> why?

Nights with high humidity are known to increase moth activity, but the reasons
are not entirely clear. There appears to be an optimal range of temperatures
associated with flight activity also; but here in Hong Kong (and also in other
very hot zones), excessively high temperatures reduce the amount of activity.
The upper threshold in HK appears to be when the minimum night time
temperature is around 28°C (83°F), the lower threshold is around 17°C (63°F),
although there is still some activity outside this range. From my time
recording in Coventry (West Midlands, U.K.), I found that abundance increased
acove about 13°C (55°F), and was really high when the minimum stayed above
17°C (about twice a year!).
There are various papers by L.R.Taylor (amongst others) on these factors and
the effect of moon phase on activity. Sorry this doesn't really answer your
question, but it'll give you somewhere to look!

>                   I caught a couple of pugs but I find it very difficlt to
> identify them ( my girlfriend calls them LBJ's little brown jobs!) can
> anyone recommend a good field guide? ( I have Skinner's book)

For guides specifically on British Eupithecini (i.e. Pug Moths) the only one
available (no longer in print, so scour the second-hand market) is the guide
published by the British Entomolgy & Natural History Society (be prepared to
look at the species using a good hand lens), although there is a book due out
very soon (if it isn't already) that updates this, available from Harley Books
(Colchester): take a look at the Natural History Book Service (NHBS) website
to see the details of availability. I'd recommend finding someone who does
know the identity of your local species and arrange a few field trips with
him/her - maybe your county recorder could help here. Breeding eupithecines is
also a good way to learn their identity.

Hope this helps a little,

Roger

--
Roger C. KENDRICK
  Demonstrator / Ph.D. Student
  Dept. of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong
  mailto:kendrick at hkusua.hku.hk

mailing address:
  Kadoorie Agricultural Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong
  Lam Kam Road, Shek Kong, Yuen Long, New Territories, HONG KONG

Hong Kong Moths website coordinator
  http://web.hku.hk/~kendrick/hkmoth.htm

HK Lepidoptera Group webmaster (English version)
  http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1085/

HK Lepidopterists' Society (English version) [NEW]
  http://members.xoom.com/hkls/
  (may be redesignated to http://www.hkls.org)
  (and will eventually replace the HKLG site)