British moths decline

[Neil Jones]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3625296.stm


-- British moths are in serious trouble, possibly because of changing climate, 
a scientist will reveal later this week. 

Dr Kelvin Conrad of Rothamsted Research will tell the British Association's 
annual meeting in Exeter that about two-thirds of UK moths are declining. 

He says about a fifth of all British moths are losing numbers sharply enough 
to cause conservationists concern. 

Moths are seen as a good indicator of the general health of the environment, 
because they occupy most habitats. 

Rothamsted Research, north of London, is the UK's largest agricultural 
research centre. 

Dr Conrad will be presenting data from a 35-year study of moths caught in 
Rothamsted's nationwide network of light traps to the BA Festival of Science 
on 9 September. 

Winter woes 

That shows that some of the worst-affected species, moths like the dusky thorn 
and the hedge rustic, have declined by more than 90%. 


 
Dr Conrad thinks climate change could be responsible. He said: "These species 
overwinter as eggs, and they don't appear to be surviving the warmer, wetter 
winters of recent years." 

He told the BBC: "About two-thirds of species are declining, and about 20% of 
all species are declining quite sharply - enough to give us some real 
concern. 


"And you have to remember that these are common moths - that's what our traps 
can catch. They are the equivalent of the sparrows and starlings, and the 
alarm that has been caused over their decline in recent years." 


Swings and roundabouts 


But some species are thriving - numbers of the scarce footman caught in the 
traps, for example, have increased more than twentyfold. 


This species, like other lichen feeders, is on the increase, possibly because 
lower air pollution is encouraging better lichen growth. 


Research published last March said 71% of British butterfly species had 
registered a decline over the last 20 years. 


The Rothamsted light trap network usually catches around 600 different moth 
species in any one year, and has caught 900 of the UK's 2,600 different moths 
in its time. 
--
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.butterflyguy.com/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve.


 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl