Category Archives: Lepidoptera

Flying Saucer Hunt

Posted on 2016/01/14 by Chris Foster

Last July we added White-letter hairstreak to the campus species list. It’s impossible to say whether it was a stray individual (revisiting my photograph it was a pretty beaten up specimen!) or part of a breeding colony on campus. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Insects, Lepidoptera, Surveys | Leave a comment

Enhancement Week

Posted on 2015/11/15 by Chris Foster

School of Biological Sciences students and staff alike enjoyed a veritable wildlife bonanza during week 6 ‘enhancement week’, with a range of sessions including bird ringing and moth trapping that served to demonstrate you don’t have to go far for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Lepidoptera, Moths | Leave a comment

Moth Night Catch

Posted on 2015/09/11 by Chris Foster

It was a cool, clear night, and 8am found the Harris Garden wreathed in mist and drenched with dew. Would any moths have found their way into our light traps in these conditions?

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Moth Night (Morning) update

Posted on 2015/09/10 by Chris Foster

Further to Alastair’s post, whilst it is probably too late to put on an official event I will have two light traps running in the Harris Garden overnight. All welcome to join me from 8am tomorrow to open them and … Continue reading →

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Moth Nights 10-12 September – will you be recording?

Posted on 2015/09/10 by Alastair Culham

Over the next two nights the UK will be aflutter with moth enthusiasts looking to see what is out and about.  UK Moth Night aims to celebrate British moth recording activity and highlight this to the public.  News coverage has … Continue reading →

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Whiteknights Moths

Posted on 2014/06/16 by Chris Foster

Continuing the overhaul of our campus species lists, moths are the next group to have received a thorough treatment. More than 2400 species of moth have been recorded in the UK, so the current total of 113 for Whiteknights campus … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Lepidoptera, Moths | 1 Comment

Miner Matters: Eric Carle revisited?

Posted on 2014/05/08 by Waheed

After reading Fay’s blog on the holm oak (Quercus ilex) under attack, I – like you – was in a better position to look for and recognise leaf-mining beasties on campus. What better way to follow her blog than to … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Fagaceae, Insects, Lepidoptera, Moths, Plant Pathology Research Group, Plants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Under attack!

Posted on 2014/04/24 by Fay Newbery

Holm oak (Quercus ilex) is a Mediterranean tree species that was introduced to Britain in the 1500s. Unlike our native oak species, Holm oak is evergreen and holds its leaves all year round. It’s latin name, ilex, refers to the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Fagaceae, Flowering Plants, Galls, Lepidoptera, Moths, Plant Pathology Research Group, Plants | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Leaf-mining moths going conkers…

Posted on 2013/10/11 by Waheed

While strolling around the campus grounds, have you been wondering what’s happening to our horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L., Sapindaceae) trees? Are those brown leaves really showing signs of an early autumn? These leaves are actually changing colour for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Insects, Lepidoptera, Plants, Sapindaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Who needs Nettles?

Posted on 2012/12/14 by Rory Carr

The Common stinging nettle Urtica dioica, is the most well-known and prosperous example of the Family Urticaceace in Britain. Infamous for its painful sting caused by chemical injection via trichome hairs, this dioecious plant is easily recognised by its opposite, … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Flowering Plants, Insects, Lepidoptera, Plants, Urticaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment