I started my part-time PhD funded by Envision DTP in October 2024. My research focus is on identifying mechanisms for decline and pathways to recovery in Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) populations in calcareous habitats. I also plan to look more generally at the effects of global change drivers like pollution and climate change on butterflies and moths across the UK. This first year of my PhD has involved lots of analytical work to further our understanding of the impacts of nitrogen pollution on butterflies, as well as some field work to test the methods I will use for my field campaign starting in 2026.

I intend to look at the effects of small-scale management interventions, like targeted cattle grazing, so I purchased several portable low powered moth traps and tested these out in the calcareous habitats of Ingleborough and Horton Quarry this summer. These moth traps (picture above) have a small bulb which nocturnal moths fly towards. They hit the bulb or the surrounding vanes and fall into the trap below, where they hide under the egg boxes within. Early the following morning, I check these traps and record the species present before releasing them.

In September, I placed several moth traps at Carly’s grazing experiment at Horton Quarry. The night sampled was cold (<5 degrees Celsius), with little cloud cover and minimal wind. Moths tend to be fairly inactive at such temperatures due to being ectothermic and needing to reach a certain temperature before their wing muscles can function. Despite this, I still managed to find two moths in trap number 5: one Autumn Green Carpet (Chloroclysta miata) and one Brindled Ochre (Dasypolia templi). The latter (pictured above) is a rarer moorland species noted as near threatened by the IUCN red list. Excitingly, both are new records for the 1km square SD7971.

Related Blogs

• 

  Ex-situ limestone pavement conservation

• 

  Recording a podcast and preparing for autumn

• 

  A busy summer!

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.