Pitsford Moths

| Home - Moths | Years/Months | 4 Seasons | Other stuff |
Order list by

Names to use

This site shows data from January 2008 through to the last week of December 2024 (Week-53).

Note, the way the seasons work means that winter 2024 does not officially end until week 8 in 2025. This means winter 2024 is still "under construction" as it were.

There are two light traps in use at Pitsford Reservoir Nature Reserve. One is adjacent to the reservoir and has reeds and grassland nearby. The 2nd is situated in light woodland. The traps are about 50 metres apart.

Estimates of the effective range of a light trap vary from around 20 metres to in excess of 800 metres depending greatly on the phase of the moon and light pollution. It's also worth noting that although many moths are attracted to light, not all of them are, and the effect of light on each species, and even individual moths within a species varies.

Having trapped the moths overnight the date and the number of each species found in the trap are recorded and the moths, having spent a comfortable night nesting in cardboard eggboxes, are then released.

Showing how many species were counted each year.
There are about 15 species which emerge in autumn/winter and fly into the following year. The yearly season for these moths runs from the start of June in one year to the end of May in the next. The year used for these moths is the year in which they start their flight season.

Showing the count of species per End Season. The End Season is the final season in which a moth species flies.
As can be seen, most species end their season in summer.

Showing the Yield of all moth species per year.
The yield for the year is calculated by summing the weekly yield values.
Weekly yield uses the value for the day of the week on which the sum of the two traps is greatest. We use this value as it ensures that if the traps are not operated the same number of times each week the numbers are still comparable.

Here we see the yield for moths based on their end season.
Notice that while summer sees the greatest number of species ending their season (as shown above), Autumn sees the greatest yield.