News: August 2003

The exceptionally warm summer has been implicated as the reason for a huge large increase in the number of sightings of migratory moths in Britain this year.

Two species, Lacanobia splendens and Ancylosis cinnamomella have never even been recorded in Britain before (hence no vernacular names). The dust marbled brown has also been recorded for the first time since 1853. Other more frequently seen, but nonetheless pretty uncommon species which do occasionally migrate to Britain from Europe, like the humming-bird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), which is often seen during the daytime in gardens, have been seen in far greater numbers this year than usual.

Robert Uhlig. 2003. Moths drawn to the heatwave. Viewed on the web at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/21/nmoths21.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/08/21/ixhome.html on August 17th 2003.