P1040111 - First run for my self-built moth trap

I’ve been waiting well over two years to write this post (mostly due to my own procrastination I’ll freely admit), but finally I’ve managed to run a moth trap in our garden. The trap in question is one of my own design, built on a budget with no fancy bulbs or parts, and last night was its very first test. The big question was would it catch anything or would it simply light up the garden for a few hours and annoy the neighbours? To my complete astonishment it turned out to be the former. Caught within was this Chestnut moth or Conista vaccinii for those who like a bit of Latin to spice up their evening.

P1040076 - Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)
P1040084 - Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)

Now you may say that a single moth haul is not that impressive, but considering the time of year and that last night was rather chilly it’s really a resounding success. In truth I hadn’t expected to catch anything especially as there are still a couple of modifications needed to the trap itself. At least this proves that the core design is sound and I should be raring to go when spring arrives proper. All I need to do now is figure out how to get the lens hood off my camera as the shadow it casts is really making macro photography difficult!

Categories: mothsWildlife

2 Comments

holdingmoments · February 17, 2013 at 6:15 am

I'd call that a success Adam.
Amazing that anything is flying around on a cold night. Looking forward to see some more results.
Something I've always fancied doing.
You'll have to do a future post regarding the construction of your moth trap.

Davbro · March 12, 2014 at 8:24 pm

Adam, when you say trap built on a budget with no fancy bulbs or parts, are you saying you used a standard domestic bulb. I am looking to try mothing but £100+ for a kit cannot be justified.
Regards
Dave Brooks

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