Wonderwall

We've long been mothing at REGUA. Up until now we've simply hung a mercury vapour bulb in front of a pale coloured wall, with one bulb against the back of the lodge and another at the conservation centre. However, this also increased the number of insects getting inside the lodge, therefore, we decided to build a moth wall in the garden.

Now under construction, one side of the moth wall faces towards the lodge and the other faces out across the wetland. Each side will be illuminated by both a mercury vapour bulb and a black mercury vapour bulb, and has a built-in shelf to place collecting pots and camera equipment etc. In addition the wall also has a roof to protect the moths from the rain.

As soon as the first coat of render was dry, we moved the existing bulb and plugged in a black bulb. The result was an immediate increase in the number and diversity of insects attracted - and this was only with the side facing the lodge in use! As far as we know this is the first purpose-built moth wall in the world, and I can't wait to see it when it's finished. It's going to be moth madness!

To the best of our knowledge, the REGUA moth wall is the first purpose built moth
wall in the world!

Another brick in the wall

No sooner had the render dried on the side facing the lodge, we had moved the
bulb and the wall was in use. (Photo by Rachel Walls)

Each side will have a mercury vapour bulb and a black mercury vapour bulb.

We had the bulb on at the moth wall for our last two nights (20 and 21 September). In addition to moths, the lights attracted a whole range of other beasties including butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, cicadas, wasps, hover flies, crickets and three species of praying mantis. Here is a selection of the insects photographed in the first two nights (click to enlarge).

On the first night, the moth wall and the light at the conservation centre attracted
a total of 11 species of hawkmoth!

Manduca diffissa petuniae, REGUA, 22 September 2012

Leuciris fimbriaria, REGUA, 20 September 2012

Walker's moth Sosxetra grata, REGUA, 20 September 2012

Phrygionis incolorata, REGUA, 20 September 2012. Several species of
Phrygionis are indistinguishable except by genitalial dissection. Currently,
range is key to identification.

Moth spp., REGUA, 20 September 2012. This beautiful moth reminds me a little
of the Purple-bordered Gold Idaea muricata of Europe.

Mother of Pearl Argyrotome mira, REGUA, 20 September 2012.

Clearwing moth spp., 20 September 2012

Micromoth spp., 21 September 2012. The wall attracted a huge number of micros,
many of which were beautifully patterned.

Butterfly spp., REGUA, 20 September 2012

Newly emerged Micrathyria catenata, REGUA, 20 September 2012

Praying Mantis sp. nymph, REGUA, 20 September 2012

Longhorn Beetle sp., REGUA, 20 September 2012

Male Harlequin Beetle Acrocinus longimanus, REGUA, 21 September 2012.
Alan Martin reported that this hit the wall with a bang!

Male Harlequin Beetle Acrocinus longimanus, REGUA, 21 September 2012