Subject: Cockchafers in moth traps

From: Patrick Roper <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 22:58:31 +0100

It is interesting that people are reporting Cockchafer beetles, Melolontha
melolontha, in their moth traps in the UK for the first time.  In our garden
in East Sussex these beetles have always been common in my light trap in
their due season and I assumed this was the case throughout their range.

We also get carrion beetles (Silphidae) and the large Dytiscus and other
water beetles in the trap, but Cockchafers are probably the commonest
coleoptera.

Patrick Roper
--
South View, Churchland Lane, Sedlescombe, East Sussex TN33 0PE, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 1424 870208; Fax: +44 (0) 1424 870208
Email: [email-masked]

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From: James Kruse <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 12:13:06 CST

Mon, 17 Jun 1996 "A.P.K.Torry" <[email-masked]>

> Doesn't anyone else get wasps (Vespa) in their traps?

I know it sounds weird and sick, but there are folks around here who
run UV and MV traps to get Phyllophaga spp (May/June beetles),
Silphidae (carrion beetles), and wasps, and dump the leps in a big
pile in the bushes, or even stomp on them so they don't keep coming
back......

Jim

Dept Entomology
Univ Wisconsin
345 Russell Labs
1630 Linden Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-4755

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From: Rebecca Jolly <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 15:45:02 BST

Dear Chris

     Thank you very much for your reply.  I look forward to recieving the
     dates and going out hunting.

     Rebecca

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Cockchafers in moth traps
Author:  "Lepidoptera List (LEPS-L)" <[email-masked]> at
INTERNET-MAIL
Date:    02/07/96 13:34

On Mon, 17 Jun 1996 08:56:27 BST, Rebecca Jolly
<[email-masked]> wrote:

>     Dear Chris
>
>     When is the right glow-worm season?  I live in Kent if that makes a
>     difference!  Haven't seen glow-worms since I was about 12 and I feel a
>     glow-worm hunting foray coming on this year!
>
>     Thanks Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,

Sorry for the delay in replying - I've just come back off holiday and
and wading through tons of news and email  :-)

I would guess, any time from now on until late summer but I will check
my records, Also, I am a bit out of touch with the current state of UK
wildlife at the after the holiday.

Glowworms are getting less common now and the problem has been
attributed to the street, house and car lights that are now visible
>from  nearly every part of the UK. The assumption is that the males get
confused when presented with so many lights (other than the females
glowing in the undergrowth) and just never get a chance to mate.

Consequently the best places to see Glow-worms is in areas of the
countryside which are relatively unspoilt, offer good habitats (with
lots of snails for the larvae to eat!) and without too many lights
visible.

I will post another reply when I get some dates for you.

Cheers
Chris R.

--
All views are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.