Subject: Diamond-back Moth invasion

From: "J.B.Murray (John Murray)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 09:11:51 +0000

I was interested to hear of the sudden appearance of the migratory Diamond-back
Moth (Plutella xylostella) in light traps in the last week of April in such
widely separated UK localities.  At Marshalls Heath, Hertfordshire, I got 7 in
the trap (a Heath actinic trap) on April 25-26th and 2 on April 26-27th but none
since.  I also saw them flying in sunshine on the Heath during a butterfly
transect on April 26th.

John Murray
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Michael Pennington)
Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 18:39:17 +0100

In message <[email-masked]>
        "J.B.Murray (John Murray)" <[email-masked]> writes: 

> Moth (Plutella xylostella) 

Having in a way started this strand (by sending an e-mail to Bart 
Vanholder in Belgium), here is a summary of Plutella xylostella in 
Shetland so far.

25th April - 6 in my MV trap on Unst
27th April - 1 by day on Unst
30th April - 1 next to the trap on Unst

As far as I know these are the first April records in Shetland but we 
did have some in early May last year. P. xylostella is one of those 
species we are not very sure about here in Shetland as it might be 
resident, although we suspect most records relate to migrants. The 
other records of migrants in Britain and Belgium have been very interesting.

Meanwhile, today (3rd May) it is very cold with a howling northerly 
wind and hail showers. The prospect of any moths seems highly unlikely!

-- 
Mike Pennington
Baltasound, Unst, Shetland
[email-masked]
Shetland Entomological Group webpage http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/insects

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From: [email-masked] (Michael Pennington)
Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 18:39:17 +0100