Subject: Re[2]: Cockchafers in moth traps

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

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

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Cockchafers in moth traps
Author:  "Lepidoptera List (LEPS-L)" <[email-masked]> at
INTERNET-MAIL
Date:    13/06/96 21:53

On Tue, 11 Jun 1996 15:32:17 EDT, Andrew Wood
<[email-masked]> wrote:

>Regarding Dave Chesmore's comment about Cockchafers (Melolontha melolontha) in
>moth traps This is the first year in 6 years of trapping that I, too, have had
>cockchafers in the trap. Three in the past week or so.  I have no idea why as
>given their attraction to light one would expect to commonly find them
crashing
>into traps.

Hi Andrew,

I run a Heath Trap on a local SSSI (in South Oxfordshire) and we do
_sometimes_ get Cockchafers but usually we get Carrion (or Sexton)
Beetles and male Glowworms in the right season (sorry no scientific
names - no books at hand).

This year we have probably had more Cockchafers than usual but I think
there are more about this year - I have seen quite a lot buzzing
around roadside lights and porch lights.

Cheers
Chris R.

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

---

From: [email-masked] (Chris Raper)
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 1996 21:53:57 GMT

>     glow-worm hunting foray coming on this year!

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.

---

From: [email-masked] (Chris Raper)
Date: Tue, 02 Jul 1996 16:39:49 GMT

On Mon, 01 Jul 1996 21:53:57 GMT, [email-masked] (Chris

Hi Rebecca,

The following is a screen pasted from my sighting logging software. It
is best viewed using a Fixed-pitch font. The number of sightings
doesn't seem much but Glow-worms are not my main field of study so I
don't always record ones that I see in the field.

Earlier sightings are most likely to be larvae while the bulk of the
figures in July are going to be the males that stray into my moth
trap.

 English Name   GLOWWORM
                LAMPYRIS NOCTILUCA 

           1992  1993  1995  Total
 Quntity      3     1     5      9
 No.Sightings 3     1     5      9
 Average No.  1     1     1      1
 First      2/5  17/4   6/7   17/4
 Last       6/7  17/4   7/8    7/8
 Peak       2/5  17/4   6/7    2/5
 Pk. Qty      1     1     1      1

            APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG       Total
 Qty          1    1    1    5    1           9
 Percentage  11%  11%  11%  55%  11%

Hope this helps. If you don't understand any of the numbers drop me an
email.

I will certainly start to look for Glow-worms from now on.

Cheers
Chris R.