At 5-30am I checked the light trap and found,not for the first time, a couple of wasps that I thought had also been attracted by the light but within the next five minutes this thought turned to a far grislier synopsis.
Having removed the egg trays from the trap this morning I noticed a wasp sitting on the bottom of the trap when suddenly out of the blue a Peppered Moth that moved slightly was immediately mounted by the wasp and stung to death in a gruesome way, writhing in agony for some time with the wasp firmly attached arching its body whilst doing the obvious.
Almost immediately afterwards it went for a Buff-tip before I intervened catching the wasp in a tube and ejecting the individual.
Clearly the light trap was attracting the couple of wasps not by light but more by providing a food source in a way our supermarkets do for us and possibly answered why I had found Peppered Moth wings in the trap previously but no body.
Moths that are always in the trap are the Peppered Moth and the Buff-tip so it was strange that the wasp had chosen these individuals to attack.
Although its nature, I have to say the actions disturbed me as I felt partly to blame for the Peppered Moths demise by providing the facility in the first place and although one understands these things happen all the time it rather like enjoying your roast beef and Yorkshire pudding but deciding not to dwell on the fact that the animal had to be killed to provide it in the first place.
Clearly my actions in the future will be to eject the wasps first.
Yesterday in the light trap i had a couple of new moths,one that is scarce in Hampshire and is usually recorded in the north of the county where I live.
Having just received the Hants & IOW butterfly and moth report I see that only two Maple Prominents were recorded that year so I consider this to be a lucky find here in my Fleet light trap.
Another first for me was the beautiful Ruby Tiger which is my very first ever so once again I'm delighted.A Yellow-tail was also caught.
After the above event this morning I have yet to record this mornings catch although Clouded Border is another first.
Having removed the egg trays from the trap this morning I noticed a wasp sitting on the bottom of the trap when suddenly out of the blue a Peppered Moth that moved slightly was immediately mounted by the wasp and stung to death in a gruesome way, writhing in agony for some time with the wasp firmly attached arching its body whilst doing the obvious.
Almost immediately afterwards it went for a Buff-tip before I intervened catching the wasp in a tube and ejecting the individual.
Clearly the light trap was attracting the couple of wasps not by light but more by providing a food source in a way our supermarkets do for us and possibly answered why I had found Peppered Moth wings in the trap previously but no body.
Moths that are always in the trap are the Peppered Moth and the Buff-tip so it was strange that the wasp had chosen these individuals to attack.
Although its nature, I have to say the actions disturbed me as I felt partly to blame for the Peppered Moths demise by providing the facility in the first place and although one understands these things happen all the time it rather like enjoying your roast beef and Yorkshire pudding but deciding not to dwell on the fact that the animal had to be killed to provide it in the first place.
Clearly my actions in the future will be to eject the wasps first.
Yesterday in the light trap i had a couple of new moths,one that is scarce in Hampshire and is usually recorded in the north of the county where I live.
Having just received the Hants & IOW butterfly and moth report I see that only two Maple Prominents were recorded that year so I consider this to be a lucky find here in my Fleet light trap.
Another first for me was the beautiful Ruby Tiger which is my very first ever so once again I'm delighted.A Yellow-tail was also caught.
After the above event this morning I have yet to record this mornings catch although Clouded Border is another first.
71.202 - Maple Prominent - PTILODON cucullina ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
72.024 - Ruby Tiger - PHRAGMATOBIA fuliginosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
72.024 - Ruby Tiger - PHRAGMATOBIA fuliginosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
72.013 - Yellow-tail - EUPROCTIS similis (Fuessly, 1775)
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