Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Invasion!

Last night's garden trap produced 52 Diamond-back Moths (Plutella xylostella), nearly double the combined total of all other moths caught.  The weather system of the past 48 hours seems to have deposited millions of them over most of England except for the far west.  Did anyone who trapped not find one over the past two nights?  They're going to be around for days yet and I'm sure we'll have their offspring to look forward to for the rest of the year.  In April 2013 I reared through a larva found on supermarket broccoli and it spent only nine days in the pupal stage, meaning that the moth is capable of several generations in a year.

Plutella xylostella, Westcott 31st May

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks   

3 comments:

  1. 86 in my Hereford trap last night

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  2. I didn't trap any - but one turned up in the kitchen. I'd hoped it was there to help with the washing up....

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  3. 5 Diamond-back at Garsington 1st June on a wet and windy night.

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