Actinic versus MV

For quite a few years now I've been operating a "neighbour friendly" twin-30wt actinic conversion for the Robinson trap in the garden in place of the 125wt MV arrangement, but running the two together during the main summer months.  That's mostly only during June, July and August but with a few exceptions, for example so that hopefully I won't miss out during particularly good periods for migration!  Because I'm limited to where the traps can be placed if I run both of them, I really need leaves on our garden trees and shrubs so that the two lights don't interfere with each other.  They each have their advantages and disadvantages but during the quiet half of the year (early-November to late-April) I don't appear to miss anything at all by just running the actinic.

When they are run together during the summer they complement each other well and it is generally the case that the MV brings in more moths (both species and individuals).  However, in September and October this seems to be reversed and there is often a positive advantage in running the actinic over the MV.  Last night, when it was quite mild and I happened to run both lights, was quite a good example.  The MV brought in 137 moths of 25 species whereas the actinic managed 167 moths of 40 species.  The overall total was 304 moths of 49 species but none of the nine attracted only to the MV was one that I hadn't previously had to the actinic in the last week or two:

MV:  Tinea semifulvella (1), Plutella xylostella (1), Mompha epilobiella (1), Acleris variegana (2), Acleris emargana (1), Epiphyas postvittana (1), Celypha lacunana (2), Eudonia pallida (1), Hypsopygia costalis (1), Common Marbled Carpet (3), Brimstone Moth (1), Light Emerald (4), Large Yellow Underwing (11), Lesser Yellow Underwing (4), Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (1), Setaceous Hebrew Character (27), Six-striped Rustic (1), Square-spot Rustic (56), Common Wainscot (7), Black Rustic (2), Centre-barred Sallow (1), Sallow (2), Vine's Rustic (2), Silver Y (1) & Snout (2).

Actinic:  Plutella xylostella (1), Agonopterix arenella (1), Blastobasis lacticolella (1), Cochylis molliculana (2), Agapeta hamana (1), Acleris variegana (1), Archips podana (1), Epiphyas postvittana (1), Epinotia nisella (1), Eudonia pallida (1), Eudonia angustea (3), Agriphila tristella (1), Catoptria falsella (1), Patania ruralis (1), Galleria mellonella (1), Small Dusty Wave (2), Garden Carpet (1), Cypress Pug (1), Brimstone Moth (1), Canary-shouldered Thorn (1), Dusky Thorn (2), Light Emerald (4), Turnip (1), Large Yellow Underwing (16), Lesser Yellow Underwing (3), Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (1), Setaceous Hebrew Character (49), Square-spot Rustic (30), White-point (2), Common Wainscot (19), Black Rustic (2), Brown-spot Pinion (1), Lunar Underwing (1), Sallow (1), Angle Shades (1), Uncertain (1), Vine's Rustic (5), Pale Mottled Willow (1), Silver Y (1) & Snout (2).

The Brown-spot Pinion, a moth I usually see here only two or three times each season, was a first for the 2019 year-list but otherwise there was nothing exceptional amongst the above collection, although the Mother of Pearl Patania ruralis was the first I've had in the garden since 26th August.

Brown-spot Pinion, Westcott 15th September

While MV bulbs may become virtually unobtainable within a few years, there appear to be no such problems with the supply of actinics which is reassuring.  It will be interesting to learn how people get on with LEDs as a light source.  Traps using them are still in their infancy and very much experimental at the moment, both in terms of their ability to attract moths and their effect on our eyesight when using them, but in time they may well prove to be the way forward.  Does anyone here have experience of using LED traps yet? 

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks