@laurasharp.bsky.social
PhD Student: Understanding and reversing the decline of moorland moths in the UK | Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) | Aberdeen https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sharp-7636a6108?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=andr
I am fully behind making this a thing!
Also, the composition of this photo is unusually satisfying 😌
@srucnews.bsky.social
@hutton.ac.uk
@savebutterflies.bsky.social
#TeamMoth
I had a wonderful couple of days at the James Hutton Institute's postgraduate student conference in Dunkeld.
It was great to hear about all the important research PhD students are doing for positive change.
I was honoured to receive 1st place prize for my talk on Moths and Muirburn.
Sun's out but it's still just a wee bit nippy up here!
#naturephotography
It's the gold trim to the crosslines and kidney mark 😍
I stand corrected by the wise @blackdogbirder.bsky.social and what I thought was a Common Quaker is in fact a beautiful Northern colour variant of Hebrew Character!
I saw a talk recently on melanism in spiders and the speaker used PBB as an example from other taxa to introduce the concept.
Got any peat bog or moorland near you? The advantage on dark peat soils is one theory.
Had a visitor following me around the oakwood this morning.
Had to secret the moths away after photographing to give them a fighting chance.
Robin had his eye in though, and made a quick meal of the Chestnuts amongst the leaf litter 😬
1st trapping night of 2026 gave 61:8 🤩
43 Chestnut, 11 PBB, 2 Hebrew, a Dotted Border, Common Quaker, March Moth, Mottled Grey and Satellite.
Chuffed despite the lack of Oak or Pine Beauties (still too early up here perhaps).
#TeamMoth
Early and stunning!
Keep everything crossed for me #TeamMoth
First traps of 2026 for me tonight up in Dinnet, Aberdeenshire!
I know you won't be able to resist.
If you have pupae knocking about how would you not want to know what sex they are without have to wait for eclosion?
You might even be able to set up a mothel for mating in advance if you know you have both sexes!
There's some very good photos of a range of species examples to help on UKLeps www.ukleps.org/sexingpupae....
What is one to do when it's too cold to trap you might ask?
Sex those overwintering pupae of course!
Top tip - the female genitalia are located on segment 4.
⚠️ Beware - Common Heath males and females both have genitalia around the S4/S5 divide.
Enjoy!
#TeamMoth
Whisked @conricosteez.bsky.social away to the Highlands yesterday.
What a wonderful day at RZSS's Highland Wildlife Park learning about Wildcat conservation breeding and all their invertebrate conservation work.
#NaturePhotography
I'm sure it'll whet my appetite for this year's mothing!
Steaming through my current reads so I can dip into this gem of a Christmas present
#TeamMoth
Thanks @britishecologicalsociety.org for hosting a wonderful 4 days of talks and workshops on everything Ecology from advising ministers to inform policy, to functional ecology and ecosystem services.
What an engaging week at #BES2025 hearing about the most recent international ecological research!
I'd definitely take the trap! You'll hopefully get some bonnie Scottish moths. I'm on the East Coast and we're still getting good numbers of Scarce and Mottled Umber, Feathered Thorn, December and Autumnal moth here.
28 of 8 even 😅 my head is as thick as the haar today
All packed up, and happy to end on a high! The haar in Aberdeen today feels like a sign to hunker down for the winter and catch up with uploading my records for the year.
#TeamMoth
I was going to photograph and pot the Winter Moth (there's an interesting sounding PhD into climate warming and Winter Moths that needs specimens). But alas, cheeky sod took of instantly! 🤦♀️
Started the day right with 28:6 at Dinnet oakwood.
3 Mottled Umber, 13 Scarce Umber, 6 Feathered Thorn, 2 Autumnal moth, 1 Streak, 1 December moth, 1 Chestnut, 1 Winter moth.
Nice to end the year's trapping on a high!
Success! Figures and some more pics to follow when I'm done with morning work 😁
Trying my luck in Dinnet tonight after my disappointing Sunday catch.
Should've brought all my traps with me though, to maximise my chances. Alas I brought 3 and one has failed 🤦♀️
I wonder if there will still be some Mervs about 🤞
#TeamMoth
This is a diy UV led bucket trap.
Just waterproof strip UV led from online, wrapped around a plastic bottle and wired up to a scooter battery.
Very easy and cheap to make, and no bulbs to worry about breaking. It is usually effective too, I swear 😅
Zilch except for 5 big flies which took off straight away 😅 They must have been the 'fluttering' I heard in there last night 😒 Ah well, it was a long shot running a trap on my balcony in November.
I'm intrigued!
I can already hear someone fluttering about in there, even though I put it out a little late 😁 At least I'll have one. It's always a joy, even if measly numbers or diversity!
It's mild and overcast tonight. Will I get anything if I run a trap on my 2nd storey balcony in the heart of the city in Aberdeen? 🤔
#TeamMoth