Hi Andy, I've always wanted to see emperor moths in the wild. My wife and I tried to see some on Beeley moor 2 years ago but had no luck. Any tips with regards to best locations, time etc? Thanks Kevin
Hi Kevin, Emperor Moths can be seen in reasonable numbers on Beeley Moor. On any sunny day from early April to mid-May you should be able to see the male moths flying erratically over the moor. Getting a good view is harder. You may come across a female sat on the moor but you would need to be lucky. The two most reliable methods to see them up close are; a) use a moth trap on a night and you can catch a female. Take the female on to the moor in container with a net top and she will attract the males or b) search for the caterpillars in July/August, they are relatively easy to find particularly when they are full size. The caterpillars are fairly easy to keep through the pupation period and will emerge as moths the following March/April. Happy hunting
Hi Andy, I've always wanted to see emperor moths in the wild. My wife and I tried to see some on Beeley moor 2 years ago but had no luck. Any tips with regards to best locations, time etc? Thanks Kevin
ReplyDeleteHi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteEmperor Moths can be seen in reasonable numbers on Beeley Moor. On any sunny day from early April to mid-May you should be able to see the male moths flying erratically over the moor. Getting a good view is harder. You may come across a female sat on the moor but you would need to be lucky.
The two most reliable methods to see them up close are;
a) use a moth trap on a night and you can catch a female. Take the female on to the moor in container with a net top and she will attract the males or
b) search for the caterpillars in July/August, they are relatively easy to find particularly when they are full size. The caterpillars are fairly easy to keep through the pupation period and will emerge as moths the following March/April.
Happy hunting
Thanks Andy, much appreciated, will keep my fingers crossed, sounds like they aren't easy to see well. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete