Monday 22 June 2015

Melanic Peppered Moth

I caught this melanic Peppered Moth in the garden trap a few days ago. Actually it's not quite a full melanic, the hindwings are more like the intermediate form with a dusting of pale scales.



I was rather pleased to see it, as it's the first time I've caught the melanic form in Wales. When I first started trapping moths, in Yorkshire in the early 90s, this form was overwhelmingly dominant, and it was several years before I saw the typical form. Whether this change is a sign of cleaner air, or just a regional difference,  I'm not sure, though it does seem that the melanic form has declined across the UK in recent decades.

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