Lost & Found WINTER JEWELS
Oleander hawkmoth
Garden light traps for attracting and holding moths have surged in popularity in recent years as enthusiasts realise that the right equipment can reveal a wealth of wildlife on their doorsteps. The number of species that can potentially be caught runs into the thousands and includes plenty of rare migrants from the continent and North Africa. On a warm, muggy night there is every chance of catching something good among the commoner species. One lucky Wiltshire resident caught this oleander hawkmoth in October 2021 in his garden just outside of Swindon. It ticks the main popularity boxes of big, rare and beautiful, and is consequently something of a holy grail for ‘moth-ers’.
Mainly an African and Asian species, the oleander hawk migrates to Spain and other parts of Southern Europe in the summer, and is almost annual in the UK (there aren’t records for every year), mainly along the south coast, with typically one or two records a year nationally and, very occasionally, low double figures during mini influxes. There are around 115 records to date but the species is widely kept in captivity with releases and escapees likely to account for a fair proportion of these. The origin of this rather small individual cannot be known for sure but it turned up during optimal weather conditions for moth immigration from Spain and Northwest Africa so can perhaps be given the benefit of the doubt as a likely wild vagrant.
The caterpillars of this species, of which there are no verified reports in the UK, can be found on a number of food plants and are immune to the toxins of the oleander plant that gives the species its name.
Acrisp and bright January morning always feels like it’s worth several sunny starts in summer. If it follows a bitterly cold and starry night, you might also encounter one of nature’s treasures: hoar frost. The exquisite feathery ice crystals form rapidly overnight on freezing branches and twigs, but soon melt, rewarding only those who head out early.