Species of the Month – December: The Herald Moth

The Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix

Many of us will be familiar with butterfly species such as the Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae which spend the winter as adults in a dormant state – similar to hibernation – to emerge again when warmer weather returns. Moth species such as The Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix employ a similar survival strategy. Winter is spent as an adult in dark, cold places – outhouses, cellars, ruined buildings, caves, underpasses – where the temperature is relatively constant and not susceptible to harsh frosts. To look for Heralds in these places all you need is a torch and a bit of time to search carefully; Heralds tend to rest on ceilings, underneath ledges or high up on walls, and despite their colourful form they can be surprisingly hard to spot. Between October and March is the best time of year to find them ‘hibernating’.

Adults typically are back on the wing when the weather begins to warm in early spring. After mating, eggs are laid on willows or poplars upon which the larvae feed and develop. Fresh adults emerge in late summer to repeat the cycle.

It is also worth keeping an eye out for other species of hibernating butterflies and moths too. You may even be lucky enough to come across The Tissue Triphosa dubitata, a rarer moth species which hibernates in similar places. Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock Aglais io and occasionally Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta butterflies may frequent similar hibernation spots in the winter months, though Commas Polygonia c-album, which also overwinter as adults, tend to do so in woodland habitats.

Mark Pollitt

SWSEIC Manager