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How to attract Hawk moths into your garden? (1 Viewer)

ryan11111

https://www.instagram.com/the_zoology_duo/
Hi all,

I occasionally set up a small UV light in my garden in Essex to attract and record some of the moth species that come to it. I haven't had any species of hawk moth and was wondering whether they are attracted to UV light? and whether I could encourage them into my garden?

Many thanks,
Ryan.
 
Hi Ryan
I'm surprised that you've never caught any. Do you leave the trap running all night?
Most of them will certainly come to light. I run a 125w Robinson and get quite a range of species, even in very urban London (along Cromwell Road in South Kensington). What is the wattage and type of your mv? Is it a trap?
I guess that you can plant some particular sorts of plants to assist but I suspect it might be the type of light/trap.
Anything with a long, tubular flower and especially things that are night scented will help. Things like Nicotiana are supposed to be good but make sure that they are night scented varieties, rather than just showy flowers.
Martin
 
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Hi Martin,
It is just an old lamp fitted with a UV bulb sat on top of a white sheet that my granddad had in his garage.

My post was misleading sorry. I only started using it August to mid September last year and haven't been able to use it again until three nights ago as I've been away at University. I am planning on doing a lot more this Summer whilst being back at home.

I believe August-September isn't a time that you would expect hawk moths? Just wanted to know if this set up is enough to attract hawk moths at this time of year? I know it isn't going to be anywhere near as effective as a quality trap, but is this okay?

Thanks for your help,
Ryan
 

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Hi Ryan,

I run a tiny 15w actinic trap in an average garden on an estate in South Hampshire, albeit with a small wild area that has been deliberately created at the back of the garden and have attracted 7 different species of Hawkmoth, so keep trying!

Dave W
 
Ended up having two Elephant Hawkmoths last night, so it did work!

Thanks for the replies and I will keep doing what I am doing. Hopefully many more to come!
 
Hi Ryan
Glad you've started to get hawkmoths. I also ran a trap on Friday night and caught three Elephant Hawkmoths out of a total of about 60 species.
It's hard to tell from your photo but is the bulb a 'blacklight blue', rather than a true mv actinic? If so they are nowhere near as effective at attracting moths.
As you stated, I think the main reason was that you were a bit late for most of the native species but a couple would still be flying in August.
It also depends on when you pack up. Hawk moths, in general, are late fliers - often not appearring at light until after midnight. The sheet would be better hung vertically, rather than draped over a chair. Alternatively, place the sheet on the ground with some empty egg cartons placed around the base of the light.
Anyway, good luck!
Martin
 
Hi Martin,
Firstly, thank you for the advice!
The bulb used was actually this... https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0168GV71K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
Could you suggest a better bulb for me? and if so, would I need to attach a circuit breaker? This is all very new to me, but I would love to be able to properly start attracting and recording the moths that come to my garden.

Thank you for your help,
Ryan.

Hi Ryan, I've found those bulbs work well but they need to be behind something like white nylon which will fluoresce. I use a pop up laundry basket, which I've adapted by cutting one end out. You could try something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heavy-Luxu...348585&sr=8-10&keywords=pop+up+laundry+basket
 
British resident Hawk Moths can be found from May until August then it is the migrant Hawks that appear. In the 50+ years I have been trapping I have had a very small number of Death's Heads, several Convolvulus Hawks and friends living on the coast (a migration route) have had Silver Striped and Striped Hawks. A day flier like the Humming Bird Hawk comes in in varying numbers each year and I have seen up to three specimens at one time but that is a rare occurrence it's usually singletons. White Nicotiana is excellent but only for Convolvulus Hawks, best seen at dusk when they look like grey ghosts. Buddlia is excellent for Hummers and they come at the same time each day when nectar is at peak flow, ten minutes later they're off elsewhere but will be back at the same time the following day provided the weather is fine. Where you live in the country decides what Hawk Moths you will see.
Harry
 
We have buddleia in our enclosed Hampshire garden. Certainly attracts butterflies and hummingbird hawk-moths (although sadly way, way less than it did 10 years ago). No other hawk moths yet but the garden is very poorly oriented so not surprising.
 
Out of interest, which hawkmoth species do you folks tend to find actually inside the trap, and which will only tend to visit then depart?
 
Convolvulus mostly out, privet half and half, the rest mostly in.
That being said, any outside the trap in the summer months are usually scoffed by birds before I get there so I could be underestimating how many of them there are.
 
Out of interest, which hawkmoth species do you folks tend to find actually inside the trap, and which will only tend to visit then depart?

I run the trap from just before dusk until just after dawn - unattended. The following is the list of species that I've trapped over the years in Barnes, London, all of which were in the trap (a Robinson):

Mimas tiliae Lime Hawk-moth
Smerinthus ocellata Eyed Hawk-moth
Laothoe populi Poplar Hawk-moth
Deilephila elpenor Elephant Hawk-moth
Deilephila porcellus Small Elephant Hawk-moth

I've also recorded Macroglossum stellatarum Humming-bird Hawk-moth on site - but only by day.

On Mallorca, where I also trap regularly, I've had the following species in the trap:

Macroglossum stellatarum
Hyles dahlii
Hyles livornica
Deilephila elpenor

Hippotion celerio

Martin
 
My list is similar to Martin's although I've also had HBHM in the MV trap on a couple of occasions, Pine HM 3-4 times and Striped once. Me and the Nicotiana are still waiting for our first Convolvulus.
Nearly all these records are of moths inside the trap.

David
 
My list is similar to Martin's although I've also had HBHM in the MV trap on a couple of occasions, Pine HM 3-4 times and Striped once. Me and the Nicotiana are still waiting for our first Convolvulus.
Nearly all these records are of moths inside the trap.

David

I'd be interested to hear if you get any results from your Nicotiana, David. I've put out about 100 plants this year, and, though I'm enjoying the scent, nothing else has been -yet! Even the odd bee has tried to land, but I think it's the stickyness of the flowers that put them off; not that they'd have a long enough tongue to feed anyway.
 
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