Mike's Bird Notes: Moth Test in North-east Granada

The moths of Spain are a mystery to us and so Kathy and I decided to see what we would find around the Cave when we were there in the summer. It turned out to be interesting and strange. This post is an odd one in that I can't put names to the photos. We only recognised two macro moths from our British guide book - Ruby Tiger, Vestal. And they could be wrong, maybe they are related Iberian species. We also recognised Pine Processionary Moth but mainly we found out we've a lot to find out - starting this winter.

The moths were generally more active than in Britain, presumably because it was hotter and lots got away. We couldn't use a trap of course because that isn't allowed in Spain without a Licence which you must get from the the local Ayuntemiento. We almost went along to ask for one with a Spanish-speaking friend, Christine, We didn't but the idea of what would be their reaction and what they would do always gave us a laugh, especially after a few beers. I imagine we'd have had to explain what a moth is for a start. It's a bit of a backwater, which is why we like it.

There were a few larger moths which happened along including a couple of Yellow Underwing types but the majority appeared to be micros, albeit large micros. How much of this is the region and how much the time of year we won't know until we try again, having done some learning.

(Since writing the above, top moth-er and all round good bloke, Dave Grundy, has helped me put a few species or families to the photos.)