The success of the ivy session last night was enhanced this morning when Tony (@tonyandsandy) sent through images of a Flounced Rustic and a Turnip that he had bagged earlier on in the evening and had been resting in the fridge. My thanks also to @mrshentz and @stewchat for confirming that the micro taken off ivy last night was Agonopterix arenella. So in just one hour we had found 16 species of moth on just one 20 metre stretch of ivy.
Last month, my twitter feed was alive posts about ragwort and the plethora of invertebrates associated with this plant. Hear, hear of course. You hear very little about the similar benefits that ivy holds.
If you are reading this and have an interest in wildlife, why not set yourself the challenge of getting out in your locale over the next six weeks to see how many species of moths you can find on ivy. When you have, be sure to submit your findings to your County Recorder.
In terms of wildlife-watching this is a hidden gem and it is something that is available to everyone.
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