Butterflies and Moths

Question – What ever happened to all the butterflies and moths you saw as a child growing up?

The short answer is that their homes and the food plants for the caterpillars have been replaced by housing estates and acres of farmland. With this development all of the nectar producing plants that these creatures depend on have disappeared and left our caterpillars homeless and the butterflies hungry.

Regular butterfly surveys and moth trappings are carried out on the reserve by Conservation Service staff to monitor the species in the area.

The butterfly surveys are called pollards and involve walking a set route and identifying and recording all butterflies seen along the route while moth trapping involves leaving a specially designed box with a source of light overnight.

These surveys help the Conservation Service to monitor any species and note changes in species occurrance. With this information action can be taken to improve habitats prevent further species decline.

Download our butterfly factsheet to find out more about the species found at Oxford Island