Butterflies and Moths / Lepidoptera / Féileacán agus Leamhan
Butterflies and Moths, fall into a group of animals known as Lepidoptera which, in Greek, means “Scaled winged”. Globaly Lepidoptera are an incredibly important group of organisms representing approximately 10% of all known living organisms on the planet.
The wide range of habitats found within Castlewellan Forest Park favours a number of butterfly species including commonly recognised species such as Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell but also sightings of Holly Blue and Silver-washed Fritillary have been recorded.
The park’s ranger team regularly set a moth trap which catches moths without harming them. It is fasinating to see what species have been pollinating the plants within the walled garden at night, including a very fluffy male Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda). Contrary to popular belief moths don’t just come out at night and there have been regular sightings of day flying moths such as Hummingbird Hawkmoths.
From mid-July to the start of August you can take part in something wonderful, Butterfly Conservation’s Big Buttefly Count! Head to Big Butterfly Count (butterfly-conservation.org) for more information. As the world’s biggest survey of butterflies, the information gained helps to assess the health of the wider environment.
