PICTURES: Arrival of scallop shell moth leaves specialist spotters aflutter at Inverewe Gardens in Wester Ross – and arrival could be an indicator of climate change, boffins believe
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A SPECIAL visitor to world-renowned Inverewe Garden in Wester Ross has left staff all aflutter – and offered clues about climate change.
The arrival at the 54-acre National Trust for Scotland attraction of a scallop shell moth, rare to Scotland, could be a harbinger of climate change, experts believe.
It was identified by local biologist and county moth recorder, Dr Barry Blake, who has worked with the trust since 2011 to learn about the value of Inverewe to moth conservation.
The first record for Wester Ross was in 2016 when a scallop shell was found in the wooded grounds of a Gairloch hotel. Others have been logged in Gairloch and this year, for the first time, at Inverewe.
All the sites have the damp woodland and scrub environment favoured by the intricately patterned species.
Martin Hughes, operations manager, said it was “fascinating to see new species discover the wonderful diverse habitat that is Inverewe” and paid tribute to Dr Blake “for his hard work and diligence”. He said: “Recording changes in the habitat at Inverewe is invaluable as we face the challenges of climate change.”
The estate’s diversity encourages a wide range of species of moth and a number of interesting and locally scarce species have been recorded including the coast dart and V-pug.
The estate also supports species considered nationally vulnerable such as anomalous and garden tiger. In the last 50 years the overall abundance of moths in the UK has decreased by around 33 per cent.
The decline, which is reflected in many other insect species, is a major cause for concern given their vital role in pollination.
Experts believe the varied and well-managed habitats of Inverewe Gardens and the wider 2000-acre estate will offer a haven for many range-changing moth species over the coming years, helping to contribute to understanding these migrations.
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