Moth species makes Channel Island debut

Monday 04 November 2024

A new species of moth has been spotted in the Channel Islands for the first time.

A Robust Tabby moth was a new visitor to Alderney last month, the first time the species has ever been recorded in the Channel Islands according to Alderney's Wildlife Trust.

With only a handful of sightings made in the UK, the Robust Tabby is a rare sighting in the whole of the British Isles.

Discovered by Lou Collings who leads AWT's moth monitoring efforts, the moth is a member of the Erebidae family of species and can be recognised by forewings patterned with undulating lines and black flecks and pale hindwings.

Pictured: The Robust Tabby has only ever been spotted 5 or 6 times in the UK.

Having a natural range extending from Asia through Africa, the Mediterranean, and as far north as Spain and Portugal, the Robust Tabby's rare sightings in the British Isles are often associated with accidental transport on fruit shipments.

However, with Alderney’s recent strong southerly winds, it’s possible the moth arrived there by being blown off its usual course.

With over 600 moth species now identified on the Island, this discovery adds to records of their most diverse insect population which was started by lepidopterist David Wedd.

The Robust Tabby is unlikely to establish itself as an invasive species in Alderney but its appearance highlights the importance of monitoring the Island's unique natural environment, according to the AWT, as they continue to track new arrivals and understand shifts in existing species population.