Laura Sharp
@laurasharp.bsky.social
PhD Student: Understanding and reversing the decline of moorland moths in the UK | Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) | Aberdeen https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-sharp-7636a6108?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=andr
This documentary looks beautiful, sensitive and gripping. One woman's mission to find the critically endangered butterfly named after her brilliant but absent father. birkscinema.co.uk/movie/search... #TeamMoth #Butterfly #Bugsky
Searching for Satyrus
Set in the mountainous borderlands between the warring nations of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the story follows Rena Effendi, a photographer in pursuit of Satyrus effendi, a rare and critically endangered...
birkscinema.co.uk
Out on our walk yesterday @charlotte-wood.bsky.social spotted this lovely little Candy-striped spider (Enoplognatha ovata). A new species for me and an absolute stunner! 🤩 #Bugsky
Collecting data for a study into artificial light at night (ALAN) last night. Slightly flimsy traps but it just goes to show you can make a moth trap out of pretty much anything and on any budget! #TeamMoth
Poplar Hawk-moths are funny little creatures. I think they look as if they have been created from felt. Like they belong in Labyrinth or The Clangers. Here's one from back in May, preparing for flight. #MothFaceFriday #TeamMoth
Rescued a pupa from the floor of a glass house back in October and I'm so pleased I did. Returned this beaut to outside the same glass house today. I love his little white goatee beard 🤩 #TeamMoth
Spent Saturday walking along part of the Dee looking for Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moths What a treat to have seen a couple of individuals nectaring on the Bugle One accepted being potted so I could appreciate it's cuteness up close 🥹 Humorously named after the Greek giant Tityos #TeamMoth
182:28 in Aboyne last night 38 Brown Silver-line, 34 Nut-tree Tussock, 6 Scalloped Hazel, 6 Leser Swallow Prominent, 6 Pale-shouldered Brocade, 3 Knotgrass, Broom-tip, Sallow Button, 3 Poplar Hawk, 2 Red-green Carpet, 2 Bordered White, White Ermine, Early Thorn and Lunar Thorn... #TeamMoth
At Torry Battery leading a Nocturnal Nature moth walk for Greyhope Bay's BioBlitz last night. A nice selection of moths early on including a female Fox Moth, Water Capet, Sandy Carpet, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Spectacle, a late Hebrew Character and several very early Small square-spots. #TeamMoth
Noticed frass beneath some windfall Cherry blossom from Allenvale Cemetery in a vase on my kitchen table. Low and behold there was a caterpillar clinging on. I think Winter Moth? Another stray for me to rear through. At least i know where i can get plenty of foodplant! 🌸🌸🌸 #TeamMoth
Reading some more Peter Marren this morning has me thinking about how beautiful gothic architecture echoes nature's patterns. Like the vaulting, columns and arches of cathedrals which can be seen in the wings of many of our moths. #TeamMoth Photos not my own - see alt text.
Chuckling away with Peter Marren this morning over the meanings behind the weird and wonderful names of Lepidoptera species. Looking forward to learning why on earth someone decided to name The Goat, The Old Lady and The Lobster those names. 10/10 would recommend! #TeamMoth
Spied a female Kentish Glory straight away last night 👀 whilst choosing likely spots for my traps. Good job too, needed the early win because the rest of the night, and this morning with the lure, was a freezing cold bust! There was a real risk of feeling dejected 😅 22:7 otherwise #TeamMoth
I almost forgot that it's #MothFaceFriday 🙊 Here's the always-stunning Pine Beauty warming up for flight just over a week ago at Creag nam Ban #TeamMoth
Up on the moor trying to work with nature rather than control it. Hoping this will give my Emperor moths the best chance to find each other 💕 One male has flown off so far 🤦♀️ Needless to say, I'm waiting patiently in the heather with my Empresses for the males to catch on! #TeamMoth
Change of plan today with my Emperors The males are struggling to locate the females indoors (I think the whole room is just a swirling mass of pheromones). So I'm taking them out onto moorland today. Hopefully the fresh air will help the boys home in on the scent! 🤞 Wish me luck #TeamMoth
It's Saturniidae and 4 of my Emperor moth males have emerged 😅 They're patiently awaiting the females and then they can try their luck. But it's going to be ladies' choice because there are half as many females. Good luck boys! #TeamMoth
It's #MothFaceFriday which means it's time for one of the cutest moth faces there is... The ewoch-mimicking Yellow Horned 🥹 Moths that look like sticks, dead leaves, or bird droppings are one thing. Moths with kitty cat ears are something else altogether! 🐱 #TeamMoth
An unexpectedly huge haul of 699:17 last night! Mostly 461 Hebrew Char. Also 26 Brindled Beauty, 13 Pine Beauty, 9 Lead-coloured Drab, 7 Small Quakers, 2 Twin-spotted Quakers, 8 Red Chestnuts, 1 Pale Pinion, 3 Red Swordgrass, 38 Early Tooth-striped, 3 Yellow Horned, and so many more! #TeamMoth
An insane number of moths last night. I haven't tallied up yet. Much caffeine is needed first! #TeamMoth
A mystery caterpillar I was rearing through for ID finally emerged as a lovely Hebrew Character female. Caterpillar was sampled on moorland in June 2025 and pupated on the 2nd of July. #TeamMoth
I had a wonderful couple of days at the James Hutton Institute's postgraduate student conference in Dunkeld. It was great to hear about all the important research PhD students are doing for positive change. I was honoured to receive 1st place prize for my talk on Moths and Muirburn.
1st trapping night of 2026 gave 61:8 🤩 43 Chestnut, 11 PBB, 2 Hebrew, a Dotted Border, Common Quaker, March Moth, Mottled Grey and Satellite. Chuffed despite the lack of Oak or Pine Beauties (still too early up here perhaps). #TeamMoth
Keep everything crossed for me #TeamMoth First traps of 2026 for me tonight up in Dinnet, Aberdeenshire!
What is one to do when it's too cold to trap you might ask? Sex those overwintering pupae of course! Top tip - the female genitalia are located on segment 4. ⚠️ Beware - Common Heath males and females both have genitalia around the S4/S5 divide. Enjoy! #TeamMoth
Started the day right with 28:6 at Dinnet oakwood. 3 Mottled Umber, 13 Scarce Umber, 6 Feathered Thorn, 2 Autumnal moth, 1 Streak, 1 December moth, 1 Chestnut, 1 Winter moth. Nice to end the year's trapping on a high!
Trying my luck in Dinnet tonight after my disappointing Sunday catch. Should've brought all my traps with me though, to maximise my chances. Alas I brought 3 and one has failed 🤦♀️ I wonder if there will still be some Mervs about 🤞 #TeamMoth
It's mild and overcast tonight. Will I get anything if I run a trap on my 2nd storey balcony in the heart of the city in Aberdeen? 🤔 #TeamMoth
