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the eponymous male sporting the blue on the Lepidopteran Lodgers: upper surface of its wings Recording Moths from Bird Nests and the female typically being a more muted by Douglas Boyes coppery brown. Now we see in the series of Very hungry caterpillars moths Eupithecia spp. eat flies. These caterpillars photographs published Acaterpillar munching on a leaf is probably what patiently adopt a twig-like posture, ready to strike here that it is the male who comes to mind when most people picture the when one lands nearby (Montgomery, 1983). does the work in this early life stages of butterflies and moths. But if There’s no need to venture to the tropics to particular instance. Since Eric Carle’s classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, find weird and wonderful feeding strategies. he is the one generating the is to be believed, caterpillars have a much more Look no further than the remarkable china-mark moths Acentropinae, whose aquatic larvae feed on lift, his body lies above and varied palette. It is certainly true that many species shun the conventional diet of leafy greens, even pondweed in waterbodies throughout the UK. A ahead of that of the female, if lepidopterans that enjoy a diet of chocolate sizeable number of British species manage to obtain whilst her body is dragged cake and Swiss cheese are confined to children’s their sustenance from dead wood, while a couple passively through the air, storybooks. have specialised on beeswax. As testament to how her wings either folded or Take Cryptoses choloepi, a pyralid moth found difficult it is to extract nutrients from honeycomb, partially extended. Even in the forests of South America. The caterpillars of the larvae of Greater Wax Moth Galleria mellonella though she is not actively this species feed exclusively on sloth droppings can also break down plastics (Bombelli, Howe & Bertocchini, 2017). participating in flight it is at (Waage & Montgomery, 1976). Or Hyposmocoma molluscivora, which spins silk to ensnare passing Given this wide array of feeding strategies, it least possible that the snails (Rubinoff & Haines, 2005). Some species may come as no surprise that some moths have profile of her wings affects have to be quick. In Hawaii, a number of pug taken to living in bird nests. flight. Folded wings might reduce viscous drag whereas extended wings might produce passive lift, like the tail wings of an aircraft. Neither of these possibilities can be determined simply from photographic observations, however, and it would be interesting to find out if it is always the male that takes the lead. Bu erflies are perhaps at their most vulnerable to predators when they are mating and it is to be expected that appropriate flight behaviour would have been evolved to enable escape. John Brackenbury, 40 Long Lane, Willingham, Cambridgeshire, CB24 5LB www.atropos.info 42 Atropo Atroposs 62 62 11 www.atropos.info the eponymous male sporting the blue on the upper surface of its wings and the female typically being a more muted coppery brown. Now we see in the series of An unlikely home? photographs published Moths are not the only lodgers in bird nests; 17 here that it is the male who other invertebrate orders have been found living does the work in this in nests globally (Hicks, 1959) and a single study in particular instance. Since England documented over 120 different arthropod he is the one generating the species (Woodroffe, 1953). A nest full of hungry lift, his body lies above and beaks would appear to be a rather perilous living arrangement for most insects. What can make ahead of that of the female, living in the home of a predator worthwhile? whilst her body is dragged At first glance, bird nests might not seem passively through the air, that special. But to invertebrates, they represent her wings either folded or a veritable trove of organic detritus: from nesting partially extended. Even materials, such as dried leaves and moss, to though she is not actively feathers and nutrient-rich guano. Even the birds themselves may be food, both dead and alive participating in flight it is at (depending on whether you’re a decomposer or a least possible that the parasite). profile of her wings affects It’s thanks to this varied assortment of flight. Folded wings might reduce viscous dragresources—concentrated whereas extended wings in one might spot—that produce nests passive lift, like the tail wings of an aircraft. Neitherare able of these to support possibilities such diverse can becommunities. determined On simply from photographic observations, however,top of and this, it birdwould nests be tend interesting to be sheltered to find and out are if it is always the male that takes the lead. often relatively warm, especially while chicks are being incubated (Sinclair & Chown, 2006)—all the Bu erflies are perhaps at their most vulnerable to predators when they are mating and makings of an invertebrate’s paradise. it is to be expected that appropriate flight behaviour would have been evolved to enable The contents of several nest boxes. The buffet inadvertently laid out by birds Middletown,escape. Montgomeryshire, October clearly benefits the invertebrates. But is this 2013 (Photo: D. Boyes). John Brackenbury, 40 Longrelationship Lane, Willingham, ever mutually Cambridgeshire, beneficial? CB24 Perhaps. 5LB Some lodgers may pay their way by recycling waste materials, helping to keep the nest clean. It’s also possible that birds enjoy a reduced level of parasitism if their nest contains a diverse community of invertebrates, as these will tend to include predatory species that help keep the number of fleas and mites low (Hanmer et al., 2017). Tree hollows, the natural analogues to artificial boxes, may be especially rich in these beneficial invertebrates, as these have faster rates of detritus decomposition and fewer ectoparasites (Hebda, Kandziora & Mitrus, 2017). Two easily identified bird nest tineids, Tinea semifulvella (facing page) and T. trinotella (above) (Photos: D. Boyes). www.atropos.infowww.atropos.info Atropo Atroposs 62 62 11 43 the eponymous male Learning more sporting the blue on the It was back in 2013 when I first looked for moths The findings of that project have been covered upper surface of its wings in bird nests. I saw my parents cleaning out the elsewhere (see Boyes, 2018; Boyes & Lewis, garden nest boxes and seized the opportunity 2018). So instead of repeating those results here, and the female typically to find out about this unusual group. I simply I thought it would be more useful to explain the being a more muted put the material from six tit nests in a plastic general methods; a ‘how to’ guide, if you like. I’ll coppery brown. Now we tub. The following spring it was alive with adult then mention some of the moths that might turn see in the series of moths from five different species (Monopis up. I hope this will prove helpful and perhaps photographs published laevigella, Endrosis sarcitrella, Hofmannophila encourage a few people to give it a go. here that it is the male who pseudospretella, Niditinea striolella and I wanted to do quantitative analysis for my does the work in this Nemapogon koenigi). dissertation, so I gathered enough nests to fill a A couple of years later I took it up a notch shed. Obviously, there’s no need to collect so many. particular instance. Since and collected around 250 bird nests. This was to My earlier rearing exercise shows that looking at a he is the one generating the form my undergraduate research project. Having small handful of nests can still be rewarding. lift, his body lies above and just completed Part I of my finals, the following ahead of that of the female, summer consisted largely of drinking Pimm’s, whilst her body is dragged going punting, and counting the thousands of passively through the air, moths that emerged (though not necessarily all at her wings either folded or the same time). partially extended. Even though she is not actively participating in flight it is at least possible that the profile of her wings affects flight. Folded wings might reduce viscous drag whereas extended wings might produce passive lift, like the tail wings of an aircraft. Neither of these possibilities can be determined simply from photographic observations, however, and it would be interesting to find out if it is always the male that takes the lead. Bu erflies are perhaps at their most vulnerable to predators when they are mating and it is to be expected that appropriate flight behaviour would have been evolved to enable escape. John Brackenbury, 40 Long Lane, Willingham, Cambridgeshire, CB24 5LB Niditinea striolella are exceptionally well-camouflaged in nest material (Photos: D. Boyes). www.atropos.info 44 Atropo Atroposs 62 62 11 www.atropos.info REARINGthe eponymous MOTHS FROMmale BIRD NESTS: SOMEsporting POINTERS the blue on the upper surface of its wings Sourcingand the nestsfemale typically Songbirdbeing nestsa morecan be collectedmuted any time after the Of course, the vast majority of British chicks are fully fledged (a new nest is built each birds don’t regularly breed in nest boxes. coppery brown. Now we season). In practice, it’s usually fine to collect these I was lucky to be in an area with lots of Pied nestssee fromin Octoberthe seriesup until ofthe end of January. Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca and Redstart Asphotographs most of you will publishedknow, it is an offence under Phoenicurus phoenicurus; however, for much thehere Wildlife that itand is theCountryside male who Act 1981 to interfere of the UK, nest boxes will be overwhelmingly withdoes the nestthe ofwork any wild in bird this while it’s in use.