A project was set up with Butterfly Conservation to investigate the importance of coppice woodlands for moths, in particular the waved carpet moth (Hydrelia sylvata).
Light trapping was conducted at a sample of 10 recently coppiced sites across Britain, which were regenerated under the Forestry Commission’s Coppice for Butterflies Challenge Woodland Improvement Grant Scheme. The sites were chosen as they provided potential habitat for waved carpet moths, but only one waved carpet moth was recorded from the Challenge sites.
Despite the poor result, the trapping events yielded much information on the moth communities of different types of coppice woodlands and at different stages of coppice development. 15 'Scarce' and 'Threatened' species of moths were recorded in this survey, indicating the importance of coppice woodland for biodiversity.
In order to investigate the importance of coppice structure for waved carpet moths, the focus of the research turned to a site where waved carpet moths were known to occur. Rewell Wood in West Sussex is an area dominated by Sweet Chestnut coppice in cycle. The layout of the woodland allowed coppice coupes at different ages to be light trapped simultaneously, providing a direct comparison between sites as habitat for the waved carpet moth.
Annual trapping was conducted during the flight period of waved carpet moths, for a period of four years. Records of all moth species trapped and information on habitat structure has been collected. This has allowed us to build-up a picture of the use waved carpet moths and other 'Scarce' and 'Threatened' moth species make of different aged coppice, and the pattern of moth communities in relation to coppice age. The importance of maintaining coppice management to provide a continuos supply of different aged coppice coupes is highlighted by this work.
