Laura Sharp
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laurasharp.bsky.social
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
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!
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
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
November 4, 2025 at 5:15 PM
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
November 2, 2025 at 5:38 PM
I've been busy with poster presentations and talks, not trapping.
Moth news in the mean time:
. Woolly bear in the office this morning
. Elephant hawk moth pupa (I think) in the walled garden 2 weeks ago
. Silver Y in the kitchen 3 weeks ago
#TeamMoth
October 27, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Had a wonderful evening listening to a wide variety of talks at the North East Scotland Ecology Network science day.

I also had a chance to present a poster on my very preliminary field results, investigating how prescribed burning affects moorland #moth communities.

#TeamMoth #MothsMatter
October 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
A very hungry Emperor Moth caterpillar for #MothFaceFriday being a messy eater eating getting food in his facial hair 😋

Video taken back in May. One of several caterpillars I was rearing through. #TeamMoth
October 10, 2025 at 7:53 AM
It's the final #MothFaceFriday of #Leptember
So here's an autumnal offering by way of today's Feathered Thorn.
Such a gorgeously fluffy auburn face and thorax, and a pair of very impressively feathered antennae. Stunning!
September 26, 2025 at 7:31 PM
A lovely morning at Dinnet oakwood yielded 30:14 most NFM as my first Autumn trapping night off moorland.

Feathered Thorn 2, November moth 1, Green-brindled Crescent 5, Merveille DJ 2, Mottled Umber 1, Red-line Quaker 1, Streak 1, Snout 1, Satellite 1, Red-green Carpet 2, Light Emerald 2.
#TeamMoth
September 26, 2025 at 2:50 PM
A #Leptember visit to Chester Zoo would not be complete without a walk through the #Butterfly house.

Gosh, I'd love to be in Costa Rica right now!

Credit for photos 1 & 4 go to @conricosteez.bsky.social
September 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM
This #Leptember I am undertaking 360 quadrats at my moth trapping sites to quantify browsing and describe vegetation composition.

I love autumn, and my sites are so beautiful. I'm having a lot of fun!

Typing it up is less fun 🫩 If only AI could accurately transcribe voice notes to .csv #TeamMoth
September 12, 2025 at 7:54 PM
It's the first #MothFaceFriday of #Leptember
So here's the tiny head, broad shoulders and thick torso of the Northern/oak Eggar.
These moths always give me body-builder vibes!

Have a pumped weekend #TeamMoth - don't overdo it on the protein shakes!
September 5, 2025 at 6:41 AM
A wet night and nippy morning up on Donside, but still 210:37 to light.

NFM were 2 Setaceous Hebrew Character and a Canary-shouldered Thorn, which ended up as a spider's breakfast 😔

Also, 2 November Moth, 7 Autumn Green Carpet, 13 Autumnal Rustic, 6 Black Rustic, 15 Golden-rod Brindle
#TeamMoth
August 30, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Angle Shades is always a joy 😊

Here's a lovely one quaking and quivering on the heather, warming up from the trap this morning.

#TeamMoth
August 30, 2025 at 9:45 AM
A damp but still night on Donside yielded 263:36 including NFM Pink-barred Sallow.

Also, 8 Small Wainscot, 7 Black Rustic, 6 Juniper Pug, 6 Dark Arches, 2 Plain Clay, 2 Northern Deep-brown Dart, 2 Grey Chi, 2 Golden-rod Brindle, a Beautiful YU, a Sallow and an Angle-striped Sallow.

#TeamMoth
August 29, 2025 at 11:22 AM
A foggy morning at Mar Lodge delayed me from hiking up to my traps until it was safe, but didn't deter the moths!

586:34 Angle Shades 4, Dark Sword-grass 8, Black Rustic 1 and Small Wainscot 1 were NFM.

Also had 5 Beautiful YU, 30 Dark Arches, 1 Northern Arches and 2 Cousin German.
#TeamMoth
August 19, 2025 at 3:09 PM
A scorcher of a day at Mar Lodge, even at 8pm last night when I was setting up my traps!

But it was worth the sweaty hike through the heather, with 546:32.

31 Autumnal Rustic, a Cousin German, 5 Dark Arches, 15 Golden-rod Brindle, 2 Minor Shoulder-knot and 3 Northern Deep-brown Dart

#TeamMoth
August 18, 2025 at 3:56 PM
499:37 down on the Dee in Braemar last night. It was stunning in the mist this morning, check out these beautiful cobwebs.

Light Knot-grass was NFM (although I've found many caterpillars this summer).

Also 6-striped Rustic, 15 Pale Eggars, Juniper and Ling pugs and 16 G-r Brindle.

#TeamMoth
August 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
A wonderful Friday night's trapping in Crathie gave 555:38, including a surprise Dark Bordered Beauty!

An Autumnal Moth and 8 Chestnut-coloured Carpets were NFM. I also had 4 Autumnal Rustics, 6 Golden-rod Brindles, a Grey Chi, 12 Haworth's Minors, 287 Heath Rustics and 2 Sallows.

#TeamMoth
August 16, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Oh yeah! It's Friday night. It's the weekend. How could I nearly forget? It's #MothFaceFriday

Here's a Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing looking like he got caught doing something untoward 😂
August 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Squeezing in some quick trapping at Glen Tanar before the thunderstorms paid off, with 460:39 even despite one of my traps failing.

9 Twin-spot Carpet NFM, a Scotch Annulet dragging its feet, 194 Heath Rustic, 54 Chevron, 3 Autumnal Rustic and 5 Beautiful YU (2 months after my first).

#TeamMoth
August 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
465:30 at Glen Ey last night, and countless Scottish midgies.
First Autumnal Rustics of the season were NFM.

2 Northern Deep-brown Darts, 4 Scarce Silver-Y, 4 Pale Eggar, 58 Neglected Rustics, 167 Heath Rustics, 19 Golden-rod Brindles, a couple of Haworth's Minor and 9 Ear moth aggs.

#TeamMoth
August 13, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Managed to squeeze in some trapping near Balmoral last night before Storm Floris hit, and it was well worth it!
508:52, 4 NFM: Angle-striped Sallow, Grey Chi, Minor Shoulder-knot and Northern Deep-brown Dart.

Also had Scarce Silver-Y, Plain Clay, Northern Arches and Cousin German.
#TeamMoth
August 4, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Had a very Scottish 24hrs looking for Dark Bordered Beauty and then attending my first Highland Games 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

511:51 between 6 small traps last night, including a whole load NFM: 4 DBB, 9 Anomalous, a Barred Chestnut, 29 Dotted Clay, 26 Ear Moth, a Golden-rod Brindle, 6 Rosy Rustic and more!

#TeamMoth
August 2, 2025 at 6:03 PM
The wind really picked up last night, so only 101:14. No micros, and nothing on the outside of the traps. But my first Haworth's Minor and my 2nd Cousin German for the week more than make up for it!

And of course, the wind kept off the midges, which is always some consolation.
#TeamMoth
August 1, 2025 at 10:04 AM
29/07/2025 527:26 up on Tom a'Bhuraich including Manchester Treble-bar, Green Arches, 8 Northern Arches (5 in just one trap) and my first Cousin German.

Also had 13 Antler moth, 5 Barred Red, 69 Dark Arches and 5 Scalloped Oak.
#TeamMoth
July 31, 2025 at 1:10 PM