Student rediscovers rare moth unseen for decades

A university student's research project has uncovered a rare moth species not recorded in a county for more than 80 years.

Jamie Waller, 22, a University of Northampton student, discovered the Hollyhock Seed Moth during fieldwork for her dissertation at Delapre Abbey in Northampton.

The species has not been seen in Northamptonshire since 1940, and there has only been three previous local recordings dating back to 1906.

Waller said: "It feels great to have contributed something to my local town in a field I'm passionate about, and in an area which is so often underappreciated."

Last summer, Waller carried out a 13-week study using ethical trapping methods to capture and release moths at the heritage site.

Between 1,300 and 1,500 moths were recorded, with species identified using photographs, field guides and an artificial intelligence identification app.

The findings were logged with the Northamptonshire Moth Group and later verified by a county moth recorder.

Waller added: "An alert popped up to say [the Hollyhock] isn't very often found, and that it might not belong in the area. After... my findings were verified, we were excited at the news."

The student's project highlighted the ecological importance of moths, particularly their role as nocturnal pollinators, which has been often overshadowed by butterflies.

"Moths are often forgotten because people tend to focus on butterflies, but they're really important pollinators, especially for flowers that open at night," she added.

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