Adult caddis-fly, provisionally identified as Polycentropus flavomaculatus, attracted to moth trap, 30 August 2016. New Garden record. Photo Robert Mill.

During a moth trapping session on the night of 29/30 August, various other creatures were found in the trap besides moths. They included a Common Earwig, two different species of daddy-long-legs or crane-fly, and an adult caddis-fly. The latter was the first time an adult caddis-fly had been recorded in the Garden although it has been known that caddis-fly larvae occur in the ponds. The one trapped that night has now been provisionally identified as Polycentropus flavomaculatus. This is a very common species widespread throughout the British Isles. However, caddis-fly adults are in general nocturnal fliers and not seen by day, although many are attracted to moth traps as happened on this occasion. In a way this is hardly surprising because caddis-flies (Trichoptera) are genetically the sister group of the butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Tom Dawes, who set up the trap that evening, told me that he had seen other caddis-flies in the trap on previous occasions but as there is no easy way to identify them they had been ignored. Consequently, with some effort, other caddis-fly species may be added to the Garden’s list in the future. This discovery highlights the value of the Garden’s moth traps for finding out about the presence in the Garden of other insect groups besides moths.