Since 1995 Mark Tunmore has been monitoring moth populations at Church Cove on the Lizard peninsula, many species of which are declining nationally.

A specially constructed 250W mercury vapour moth-trap attracts moths inside, where they remain unharmed until they can be checked and released the next day. This location is an important site for monitoring moth migration and there are regular arrivals of spectacular species from Europe and North Africa.

In November 2014 Mark caught a new species for Britain – Thysanoplusia daubei – which he named the Boathouse Gem after the location of capture. It is likely to have originated in southern Spain or North Africa. A full account of this event appeared in issue 55 of the journal Atropos.

http://www.the-lizard.org/index.php/95-latest-news/451-new-moth-record-for-the-lizard-and-britain