Phegeavlinders in het Leudal

Whilst taking a stroll through the countryside of the Leudal in Central Limburg, a naturalist came across an exciting discovery of thousands of Nine-spotted moths (Amata phegea). This rare daytime flying moth is found on a number of sites in Central Limburg and West Brabant. Ninespotted moths have occurred in the Leudal each year, in fluctuating numbers. There were striking explosions in 1992 and 1995, when tens of thousands of specimens were seen in flight. It is not clear what causes the annual fluctuations, or how weather conditions affect the population.