The Entomologist's record and journal of variation . u (1983)for literature). With or without accompanying migration, aesti-vation appears generally to be a means by which the insects canshield themselves from changes in habitat conditions. In the caseof maura, the dark and cool air-raid shelter in Wimbledon appearsto have provided the moths with a safe environment in which theywere able perhaps to complete their development and the malesto await the availability of sexually mature females. July-August1983 was an exceptionally warm period for London with tempera-tures often as high as 20-22OC
The Entomologist's record and journal of variation . u (1983)for literature). With or without accompanying migration, aesti-vation appears generally to be a means by which the insects canshield themselves from changes in habitat conditions. In the caseof maura, the dark and cool air-raid shelter in Wimbledon appearsto have provided the moths with a safe environment in which theywere able perhaps to complete their development and the malesto await the availability of sexually mature females. July-August1983 was an exceptionally warm period for London with tempera-tures often as high as 20-22OC at dusk and 18-20OC at dawn. Thetemperature in the shelter was more constant at about the shelter, the temperature was, however, still relatively A HOME FOR OLD LADIES IN WIMBLEDON 61 high when the moths were leaving the shelter. It was 22oC atdusk and 180C at on the night (14th August) when thefirst maura were cauglit in the moth trap, so it appears unlikelythat the moths were simply waiting in the shelter for Fig. 1 Mormo maura L. at rest in Wimbledon in 1983 The massing of moths together in groups is interesting. Thishas been well described for some noctuid species, and Williams(1958) illustrated hundreds of Agrotis infusa Boisd. (the BogongMoth) aestivating in large masses on the walls of caves in MountGingera, in Australia, at a height of 5000-6000 ft. (see also Oku,1983). With this species aestivation is associated with migration. 62 ENTOMOLOGISTS RECORD, VOL. 97 The biological explanation for, and purpose if any of, massingseems obscure. It could have survival value: a mass of mothspresents a large target to a predator, but by massing the numberof targets would be reduced. In the case of the Home for OldLadies in Wimbledon, it is possible that the moths viewed particu-lar sites with especial favour and that this was the reason for theirforming small groups. If so, the relative advantages of the differentsites chosen in the
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