Pictures: Valerie O’Sullivan
A hugely informative information lecture on moth life in Killarney National Park and throughout Kerry was presented to an appreciative Killarney audience as part of the annual Autumn Talks series in Killarney House.
The engaging guest speaker was Stephen Cotter, a busy orthodontist by day and an enthusiastic mother by night and he has a huge passion for moth life, their habitats, their life patterns and their activities.
A proud Cork man living in Killarney for several years, Stephen visits sites all over Ireland but his favourite is on his own doorstep at Killarney National Park.
He has discovered a number of moths not previously recorded in Ireland and has contributed to various radio programmes, including RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground, to discuss his research and findings.
Although he doesn’t wear a cape and hasn’t yet been classified as a superhero, Stephen is sometimes referred to as Mothman given his extensive knowledge of the winged creatures.
Stephen’s Killarney House talk was entitled Marvellous Moths and it showcased the incredible diversity of moths that can be seen – sometimes with great difficulty – in Kerry.
He also highlighted their amazing life cycles, emphasising how important they are and what members of the public can do to help them.
Two years ago Stephen discovered a very rare moth in Killarney National Park.
It was the first recorded sighting of a spectacular male White Prominent Leucodonta Bicoloria in the area since 1938 and it was thought to be extinct in Britain and Ireland.
Following some reports of sightings, the moth was rediscovered in 2008 in the Glencar region but it hadn’t been seen in the national park in Killarney for over 80 years – until 2022.
Stephen discovered it during the course of a targeted survey in a remote area of the park.
“People dismiss moths as being dull and as a pest. In reality, they are vital pollinators and we in Kerry should be very proud of our extensive moth diversity,” said Stephen who has recorded over 400 different species of moth in the county.
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