Now that the sun is finally shining again, it's easy to spot and enjoy lots of butterflies in our gardens, parks and hedgerows. But how often do we pay attention to the just as beautiful and fascinating moths? There are around 2,500 species of moths in the UK, with more establishing every decade following migration from continental Europe. As there are so many species of moths, experts split them into two groups, the larger (or macro-) moths and the smaller (or micro-) moths. There are around 900 macro-moths in Britain. They play a vital role in our ecosystems and food chains, providing food for many other species, including amphibians, small mammals, bats and many bird species. Moth caterpillars are especially important for feeding young chicks, including those of most familiar garden birds such as the blue tit and great tit, robin, wren and blackbird. Far from being drab, moths come in a huge variety of colours, shapes and sizes. Let's take a look at a couple of moth species we might be lucky enough to spot.
The elephant hawk moth can be seen flying at dusk from May to August, with striking golden-olive colouring and pink bars. The caterpillars are seen from July to September and are very characteristic. They are greyish-green or brown, with two enormous, black eyespots towards the head. When disturbed, they swell up to show these spots and scare off predators. The caterpillar has a small stubby horn at its end and gets its name from its head, which looks a bit like an elephant's head when it extends from its bulbous neck! This is one of the hundreds of species of moth which we can hope to see in our own gardens.
Elephant hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor, adult resting in amongst foxgloves
Photo: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Another moth with a somewhat weird and wonderful caterpillar is the lobster moth. While the moth of this macro-moth species is a rather nondescript brown, the caterpillar bears an uncanny resemblance to an orangey-pink lobster! The lobster moth is just one of hundreds of moth species found in our woods. Woodland habitats are vitally important for moths and other wildlife but they are increasingly under threat from development, tree disease, habitat loss and competition from non-native species. Sadly, despite the recent incomers from the continent, moths are declining in the UK. Studies have found the overall number of moths has decreased by 28% since 1968. The situation is particularly bad in southern Britain, where moth numbers are down by 40%. Many individual species have declined dramatically in recent decades and over 60 became extinct during the 20th century. Sadly, among the species which have declined are many beautiful moths which were previously very common and frequently seen in our gardens.
So what can we do to encourage moths in our gardens? When planting for moths, it's important to consider flowers that provide nectar at night time, such as honeysuckle. The caterpillars often have quite specific diets - Butterfly Conservation have put together a very useful list of suitable plants. During the summer holidays, children might enjoy making this recipe for moths to paint onto trees. How many can they spot during an evening in the garden?
This week is Brilliant Birds of Prey week at Flatford Wildlife Garden. Children can get involved in activities including dissecting an owl pellet.