A guest blog by Education, Families and Youth Officer Emily Figgins
Moths, for a keen nature lover and enthusiast, they are an exciting and eye-opening world of the natural world. However, they have gathered a reputation for being clothes-eating, dull and boring, pests. I am here to de-bunk those myths and convert people to the magical world of Minsmere’s moths.
My fascination, admittedly obsession, with moths began when I was 8 years and went to a family moth trapping event. I held an Elephant Hawk-moth, a beautiful pink and green moth, which captivated me. Roll on to 2020, when we all did not have much to do, I finally bought myself a moth trap. I got hooked very quickly, looking forward to every morning wandering what may be in my trap. Later that summer I decided to write my dissertation on moths, researching and collecting data about species abundance in garden habitats.
So then, why are moths amazing creatures? Well for starters they are incredibly important pollinators, which unlike butterflies and bees, is carried out mostly nocturnally. There are a staggering 2,500 different species of moth in the UK, compared to only 59 species of butterfly.
Now, those myths about moths. There are only a few species of moth that will eat clothes, and this will only happen if items of clothing are dirty, made from animal fibre, and left in dark undisturbed places. Moths are the complete opposite to boring. They are beautiful and vary so much in size, shape, and colour. Whether it is a Buff-tip, which resembles a Silver Birch twig, a Peppered Moth, a well-known salt and pepper coloured evolution case study, or an Emperor, a glorious eye-catching (literally) moth.
Sadly, moths are on the decline. During the 20th Century, moth numbers decreased by 40%, with 60 species becoming extinct. The changes in land use, agricultural intensification and climate change are the main causes for decline. However, with the increase in conservation efforts to protect them and their habitats, creating moth-friendly gardens, and recording them using light traps, is helping us understand even more about these magical creatures.
Here at RSPB Minsmere, over 1,000 species of moth have been recorded, which is almost half of the number of species found in the UK! Many of the species here are national rarities, specialising in reedbed habitats, making Minsmere an even more special place for wildlife. Minsmere is also the only site the UK to have a moth named after it. The Minsmere Crimson Underwing, a brown patterned moth with a flash of red, was discovered here back in 2004, and has yet to be seen since.
Now, if you are still unsure about moths, here are a few I have seen so far this summer…
Eyed Hawkmoth
Cream Spot Tiger
Large Emerald
Chocolate Tip
Drinker
Scorched Wing
Regular moth events are happening throughout the summer into the autumn here at Minsmere, with pop-in sessions on Thursday mornings and a larger-scale early morning event in September https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/13479