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Our gardens are full of moths. There are 896 different species in the UK and a further 1600 micro moths (usually much less than 20mm in width - marked *). Moths mainly fly at night, but some can be seen during the day.
They are very important pollinators with recent research finding that they are more effective than bees, butterflies etc. However their numbers are in drastic decline mainly as a result of habitat loss and the use of insecticides in agricultural processes. This year has been particularly bad being cold and wet, butterflies are suffering, too.
As well as pollinating, their caterpillars are an essential food source for birds. Gardeners can help support moths by growing a wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees to provide food and leaving them standing in the winter to provide refuge. The main food plants of the larvae are noted.
Using a home made moth trap, essentially a container with an ultra violet light and a funnel for the moths to fall into a layer of egg boxes, we noted the following in our garden before they were released, together with their [food plant].
This is probably a small selection of what different species that are probably out there but the total numbers have collapsed this year. The app Seek from Inaturalist is sometimes able to identify moth species.
May / June 2024
May / June 2024
Poplar hawk-moth
Laothoe populi
40mm
Poplar and other trees
Buff tip
Phalera bucephala
26mm
Birch, acer
Garden carpet
Xanthorhoe fluctuata
15mm
Cruciferae
Brown-veined wainscot
Archanara dissoluta 15mm
Reeds
Angle shades
Phlogophora meticulosa
25mm
Many plants
Small argent and sable*
Epirrhoe tristata
12mm
Bedstraw
Garden dart
Euxoa nigricans
18mm
Alliums, brassicas
Large yellow underwing
Noctua pronuba
26mm
Many plants
Smokey wainscot
Scopula ternata
18mm
Mostly ericaceous shrubs
July 2024
July 2024
Purple thorn
Selenia tetralunaria
23mm
Many common trees
Twenty plume*
Alucita hexadactyla
15mm
Lonicera
Four-spotted yellowneck*
Oegoconia quadripuncta
15mm
Leaf litter
Hawthorn drab*
Paraswammerdamia nebulella
15mm
Hawthorn
Straw Grass-veneer*
Agriphila straminella
18mm
Grass
Dot
Melanchra persicariae
21mm
Many plants
Grey chi
Antitype chi
19mm
Many plants
Peppered
Biston betularia
28mm
Birch, oak etc.
Brimstone
Opisthograptis luteolata
20mm
Birch, apple, etc.
Common footman*
Manulea lurideola
17mm
Lichen
Elephant hawk-moth
Deilephila elpenor
33mm
Epilobium, fuschia
Common wave
Cabera exanthemata
16mm
Alder, beech, etc.
Fan-foot
Herminia tarsipennalis
16mm
Trees and shrubs
Light emerald
Campaea margaritata
29mm
Apple, beech, etc.
Crescent dart
Agrotis trux
19mm
Plant roots
Heath rustic
Xestia agathina
16mm
Heather
Yellow belle
Aspitates ochrearia
16mm
Wild carrot, plantain
True lover’s knot
Lycophotia porphyrea
15mm
Heather
White satin
Leucoma salicis
27mm
Poplar, willow
Bird cherry ermine
Yponomeuta evonymella
26mm
Cherry
Orange swift
Triodia sylvina
26mm
Dock, bracken, etc.
Riband wave
Idaea aversata
16mm
Bedstraw, dandelion
August / September 2024
August / September 2024
Green-brindled crescent
Allophyes oxyacanthae
20mm
Hawthorn, etc.
Green carpet
Colostygia pectinataria
15mm
Bedstraw
Smokey wainscot
Mythimna impura
18mm
Grasses
Mint moth*
Pyrausta aurata
20mm
Mint, calamintha, etc.
Canary shouldered thorn
Ennomos alniaria
20mm
Many trees
Swallowtail moth
Ourapteryx sambucaria
30mm
Ivy
Northern rustic (right)
Standfussiana lucernea
21mm
Grasses
Buff ermine
Spilarctia luteum
22mm
Many plants and trees
Copper underwing
Amphipyra pyramidea
26mm
Ash, privet, etc.
Feathered thorn
Colotois pennaria
23mm
Many trees
Small dusty wave*
Idaea seriata
11mm
Ivy and other plants
V-pug
Chloroclystis v-ata
11mm
Many plants
Buff arches
Habrosyne pyritoides
20mm
Bramble, etc.
Marbled green
Cryphia muralis
15mm
Lichens
Willow beauty
Peribatodes rhomboidaria
24mm
Hawthorn, ivy, etc.
Dark arches
Apamea monoglypha
26mm
Grasses
Early thorn
Selenia dentaria
23mm
Hawthorn, etc.
Mother of pearl
Pleuroptya ruralis
40mm
Nettles
Shears
Hada plebeja
17mm
Dandelion
Small dotted buff
Photedes minima
14mm
Grasses
Dun-bar
Cosmia trapezina
16mm
Many trees and other larvae
Broad-barred white
Hecatera bicolorata
15mm
Dandelion flowers
Common rustic
Mesapamea secalis
16mm
Grasses
Double square-spot
Xestia triangulum
19mm
Wide range of plants
Elbow-striped grass-veneer
Agriphila geniculea
20mm
Grasses
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