There are over 2,500 species of moth that have been recorded in the UK, according to enthusiast Roger Freestone.
Having spotted over 450 different species in his own garden over the years, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust volunteer knows that moths come in all sizes and colours. He also knows that most people consider butterflies more beautiful than their sometimes maligned cousin.
But he says there are, in fact, several moths that can give butterflies a run for their money.
Roger, who has been moth trapping most evenings during 30 Days Wild, as he did last year during the Nottinghamshire Wildlife event, says, take the bright pink Elephant Hawk Moth, for instance, or the hummingbird moth. Even a Brimstone moth is a vivid greeny yellow colour and striking markings.
He recalls: “During 30-Days Wild in 2020 I, like everyone else, was restricted to daily doses of nature in my garden or on my local walks and cycle rides. I regularly record moths in my West Bridgford suburban garden so last year I decided to see how many moths I could record throughout June.
"I ran my moth light trap every night and looked for day-flying moths (no moths are harmed, all are carefully released after counting and identifying). I recorded just over 120 species with the total number of individual moths exceeding 1,500. These numbers may seem high but are average for a suburban garden."
Repeating the exercise this June for comparison, Roger says he's already noticed a drop in numbers. He said: "Moths have not been so abundant this year due to a very cold April and cold May so it will be interesting to compare numbers to see the impact."
Encouraging others to take a closer look at the moths in their garden or straying into homes, Roger offers some tips of attracting and recording species.
He says: "Moths are split into two groups, macro-moths, of which there are around 900 species, and micro-moths. The wing-length of our largest resident macro-moth, the Privet Hawk-moth is an impressive 45mm whilst those of the smallest micro-moths are around 2.5/3mm.
"Even if you do not have access to a moth light trap you can still look out for moths which are attracted to lighted windows and to outside lights. A simple light trap can be made by hanging a white sheet over a washing line or fence and shine a bright light on it or place the sheet on the lawn with a bright lantern-style torch in the centre.
"More moths are attracted to light on warm humid and overcast nights, and less so on clear moonlit nights. Give it a try and you may be amazed at what turns up even in urban gardens."
