Moths an Introduction

Moths Count is a partnership of many Butterfly Conservation would like to What are moths? organisations, individuals and businesses, acknowledge the support of the following led by Butterfly Conservation. Principal Moths Count Business Friends, some of Moths and butterflies together form the order of insects known as Lepidoptera, from funders include the Heritage Lottery Fund, whom are suppliers of moth recording the Greek lepis, meaning scale, and pteron, meaning wing. The colours and patterns Butterfly Conservation, British Entomological equipment and books. and Natural History Society, City Bridge on their wings are made up of thousands of tiny scales, overlapping like tiles on a Anglian Lepidopterist Supplies Trust, Countryside Council for Wales, roof. There are about 2,500 species of moths found in Britain and Ireland, but only www.angleps.com Environment Agency, Environment and around 70 butterfly species. For convenience moths are split into two groups, the Apollo Books Heritage Service, Natural England, Royal www.apollobooks.com larger (or macro-) moths and the smaller (micro-) moths, although some of the latter Entomological Society, RSPB and Scottish group are larger than some of the former. Around 900 species of larger moth have B and S Entomological Services Natural Heritage. Many other organisations www.entomology.org.uk been found in this country. are involved, providing support and helping Bioquip to host events. www.bioquip.net Moths vary greatly in appearance, Manor Yard East Lulworth British Wildlife Publishing and some species may not at first be Scalloped Hook-tip Scarlet Tiger www.britishwildlife.com Wareham Dorset BH20 5QP recognised as moths. For example, Cellcreative the clearwing moths mimic wasps, Phone 01929 406009 www.cellcreative.com bees or flies so effectively that they are [email protected] MapMate www.mapmate.co.uk easily mistaken for them. There are also Moth myths longhorn moths, which have extremely www.mothscount.org Watkins & Doncaster There are many myths about the differences between moths and butterflies: www.watdon.com long antennae; plume moths, whose Butterfly Conservation is a registered charity and non-profit making company, limited by guarantee. wings are feather-like; and many moths, • Moths are not as beautiful as • Only butterflies rest with their wings Registered Office: Manor Yard East Lulworth Wareham Dorset BH20 5QP Text by Susan Anders, Mark Parsons and Richard Fox such as the hook-tips, whose wings butterflies: This is just not true! closed upright over their backs: Registered in England No 2206468 Registered Charity No 254937 Photographs by Richard Revels, Dave Green, look just like dry leaves. The range of Robert Thompson and Mark Parsons Some moths, such as the tiger moths, A few moths rest with their wings in Artwork by Sandra Fernandez appearances includes brightly-coloured are very colourful. Others are less this position, for example the Bordered tiger moths; large, narrow-winged bright, but have subtle colours and White and the Dingy Shell, and a few and fast-flying hawk-moths; and the beautiful patterns that have evolved butterflies do not, for example some intricately patterned carpets. to aid camouflage. skippers. White Plume Moth • Moths only fly by night: Although • Moths are furrier and hairier than Humming-bird Hawk-moth most do fly at night, many species, butterflies: Some moth species are like the red and black Cinnabar, less hairy than others, and some Lunar Hornet Clearwing fly during the day (and probably butterflies have very furry bodies. Moths lay numerous eggs that hatch get mistaken for butterflies). Some into caterpillars, which eventually pupate butterflies, such as the Red Admiral, The most consistent difference is that and turn into adult moths. Most adult are known to fly at night. nearly all moths have a tiny hook- moths moths are short-lived, some for only a • Only butterflies have clubbed like structure joining the hind wing to few days, but others survive for longer antennae: Some moths have the forewing, but butterflies do not. and some live for many months and club-like antennae, for example However, this is very small and difficult an introduction even hibernate over the winter. A few the day-flying burnets. to see. species spend three or four years as caterpillars before becoming moths. Another widespread myth is that moths eat clothing. In fact, only a very few About 2,500 species of moths have been Most moths are only found in their adult species do, and they only eat fabrics derived from animal sources, such as wool, found in Britain and Ireland, compared form at certain times of the year, but not synthetics or cotton; they normally attack items left in dark, undisturbed places; this varies with the species and moths and they prefer dirty clothes to clean ones. Moths are often wrongly blamed for with around 70 species of butterflies. are seen in every month in Britain and damage caused by the more common carpet beetle larvae (which look like small Ireland, even during mid-winter. furry caterpillars) and many holes found in clothes are not made by insects at all but by chemicals or accidental damage. Eyed Hawk-moth Mother Shipton Buff-tip Being prey to so many predators has How you can help Moth names Habitats for moths led moths and their caterpillars to evolve a wide range of defences, especially Moth names can be just as Moths are found everywhere from shore to mountain top, wherever there are plants Butterfly Conservation works to conserve moths, butterflies and their habitats in the UK. camouflage, through both colour and Interest in moths is growing rapidly and there are many opportunities for volunteers and fascinating as the moths themselves. for caterpillars to eat. Some are limited in distribution by their food-plants, for shape. The Buff-tip moth at rest is both members of the public to help through recording and monitoring, habitat management, All the larger moths found in Britain example the caterpillar of the White Spot only eats Nottingham Catchfly, a scarce the colour and shape of a broken birch raising awareness and training new moth recorders. In addition to co-ordinating urgent have English colloquial names as plant. Others are restricted by habitat, such as the Ground Lackey which eats a twig. Other moths use bright colours to action on the most threatened species listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, well as their scientific names. In range of plants only found in saltmarshes. Some moths have widespread food- put predators off, either by warning of Butterfly Conservation has established the Moths Count project in partnership with many cases the colloquial name was plants, but require particular conditions. The Dark Crimson Underwing eats oak their bitter taste, as in the tiger moths, other organisations and individuals. This project has developed a National Moth coined first and may be very old, or leaves, but needs old oaks with deeply furrowed bark where the caterpillars can or by startling them, as in the Eyed Recording Scheme to monitor all the larger moths in the UK and provide training a corruption of an older name. hide from predators. All species require particular conditions for their survival and Hawk-moth. Moths also have important and support for new and existing moth recorders. To find out more about the Moths even subtle changes in habitat can result in the loss of a species. impacts on plants. Adult moths feed Count project, including a range of free events about moths and moth recording that Some moths are named after the people The Death’s-head Hawk-moth has a on the nectar of flowers and so act as you can attend, please visit www.mothscount.org or contact Butterfly Conservation who discovered them, for example the striking yellow pattern on its thorax Traditional farmland suits a range of Some moths are visitors to Britain. pollinators, while many caterpillars eat (www.butterfly-conservation.org). Ashworth’s Rustic was named after which resembles a skull and its moths, including some rare species, Humming-bird Hawk-moths fly here foliage and have influenced the plants’ Joseph Ashworth, with ‘rustic’ referring scientific name, Acherontia atropos, is but intensively farmed areas and prairie- from the Mediterranean or North evolution of physical and chemical to its drab appearance. The group after Acheron, the river of pain in the like fields do not support many moths Africa (although with climate change defences against them. Discovering more about moths of moths known as ‘wainscots’ were underworld, and Atropos, one of the (or other wildlife). Urban areas can also this species may now be living here thought to resemble that type of wood- three Fates who cuts the thread of life. support a wide diversity of species: year-round). Other species have been If you would like to learn more about moths, there is plenty of help on the Moths panelling; the Mother Shipton appears over 500 species of larger moth are accidentally imported on fruit or plants. Count website, www.mothscount.org, which also has links to other good sources of to have the profile of the legendary The scientific name of the Dark Crimson found in the London area. Many moths Some of these visitors have become Moths in jeopardy information. Alternatively, these books are good starting points: witch on its wings; and the Lackey Underwing is Catocala sponsa. The first live in urban parks and gardens, established with non-native plants. For Moth caterpillar has coloured stripes part refers to its bright red underwings, especially where there is a variety of example the Blair’s Shoulder-knot, which Many moths are widespread in Britain, while others are more restricted in Concise Guide to the Moths of Great Field Guide to the Moths of Great resembling the livery worn by servants and comes from katõ meaning below plants, shrubs and trees, rather than feeds on cypresses, was first recorded distribution, some to just one or two sites.

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