The Moth Survey period is ending, and as I am ashamed to say I haven’t had the chance to do a proper moth trap myself, I thought I’d slightly redeem myself by sharing some interesting facts about moths and butterflies with you. Enjoy…

Butterflies and moths are in the same family – Lepidoptera (meaning ‘scale wing’ – because of the powdery coating of coloured particles that cover their wings). You can usually tell the two groups apart by using a number of ‘rules’, but there are exceptions to the rules in every case. This means that the distinction between butterflies and moths is not based on any clear physical differences between the two groups, so perhaps the most correct classification is to refer to them all as the same group and not as ‘butterflies’ or ‘moths’!
But I’m not that pedantic, so here’s the best way of telling the difference.

Moths:

mostly fly at night,
usually rest with wings apart or folded flat over back,
usually have slender or feathery antennae,
often pupate in a silken coccoon,
frequently are plain coloured and drab (greys and browns),
commonly have stout, furry bodies.

Butterflies:

mostly fly in daytime,
usually rest with wings closed,
mostly have slender antennae with a blob (or ‘club’) on the end,
pupate in a hardened crysalis,
mostly are brightly coloured and patterned,
commonly have smooth, thinner bodies.

Some exceptions:
Day-flying moths like the burnet moths (which also have rather clubbed antennae).
Elephant Hawk-moth and Hummingbird Hawk-moth are brightly coloured and patterned.

Hedylid butterflies fly at night.
Families like Whites and Browns are often quite drab.
Skipper family rest with wings apart (as do some other species at times to maintain a good body temperature).

I hope this has been interesting and informative for you.
Stay tuned for more ‘interesting stuff’, Nature Gazers!

…but a light and a sheet just might!

Here’s a date for your diaries – Garden Moths Count runs from 21st June to 6th July this year. The idea is that anyone can take part, and report on the moths that they find in their gardens. It’s been running for several years and is an important study to learn more about these numerous and often stunning little critters.

Moths are frequently overlooked in favour of their siblings the butterflies, but you would be gravely mistaken to think that moths are dull and drab in comparison. Try looking at a picture of the Elephant Hawkmoth and tell me that it looks dreary!

I decided that I should get involved this year, so I swatted up on what to do on the Moths Count website and then, finding that last night was supposed to be dry and still, I decided to do a trial run, so that I can be aware of how best to go about it when the Moths Count comes around. I scampered about the house to cobble together a makeshift moth-sheet. I found an old desk-lamp with no stand, a clothes airer and a cream-coloured fitted sheet. I dragged them into the garden when it got dark and plugged the lamp in, shining onto the vertical sheet, then went in to get some snacks for the long wait. I decided to do the lazy option, so I stayed inside the house and waited for a while, popping out to check on the procedings over the course of the night. I did my first check at 10.45, then again at midnight, then a final one (after a little snooze!) at 3.30am. Phew and yawn.

I like to think of myself as relatively optimistic, but I shouldn’t really have ben expecting for moths to be covering the sheet when I first tiptoed out to check on the moth-attracting-device’s progress. I must admit to feeling slightly disappointed. One solitary winged-beastie was clinging to the sheet. But as I approached closer I was able to see what this creature was. A lovely, medium-sized yellow moth with amber stripes and speckles on its wings. Quite a darling really.

I have looked at a few books before to identify moths I’ve found in my room, or around a light in the evening, but I’d never seen this one before. And that is precisely why ‘mothing’ is such an exciting thing to do – it’s all about the diversity of moths in the UK: you’re likely to see something new almost every time you go and seek them out. (Moth species outnumber butterfly species by 30 to 1!)

Well, all in all I saw about 10 species of moths in the night – most on my sheet, but a few around the outdoor light on the patio at dusk. I photographed what I found (partly for identification later, and partly for proof that I’d really done it!) and having consulted some books and a fab website I found last year – UK Moths – I’ve worked out what most of them were.

I recognised the Large Emerald Moth and the Magpie Moth. The large yellow moth I mentioned earlier turned out to be the female Ghost Moth. I also saw several lovely White Ermine moths – definitely one of my favourites there. And also a lovely little green moth called the Green Silver-lines.

Well, although it was a late night, I certainly spotted some beautiful moths and I’m really looking forward to finding some more next time. I think I’ll try a brighter light, my 60watt bulb was a little dim, I think; and maybe setting up before dusk would help too.

I encourage you to visit the Moths Count website and get some kit prepared. See what you can find.

Cheerio, Nature Gazers!