Why Moths Matter
Why Moths Matter!
& The Great Brocade Moth
Recently I was boring on to a friend about my new Moth Trap and he asked me why Moths matter? Although I think they are fascinating, important and worth protecting, they are overlooked by many and perhaps, also dismissed, due to their association with the dreaded Clothes Moth
Moths are part of our biodiversity and play vital roles in the ecosystem, affecting many types of wildlife. Moths and their caterpillars are an important food source for many other species, including amphibians, small mammals, bats and many bird species. A serious decline in Moth numbers would have a disastrous effect on all of these species. #Moth Matter is an initiative from Butterfly Conservation to increase our awareness of Moths and their significance
Moths are an important indicator species, as they are so widespread and found in such diverse habitats across the country. Sensitive to change, they reflect the health of our environment and monitoring their numbers can highlight the effects of new farming practices, pesticides, air pollution and climate change
To me, they are as lovely as butterflies, take for example the Great Brocade Moth, illustrated above. This stunningly beautiful moth, Eurois occulta, is a resident of the Scottish Highlands but it also found in the South as a migrant, appearing less black, paler and greener than its friends in the North. Its main food source is bog myrtle but immigrant moths feed on Birch and Sallow
Candida Hopkinson