Moths are important pollinators as their fluffy bodies are great at picking up pollen from flowers. They tend to pollinate white and yellow flowers are these are more easily spotted in the dark. Moths are also a vital part of the food web as they provide a plentiful food source for animals such as bats. Both adult moths and young moths in the form of caterpillars are eaten by a wide variety of nesting birds and other mammals. We may think of moths as being dull brown cousins of the butterfly, but there are around 11,000 different species of moths displaying an amazing array of colours and patterns. They are also fantastic mimics of their surroundings and other insects, an important evolutionary adaptation if they are to survive being predated on but so many other creatures!
This month, Moth Night is being celebrated from 27th-29th August 2020. It is an annual celebration of moths and an opportunity to record data to help ecologists track and understand how moth populations are doing. To find out more and how to get involved, visit mothnight.info and learn how to trap moths and identify different species.
