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Moths
ANIMAL FAMILY
Although not as showy as butterflies, moths are often just as beautiful and equally interesting.
Moths and their caterpillars are crucial foods for birds, bats and other mammals, and adults are important pollinators of wild flowers and some trees. In Britain there are about 2,400 species, many of which have been recorded in gardens. You’ll find some of the more common species described here.
Like butterflies, moths have four different life stages. During their short lifetime they undergo a complete change, or metamorphosis. They begin life as an egg, hatch into a caterpillar, pupate, often within a silken cocoon, and emerge as adults.
Moths and butterflies are very similar. There are several main differences. Moths are often dull coloured and tend to fly at night. Butterflies are often brightly coloured and tend to fly during the day. Moths tend to be hairy and have feathery antennae, whereas butterflies are less hairy and have club or pin-shaped antennae. When a butterfly lands it tends to rest with its wings closed, whereas moths tend to rest with theirs open. There are exceptions to all these differences: for instance several species of moth fly during the day and are very colourful!
Moths drink nectar for energy. Try to plant plenty of different nectar plants, flowering throughout spring, summer and autumn, and include some that have strong night scents, such as evening primrose. One of the best ways to attract moths to your garden is to plant a native hedge with plenty of different species (see plants for moths). If you have a large garden, try to leave a ‘wild area’, if not plant some attractive wild plants, such as valerian, among the cultivated ones. Don’t forget to include caterpillar food plants if you want moths to breed in your garden.
Insects