Early Thorn and Reed Dagger. Maiden’s Blush and Peach Blossom. Buttoned Snout and Scorched Carpet.
Moths are a motley, imaginatively named bunch.
We have Victorian naturalists to thank for the latter quality. When not occupied with shooting whatever unfortunate creature they happened upon, these moth-fanciers (lepidopterist or aurelian, to use the technical terms) were christening moths – before pinning them to a cork board.
There are 900 species in the UK alone, compared to our 59 species of butterfly – and that only covers the macro moths (the big ones). We have 2,500 species in total.
And far from all being small drab things that ruin woolly jumpers, moths come in myriad sizes, shapes, and colours. Some garish pink and green, some excellent wasp mimics, and others that flit about like hummingbirds.
This variety makes it harder than you’d think to tell a moth from a butterfly. Colour and time of day don’t help; plenty of moths are colourful, and there are more day-flying moths than butterflies. The best rules of thumb are that butterflies have thin antennae with a little knob on the end, while moths have feathery, tapered ones. And while butterflies typically hold their wings upright, most moths hold their wings horizontally or folded over their body when at rest (though there are plenty of exceptions).
Let’s start with a few you can find in spring.
March – Oak Beauty
An early herald of spring, the Oak Beauty is an attractive moth, its alternate bands of chestnut and chalk dust helping it blend into the lichen-covered trunk of an old oak.
It flies from late February to April and can be found in and around deciduous woodland, and suburban gardens with mature trees.
April – Angle Shades
With its autumnal palette of greens, purples, pinks, and browns, and wings folded up along its body, the Angle Shades does an excellent impression of a withered leaf.
They’re attracted to light, so you may find them resting close to an outside lamp in the morning, or sitting out openly on walls, fences or vegetation, trusting in their camouflage.
They emerge from April, but you can see them all the way through to November.
May – Buff-tip
Unmistakeable but easy to overlook, the Buff-tip is the double of a broken birch twig.
They’re night fliers, and do come to light, but you’re most likely to find them during the day resting on a twig or on the ground.
You can see them from May to July.
How to attract moths
If you want to encourage moths, but don’t want to splash out on a specialist light trap or pheromone lure, there are a few DIY options.
Leave a light on. If you’ve got an outdoor light on your property, leave it on overnight. Many night-flying moths are attracted by light (particularly UV or cool-tone lights), so you’ll often see them fluttering about a lamp at night or resting nearby early in the morning. Even if you leave an indoor light on, you’ll usually find moths flapping at or resting on the window.
Create a basic light trap. Peg a white sheet on a washing line and then shine a torch on it at night. Wait a while and see what turns up. You’ll have most success from late spring into summer when most moths are active.
You can also attract moths to your garden, with the right plants. Goat Willow, Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Ivy, Buddleia Red Valerian, Red Campion, Common Evening-primrose – their scents and nectar will attract different types of moth.
P.S. Thank you to my dad Chris Knott, whom I have to thank not only for the photos in this post but also my interest in nature. A keen lepidopterist, his annual moth calendar was the inspiration for this post.