Hidden nature garden moths

from Wild Suffolk Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023

WOODLAND WILDFLOWERS

Summer is a time where nature feels obvious, surrounding us from the early dawn through to a balmy sunset. But what about when the sun goes down? That’s when hidden nature might appear, and secret species emerge. Some of the most underrated are our garden moths.

After a busy summer’s day of insect activity in our gardens, it is not unreasonable to assume that it all becomes rather quiet as the night draws in. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, our garden butterflies, bees and hoverflies are replaced by an even greater variety of moths that use the cover of darkness to go about their business of feeding, finding a mate and egg laying.

For the past four years, I have been monitoring the moths in my garden in a typical rural Suffolk village near Wickham Market and have discovered a whole new world of quite amazing insect life. To date, I have recorded over 250 different species. This is way more than I expected and not just common species, but a handful of rarities and continental travellers as well. I use a simple light trap

BY STEVE AYLWARD

that attracts moths into a box, put out as daylight is fading (they are later released unharmed). Despite a fresh and early start, there is real excitement to be had opening the trap the next morning and not knowing what might be inside. It can sometimes be quite disappointing, but when the conditions are perfect (mild, cloudy and still), it can be thrilling, not just the numbers but the sheer variety.

Anyone who drives will be familiar with the bright silhouettes of moths in their headlights but seeing those same moths up close in daylight reveals just how colourful and diverse they are. The largest and most spectacular are of course the hawk-moths, hefty moths in shades of pink, green and many other colours, often with beautiful wing patterns. But for me, the most

CAN YOU SEE ME?

How do these moths avoid predators in the day? They mimic bark, leaves, twigs and other creatures.

BUFF TIP

A clever disguise to look like a broken dead twig from a silver birch tree. Favours deciduous trees.

The larvae of the oak eggar moth doesn’t in fact feed on oak and is named after its acorn-like cocoon.

fascinating are the moths that mimic leaves, twigs or lichens, like angle shades, buff-tip or the extraordinarily patterned merveille du jour (meaning ‘marvel of the day’). To avoid predators in daylight, moths have evolved to become the masters of disguise with wing patterns that mimic everything from dead leaves and tree bark to bird droppings, hence

The poplar hawk-moth can flash its red underwings to ward off predators.

Six Of The Best

You don't only see moths at night. Many species have adapted to survive in the daytime. Look out for the day-flying mint moth (1), broad-bordered bee hawkmoth (2), scarlet tiger (3), silver Y (4), cinnabar (5) and Mother Shipton (6).

their incredible diversity.

Learning to identify moths can be challenging, not simply the number of species but the fact that many are similar in appearance, or the same species can have multiple colour-forms or wing patterns. The good news is, there are great online resources to help. The Suffolk Moths website is brilliant, even listing the species that are most likely to be found on that day of the year, while on social media platforms, there are always experts willing to help ID a tricky moth. Making our gardens a little wilder is great for moths. Encouraging plants such as evening primrose, red campion or honeysuckle will ensure there are suitable night-time nectar sources for them. Patches of wildflowers and long grass along with native hedges are even better, and we can all do our bit. If you’d like to learn more, Suffolk Wildlife Trust runs mothing events throughout the summer at our centres.

The Suffolk Moths website is an ideal starting place for ID suffolkmoths.co.uk