To date (2019) 683 species of macro-moth along with 1159 species of micro-moth have been recorded in Norfolk since records began in Victorian times. These range from species whose range is virtually limited to the county, such as Small Dotted Footman to a range of migrant species which arrive from Europe from time to time to common moths which occur virtually everywhere.
Norfolk is lucky that it has an extremely active moth group called the Norfolk Moth Survey, distinct from Butterfly Conservation. The Norfolk Moth Survey has a website developed by the current county moth recorder for identification and recording of moths, widely considered to be one of the best in the United Kingdom. Butterfly Conservation Norfolk branch has a good working relationship with Norfolk Moth Survey (NMS) and would urge that all moth records be submitted to the county recorder either direct or via the website. A visit to the site will also provide links to both NMS and also national and other county websites.
In addition to butterflies, Butterfly Conservation nationally has also taken on the responsibility for conservation of moths. With this in mind, all Norfolk records are submitted by the county recorder to our national office. This data is proving important data for conservation purposes for local Norfolk species such as Grey Carpet, Tawny Wave, V-moth, Dotted and Small Dotted Footman and should enable active conservation measures where needed.
Norfolk has a number of crucial habitats important for moths such as the coastal dunes and marshes, the Broads and fens and Breckland. Much of the conservation work to date has been concentrated on the latter area, while the Butterfly Conservation reserve at Catfield Fen is as important for reed bed and wetland species as it is for butterflies and dragonflies.
Moth Records
At various events during the year we run moth traps the night before. The traps are opened in the morning and the moths are recorded and then shown to those attending the event. This provides us with a record of the species in the area and where we revisit sites a record of species changes. It also helps build interest and/or develop the knowledge of those attending the event.
Below are the record of the records we have taken. Click on the file you are interested and the record will be displayed
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