Moths Matter

Welcome to the marvellous world of moths. Join us as we celebrate the unsung heroes of the insect world!

Dive into the weird and wonderful world of moths

From noisy moths and copy-cats, to powerful pollinators. Gone are the days when moths were regarded as the dull runner up to the butterfly! Check out our top ten freaky, fun and fascinating facts about these amazing creatures.

Puss moth (caterpillar in defence posture) - Pete Withers

Meet the amazing moth caterpillars

Caterpillars come in all different shapes, colours and sizes, and none more so than moth caterpillars. Meet five of these cool critters and discover what makes them so special.

Everything you need to know about moths

What exactly is a moth? Do moths only come out at night? We answer some of your most-asked questions about moths.

Why do #MothsMatter?

Moths are amazing! They bring a rich biodiversity with around 2,500 species of moth in the UK, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and colours.
Moths are an important element of the food chain, being prey for a wide range of birds, bats and other insectivorous animals. In Britain and Ireland for example, Blue Tits eat an estimated 50 billion caterpillars each year!
Moths are pollinators.
Moths are indicators of a healthy ecosystem. When their numbers drop - the ecosystem is in trouble.

What can you do to help moths?

Provide the right habitat

Discover the top five plants to include in your Wild Space to help attract marvellous moths all year round.

Dim the lights

Find out how you can dim the dangers of light pollution for our moths.

Fisher's Estuarine moth resting on a plant at night

Record your sightings

The National Moth Recording Scheme has so far collated over 34 million current and historical sightings (records) of moths across the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

Where can you learn more about moths?

Watch our moth identification tips

A series of free online talks led by moth expert Phil Sterling.

Follow us on social media

Get mothy with us on social, tag us if you've got any questions that you'd like answering by our moth experts!

#MothsMatter | @SaveButterflies

Discover & Learn

Fun butterfly & moth-related activities for both children and adults!

Download the Moth Spotting Pack now

Sign up to receive your free Moth Spotting Pack!

Moths Matter! These incredible creatures are not only fascinating, but also a crucial part of the ecosystem. Moths are fantastic pollinators, they are a part of the food chain, and they are an early warning indicator for problems in the wider environment – if moth numbers fall, the ecosystem is in trouble!

To celebrate all things moth, we’ve created a Moth Spotting Pack for you to download and print at home, which includes a guide to creating a sugar moth trap, a recording sheet, and a Moths by Month calendar.