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

Elephant Hawk-moth - Rachel Scopes

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.

Privet Hawk-moth

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?

Willowherb Hawk-moth - Pete Withers

Provide the right habitat

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

Sodium streetlights along a rural road

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?

Moth Identification Tips front cover

Watch our moth identification tips

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

Moths Matter!

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

Children wearing moth mask

Discover & Learn

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


How can you support moths?

Join

Become a member of Butterfly Conservation.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Stuart Mackman)

Donate

Please give what you can.

Child with butterfly

Leave a legacy

Remember when you were a child, and butterflies and moths were everywhere?

Rapanui moth tshirt

Shop

Shop our Moths Matter collection!