National Moth Recording Scheme

Launched in 2007, the National Moth Recording Scheme (NMRS) has collated over 34 million current and historical sightings (records) of moths across the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

This wonderful resource, gathered by many thousands of volunteer recorders, is being used to conserve threatened moths, increase scientific understanding of moth declines and improve public awareness.

How to take part

Taking part in the National Moth Recording Scheme is simple and everyone is welcome. Any moth species that you see and can identify, whether you are moth trapping on a Scottish mountain or relaxing in your garden, can be recorded and submitted to form part of this important scheme. Sightings of life cycle stages, such as caterpillars, are just as welcome as records of adult moths.

• Step 1: spot and identify your moth.
• Step 2: write down the essential details to make a record (species, date, number seen, location name and grid reference).
• Step 3: submit the record. You can send your records to the appropriate County Moth Recorder or submit them through the NMRS Online recording system (button below). In either case, County Moth Recorders may contact you in due course to check aspects of the record, for example, if it is of an unusual species.

Submit your moth sightings

If you have lots of sightings then it is advisable to check with your County Moth Recorder about the best way to submit your records.

NMRS data have been used to map the distributions of all macro-moth species and assess their trends over time. These were published in The Atlas of Britain and Ireland’s Larger Moths in 2019  and used for the State of Britain's Larger Moths 2021 report.

Additions to the British and Irish list of moths from 2000 onwards

The associated spreadsheet lists those species that have been added to the British and Irish list of moths from 2000 onwards.