Butterfly or day flying moth?

Sun 17 May 2020, 17:12

59 species of butterfly in the UK utterly dwarfed by the 2500 + species of moth flying through the year at different times including winter. 

When a skipper butterfly holds its wings like a moth and a peacock moth files it's wings like a butterfly it can get confusing. Ukmoths website is recording all of them in pictures from egg to adult and can help with any identification they can. If you get a picture they haven't and you're willing to contribute they will even add your picture to the gallery.

Day flying moths come every shape and size from the tiny micrometers aruncella I've seen feeding on speedwell flowers. They don't have tongues like other moths and butterflies but working mouth parts a reminder of some of the first and oldest moths. Before dinosaurs and flowers as we know them now.

Other species to see over the coming months included the bright red and black cinnabar and burnet moths a nice contrast between species. Dancing Fairy longhorn moths have incredibly long antennas some twice as long as they are.

Maggie moths, garden tiger moths and grey treble bars in the grasses and If you keep looking you might catch site of the silver Y is possible. Then buddleia brings hummingbird moths, elephant hawk moths back to small laticed heath and even a mother shipton moth which has the face of an old woman on its wings.

There is even a brimstone moth as well as butterfly, you haven't even got to go out to see moths if you leave a window open and a light on. Don't worry about them not getting out just turn the light out leave the window open and they find their own way.