14/06/2018
An increasing number of new moth species are
arriving and settling in the UK as a result of the global reach of the
horticultural trade and the changing climate, moth experts have revealed.
According to wildlife publisher Atropos and charity Butterfly
Conservation, almost 30 new species of pyralid moth have been recorded in the
UK in the last 30 years, with eight becoming established residents.
Pyralid moths include some of the largest and
most distinctive of the 1,600 species of micro-moths found in the UK. Around
900 species of the generally larger and better known macro-moths are also found
here.
The North Sea and English Channel provide a
natural barrier to many potential colonising moth species, but the
horticultural trade can provide a route into the UK, with eggs, caterpillars or
even pupae hitching a ride on imported plants. Climate change is also altering
conditions, enabling moths to take advantage of habitats in new areas. This
recent increase in new species comes at a time when many of the UK's native
moths are in decline as a result of habitat loss and agricultural
intensification.
As part of this year's Moth Night,
an annual UK-wide event to record and celebrate moths, organisers Atropos,
Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology are asking the
public to look for pyralid moths in their gardens, the countryside and at
specially organised moth trapping events.
Pyralids are often under-recorded, so
scientists need new reports of sightings both to determine how these moths are
faring across the UK and to spot any new species that have arrived.
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