Gardening trade sparks surge in new moths to UK

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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