Butterflies and Moths
Butterfly Conservation Nature Reserves
Butterfly Conservation is the UK's leading charity that works to save butterflies and moths. They own and manage more than 30 nature reserve for the benefit of butterflies.
Click here to read more about Butterfly Conservation, and to see thir Nature Reserves.
Volunteers offered free trip to help butterflies in Europe
A new project is inspiring budding naturalists to take a closer look into the world of butterflies in Europe.
Online guide to British moths
If you need some help identifying a British moth, please see www.ukmoths.org.uk
Online guide to British Butterflies
If you need so me help identifying a British Butterfly, we suggest you look at www.britishbutterflies.co.uk/, a good clean and easy to use online guide.
Recent Butterflies & Moths news
- 500 species lost from England in 200 years
- Fears grow for future of Britain’s rarest butterflies
- Wildlife lethal sheep dip finally banned
- Rugged, hilly landscapes with a variety of habitats are important for butterflies
- Monarch butterfly numbers hit all time low
- Migrating insects fly in the fast lane
- Cheshire’s ancient peatland to be restored
- Endangered insects to be reintroduced into UK
- Summer sunshine averts catastrophe for insect world
More Butterflies & Moths news
- Worcestershire butterfly reserve to undergo ‘drastic’ improvement
- Dorset dairy farmer spots endangered butterflies on his farm
- Painted lady butterfly migration mystery solved
- First sighting of England’s biggest insect in Yorkshire
- Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly breeding in Sussex
- Purple Hairstreak butterfly found at Killiecrankie
- Clouded Yellow & Painted lady butterflies still arriving in the UK in large numbers
- Butterflies less choosy when the weather is warm
- Moths tagged to discover their flight tracks
Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly breeding in SussexA rare migrant butterfly from Europe, the Queen of Spain Fritillary, has been breeding at a location on the Sussex coast.
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‘Extinct’ butterfly rediscovered in India after a 100 year absenceRediscovery of rare butterflies - (Yellow crested spangle (Papilio elephenor Doubleday, 1845) and Moore's Cupid (Shijimia moorei Leech, 1889 ) from Ripu-Chirang Reserved Forests, India.
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Major study of day-flying moths finds 64 new species & 7 new generaThis major revision of the Dioptinae is the first systematic look at this group in almost a century. After studying over 16,700 specimens housed at 38 different institutions and private collections around the world, James Miller discovered and described 64 new species and seven new genera, bringing the total to 456 species in 43 genera.
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UK butterfly numbers plunge to new lowUK Butterfly numbers have fallen to a new low, according to data from the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme.
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Giant 'extinct' British Beetle found in GloucestershireAn amazing giant insect, thought to be extinct in the UK, has been discovered on a pavement in Gloucestershire.
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Nomads of the Wind and Other Wonders of the Butterfly World - Photographic Story of the Monarch Butterfly MigrationThere is a great deal that we still do not know about the Monarch Butterfly, but this book presents the extent of our knowledge in stunning fashion. Many of the secrets of the extraordinary migration that the Monarchs make are yet to be
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New species of butterfly discovered in ColombiaDec 07. A new species of butterfly has been discovered in the Yariguies Highlands of Colombia by scientists from the Natural History Museum.
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WildCare scheme boosting rare birds on UK farmsFigures released by the wildlife habitat scheme, WildCare, show that declining species such as brown hares, yellowhammers and even the humble house sparrow are making a dramatic comeback on participating farms.
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Insects of Britain and Western Europe
Now you can tell the difference between a bed bug and a pine cone bug.The new 2007 edition is the answer to all parents glazed looks when little Johnie/Janey asks what sort of caterpillar/beetle is this? Over 2300 illustrations and an instant guide as to whether you might see them in the UK or not.
Read the full review.
Top ten National Trust properties to see butterflies.
The National Trust is the largest and most important landowner for butterflies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All (but two) of the resident British butterfly species live on National Trust land. It has many of the best UK sites for individual butterfly species, and many of the rich butterfly sites are home to scarce species.See the ten best sites.
Enjoying Moths - All you need to know about Mothing.
This is a hardback book all about 'Mothing', the increasingly popular pastime of studying moths. 96% of all British Lepidoptera species are moths. That is 24 moths for every butterfly.
This book tells you how to collect them, where to find them, how to identify them, where to look for their caterpillars and pupae, and how to help conserving them.
Although packed with photos and tips on how to identify them, this is not a identification guide (There are good ones available), but it does tell you pretty much everything else you need to know about how to study moths in the UK.
Available from Alana Ecology for £29.95.
5 ways to attract moths to your garden
Andrew Green, expert lepidopterist and owner of Wild Britain (formerly known as Bedford Butterfly Park) is actively supporting the campaign by outlining 5 sure ways to attract moths to gardens.
1. Plant night-scented flowers (eg Nicotiana, Sweet Rocket and honeysuckle).
2. Plant mixed native hedging like Privet, hawthorn, buckthorn.
3. Don't be too precious about a few weeds. Moths need things like docks, nettles and grasses to lay eggs on.
4. Moths and other insects need hiding places. Crevices in tree bark and under window sills are good places to look. Try pinning old egg boxes onto the garden fence and see what you get.
5. Remember that although Moths are attracted to light, bright light bulbs can confuse moths so don't over illuminate your garden.
