This month we have heard from Helen Briggs (BBC News) that UK moths are in “serious decline'.
Why is this important and why are we right to be concerned?
Richard Fox of Butterfly Conservation says in a recent report that numbers of moths have fallen by a third since 1968. This is a truly alarming decline in moths and it is thought to be indicative of a wider decline in British Biodiversity. It probably also reflects an actual loss of habitats for moths, other species which depend on them. It may also be indicative of the bigger biodiversity crisis that could be one of the knock on effects of global warming on British wildlife.
According to Dr Martin Warren of Butterfly Conservation, we have “only just seen the tip of the iceberg.” David Attenborough has agreed that British long term data showing decline in moths is indicative of habitat loss and that the UK has a unique position in holding such long term moth data. Other areas do not possess such long term data and are therefore perhaps not yet aware of the decline in their native species.
So should we be worried by the decline in our moth and butterfly species?
Could we be taking steps to redress the biodiversity balance? Why is our biodiversity declining?
With the ploughing up of unfertlised wildflower meadows and increased use of fertilisers and pesticides since the 1960's, many meadows and their wildflowers have been wiped out; these were a popular food source for butterflies and moths, plus other species which are dependant on them for their survival.
The group Butterfly Conservation has said that number of moths have fallen due to 97% of our flower rich meadows being lost in the past 50 years. Species of moth and butterfly that require special habitats are more at risk because they have specialised requirements. Grasslands have declined and the species that depend on them have done likewise. For instance, High Brown fritillary and Silver Spotted skipper butterflies have declined.
What these butterflies and moths need are new green infrastructure planting with enhanced wildlife habitat corridors. This is so that they can still transfer from one specialised habitat to another.
Two thirds of the 337 moth species studied showed a decreasing population trend in the last 35 years (Rothamsted Research Institute.)Further, more species have declined in Southern (75%) rather than northern (55%) Britain. Government Policy will need to make room for changes and better resources for moth and butterfly conservation. In the meantime, what can individuals and small groups do to help British moths and butterflies survive?
Conserve and manage your local hedgerows and field edges, creating and linking networks.
Create and manage grassland areas to keep a variety of heights of vegetation.
Wilder gardens can be a haven for moths and butterflies. This verdant style of mature garden, akin to the old style English cottage gardens, can be just as attractive as more formal gardens.
Keep an area for wildlife and allow grasses and wildflowers to flower and complete life cycles.
Plant food plants for moth larvae and adult moths. (Many of our wild grasses fall into this category.)
Also, add plants moths and butteflies love; Lonicera periclymenum (Honeysuckle),Oenothera (Evening primrose) and Valerians, aswell as Centranthus, Ligustrum and Sedum asters and Erigeron species of perennial plants; these are all attractive to butterflies.
If you don't have a garden yet you can join a garden share scheme or perhaps set one up locally? Start an allotment. Plant flowers for cutting as well as some small fruit trees and peas and beans on your allotment.
If left to grow to maturity near to the base of mixed native hedges, long grasses will attract many British moth species. Grasses left to grow tall will provide cover for overwintering insects aiding to stem the decline in biodiversity.
