Summer 2018Magical Moths

Have you ever wondered about the difference between butterflies and moths? The answer may surprise you: virtually nothing.

Moths and butterflies are all members of the scientific order Lepidoptera, and in fact if you were to study their systematic sequence of classification (known as taxonomy), butterflies are sandwiched somewhere in the middle of moths.

Butterflies have long been more popular with the public than moths, but this is largely due to misunderstandings and myths. Britain’s butterflies are all day-flyers, generally quite colourful, and typically at large when the weather is sunny (along with our dispositions), so tend to remind us of good times. Moths on the other hand seem to have developed a reputation for being a nuisance or pest – they buzz around our lights at night, and eat our clothes.

In fact, there are more dayflying moths in Britain than there are butterflies. Of the 2,600 or more species of Lepidoptera found in these islands, fewer than 70 are butterflies. There are many beautiful and colourful moths that certainly rival the butterflies, with a wonderful diversity of shapes, sizes and patterns.

Many of the more attractive species are quite common in the Rochdale area. The Swallow-Tailed Moth is a stunning example, with its chiffon yellow papery wings and ‘tails’ on the hind wings. Look out for it on warm July evenings, when it looks like a ghostly apparition in car headlights.

Several species of green moths, collectively known as Emeralds, are frequent in the area, and none brighter than the Large Emerald, a relatively frequent species. Some of the largest species are the Hawk-moths, and several of these occur quite regularly in local gardens and parks.

The Elephant Hawk-moth is streamlined in pink and green. It visits honeysuckle at night for nectar during June and July, and later in the autumn the caterpillars are often found in gardens feeding on Fuchsia, or on nearby waste ground on Rosebay Willhowherb.

The Puss Moth gets its name from its furry feline-like appearance and is one of our larger species. Resplendent in subtle whites and reticulated dark grey markings, it can sometimes be encountered newly emerged on tree trunks and fence posts in late spring and summer.

Relying on its camouflage it will remain docile during the day and can be studied at close quarters. The caterpillar is harder to find, but is a remarkable beast; bright green, and up to three inches long with two tail-like appendages at the rear, from which it can squirt formic acid as a defence mechanism.

Like butterflies, the wings of moths are covered with thousands of tiny, overlapping scales, and it is the combination of pigments in these scales that form the patterns and colours that you see. A number of species sport metallic markings, formed by groups of scales that reflect the light in different sheens. Often their evocative names will describe this phenomenon.

Burnished Brass, Gold Spot, Beautiful Golden Y and Gold Spangle are all species regularly encountered in the Rochdale area.

Moths were just as popular as butterflies with Victorian collectors and some of their English names coined during this time reflect the romantic nature of the period: Clifden Nonpareil, Argent & Sable, Merveille du Jour and Rosy Footman are just a few examples. Other names are more descriptive, either of their appearance (Copper Underwing, Clouded Drab) or derived from the food plant of the caterpillars (Tree-lichen Beauty, Chamomile Shark).

Of the 2,500 or so British species, a significant number are typically quite small, known as microlepidoptera (or ‘micros’ among devotees). These are often some of the more attractive and interesting species, but with some measuring only a few illimetres in length, require patience and dedication (and a strong hand lens!) to study.

A favourite group with enthusiasts are the leaf-miners. These tiny moths have caterpillars that live entirely between the upper and lower surface of a leaf, feeding on the parenchyma between. They form galleries, or ‘mines’ that twist and turn leaving a visible trail that is often diagnostic of the species.