A group of amateur lepidopterists, clustering around a lantern, inadvertently mimic the animals they are studying. Their home-made light source uses a mercury-vapour bulb and a piece of white fabric to draw moths into a non-lethal trap.
There are some 2500 species of moth in the UK, and only 60 or so species of butterfly – but they are the ones that get all the love. The UK's annual Moth Night survey, which took place in August in Brill, Buckinghamshire, aims to redress the balance, as well as gather information on the abundance and distribution of moth species.
Above is one of the species captured, the Jersey tiger moth (thriving in the warmer weather, apparently, perhaps it's a beneficiary of climate change). It surely rivals any butterfly in attractiveness, and has the added bonus of being a day-flying species. They may be attractive to us, but the vivid colours warn predators to steer clear. The tiger moth is a pharmacophagous species – that is, it eats plants containing bad-tasting chemicals to give itself a defence against would-be predators.
Although the Jersey tiger moth may be thriving, others are suffering because of climate change. The results of the survey – organised by the insectophile groups Butterfly Conservation and Atropos – are due later this year and may indicate which species we need to watch out for.
A version of this article appeared in print under the headline "Flight by night"
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