Guide to Britain\u2019s butterflies<\/a><\/li>\n

Beetles of Britain<\/a><\/li>\n

Best natures reserves in the UK<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?<\/h2>\n
Butterflies and moths are closely related and some moths are as large and colourful as butterflies, making it difficult to tell them apart.<\/p>\n
A quick way to tell the difference is to look at their antennae: butterflies have clubbed antennae (bulbous at the tips) whereas moths, with the exception of the burnets, do not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Moths are also far more numerous than butterflies; compare the 59 species of butterflies breeding in Britain with some 900 species of large moths (known as macro-moths) and a further 1,550 or so species of micro-moths.<\/p>\n
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What do moths eat?<\/h2>\n
Some moths fly by day, some by night, and my garden is filled with plants to attract them. Single flowers are chosen for their easily accessed nectar, giving adult moths energy for flying and aiming to provide a year-round food supply. Some moths even fly in winter, with ivy flowers providing a late-season feast. My garden is at the meeting of several different habitats \u2013 woodland, fields and river \u2013 so it\u2019s especially rich in insect life.<\/p>\n
Moth caterpillars feed on the leaves and roots of native plants and grasses, so I leave meadow fringes around the garden walls. I grow foxglove, primrose, mullein and thyme in the borders, or cultivated varieties that are related to native species: verbascum, purple plantain, honeysuckle and flag iris. Native trees are especially important and the caterpillars that eat their leaves provide food for birds. Birds feed their chicks with winter moth caterpillars collected from the tree canopy; a single brood of blue tits can eat up to 10,000, their breeding timed to coincide with the emerging larvae.<\/p>\n
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How to identify common moth species<\/h2>\n
Here are 10 fascinating moth species you could find in your own back garden.<\/p>\n

Scarlet Tiger\u00a0Callimorpha dominula<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Best garden plants for attracting moths<\/h2>\n

How to identify common moth species<\/h2>\nHere are 10 fascinating moth species you could find in your own back garden.<\/p>\n

Best garden plants for attracting moths<\/h2>\n

How to identify common moth species<\/h2>\n
Here are 10 fascinating moth species you could find in your own back garden.<\/p>\n