{"id":16650,"date":"2022-05-19T14:00:51","date_gmt":"2022-05-19T12:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=3199"},"modified":"2022-05-19T14:21:36","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T12:21:36","slug":"moth-night-what-and-when-it-is-how-to-take-part-and-which-species-to-target","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/moth-night-what-and-when-it-is-how-to-take-part-and-which-species-to-target\/","title":{"rendered":"Moth Night: what and when it is, how to take part, and which species to target"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Megan Shersby\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 19 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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As we all connected more with nature during 2020, there was a surge in interest in moth trapping \u2013 the act of catching, identifying and releasing moths, usually using a very bright white light and a box. Data suggests a rise of around a third in the numbers of people submitting sightings, and a 50% rise in sales of moth traps. Although moth traps are a good way to attract and catch insects, there are some other methods for doing so, which are detailed below and on the Moth Night website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMothing is an ideal garden-based activity,\u201d says Mark Tunmore, the founder of Moth Night and editor of the journal Atropos<\/em>. \u201cSo it is no surprise there was increasing interest in these fascinating species as people enjoyed connecting with nature during the lockdowns [in 2020]. Running a moth-trap provides the constant potential for a surprise and a source of wonder for children.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are around 2,500 species of moths in Britain, split into two groups \u2013 macro (larger) and micro (smaller). Of the former, there are around 900 species and of the latter, about 1,600 species.<\/p>\n

What is Moth Night?<\/h2>\n

Moth Night is an annual celebration of moth recording in Britain and Ireland. There is a different theme and date each year.<\/p>\n

This recording event is organised by Atropos<\/a><\/em>, Butterfly Conservation<\/a> and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology<\/a>\u00a0(UKCEH).<\/p>\n

Learn more about moths:\u00a0<\/h4>\n