Moths-The Forgotten Pollinators

While bees and buterflies are our best-known pollinators and receive much attention there are other pollinators that don't get enough credit for their assistance with pollination. Moths, in particular, are mainly nocturnal so often get overlooked as pollinators, but they are a critical part of the network of pollinators and an essential part of the pollination process and food web. Unfortunately, like many other instect species, moth species are in serious decline due to habitat loss and pesticide use.
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Sheffield found that moths under pressure from urbanisation, may also be less resilient than bees, due to their more complex life cycle and more specific plant requirements. The study also revealed that despite this threat, moths play a crucial role in supporting urban plant communities, accounting for a third of all pollination in flowering plants, crops and trees. Another study by researchers at the University of Sussex has revealed that while moths account for around 15% of pollination compared to bees (80%), they are more efficient, working harder during the short nights of summer.

The 4Bs Butterfly Count quite rightly focused attention on butterflies but our moths and other pollinating insects should not be overlooked. The Big Butterfly survey included a number of daytime flying moths -  Silver Y, 6 Spot Burnett and JerseyTiger and these species were recognised across the 4Bs. In particular the 6 Spot Burnett is abundant in the chalk grasslands of Box Hill.

But what of the nocuturnal moths? In 2023 ecologist Josh Brown undertook an overnight baseline survey of moths in north Betchworth. The site selected was an open field with grasses and wildflowers, bordered by shrubs with a woodland to the south and the chalk hills to the north. The intention is to repeat the survey each year to monitor the moth populations that inhabit the environment.

During a single night of moth trapping in early September over 60 species of macro and micro moth were collected, some of which are pictured below. The moths are fairly typical of grassland, scrub and woodland habitats but also included  some which favour the chalky grassland/scrub habitat.
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A similar overnight survey was conducted in August 2024.on a warm dry night with no wind. It was however noticeable that the abundance of moths was down by about 50% compared to 2023.  A single nights survey is not a reliable basis on which to make claims about abundance, but given the reduced abundance of butterflies in 2024 it might indicate that the wetter, cooler early spring/summer weather had a detrimental effect. In spite of the low overall abundance of moths, several new species were found, including this Poplar Hawk Moth.

Some of the macro-moth species identified are shown in the movie below together with the list above of species identified so far from this location. The list will be updated after analysis of this years survey.​

Some of the species of moth identified in our surveys

Movie showing the moth trapping technique we used