Moths are often dismissed as brown and dull, but many species are actually bright and colourful. There are burnet moths with black and red wings, tiger moths with beautiful bold patterns, and hawk-moths that can be as large as your hand. Even the moths that are brown have intricate patterns and incredible camouflage. With around 2,500 species of moth in the UK, there’s an amazing amount of diversity to be discovered!
A simple way to get to know your moths is to set up a light trap in the garden. Many species are drawn to the light, and this will give you a chance to get a closer look at their beautiful markings and practice your ID.
If you’re lucky, they might even stay around long enough for you to photograph or hold!
Moths don’t just come out at night. Some species fly during the day, especially on warm and sunny days so keep your eyes peeled during the day too!
What you will need:
- A white sheet
- A washing line or a tree with a long branch
- Pegs
- A bright light or torches
- Moth ID book or phone app (optional)
- Bug pots (optional)
How to make your moth light trap:
You can download an activity guide below.
- Peg your sheet onto a washing line, or hang it over a long tree branch.
- Turn on your torches so that you can see, then turn off any nearby lights.
- Shine your torches or bright light onto the sheet, then wait.
- As moths start to gather, take a closer look!
- If you have a bug pot, you could carefully put them into this and pass it around for others to see.
- Have a camera at the ready, so you can try to take photos of the moths as they land.
- If you have a moth identification book or an app on your phone, you could hone your ID skills from observations or any photos that you manage to take. You can also download the moth spotter sheet below to help you ID!
- Please make sure you let the moths fly away!
Share what moths you see using #DiscoverLearnPlay
