FADING FROM VIEW
Our native moths and butterflies are as fragile as they are beautiful
There are moments when it becomes exceedingly hard to be upbeat about the state of nature, the degradation of our countryside, the intensification and industrialisation of agriculture, and the endless gloomy petitions that fill my email inbox every morning. But standing on a fortress of wind-hewn dunes, the salt tang of the Atlantic on my face and the sound of skylarks in my ears, always brings hope. If there are also butterflies or day-flying moths then my spirit soars.
Behind me a rich habitat, one of the rarest in the British Isles, has become a haven for birds and insects, its lime-rich shelly soil a floral paradise managed by a careful grazing regime. The machair is only found on the north-west coasts of Scotland and Ireland and it is here, during the summer, that I am fortunate to witness a wealth of beautiful
moths and butterflies. My booted feet set free the delicious aromatic scent of wild pink thyme as I see one of our day flying moths, the six-spot burnet, feeding on nectar. Its delicate wings are of mallard green, like gleaming silk; the red spots that give it its name glint in the low sunlight while its vibrant colours warn birds of its toxicity. Behind me on plump cushions of yellow kidney vetch, common blue butterflies dance on the breeze.
In the UK we have 59 species of butterfly and 2,500 species of moth. Sadly, in recent years we have lost 70 species of butterfly altogether, and some 65 moths. Many are now critically endangered because of catastrophic habitat loss, over-use of nitrogen for agriculture, and climate change. All Lepidoptera have woefully short lives; a few overwinter, some migrate, but all are fragile and delicate, and extremely vulnerable to environmental changes.
‘Improving’ pastures that would once have been rich in species of native grasses and wild flowers, providing food for caterpillars as well as nectar for adults, is disastrous for insects and invertebrates. So is the continuous removal of valuable food plants such as nettles and thistles. It starts at the bottom and spirals out of control with a knock-on effect as birds and mammals lose key sources of food.
Remaining positive about the future prospects for these kaleidoscopic insects takes some doing because Lepidoptera are the most threatened wildlife group of all. Further evidence of the overall decline is highlighted by the state of our car bonnets and headlights after an evening or night drive. I seldom have to clean off a sticky mess of insects now, yet I clearly remember my parents doing this endlessly during the summer months. When I explained this to a friend he was shocked; he thought the noticeable drop in insects was a positive aspect to our lives. Sadly these losses are having serious consequences.
In Scotland we have 34 species of butterfly and 1,300 moths. Whilst butterflies are far easier to identify, recognisable with their clubbed antennae and often-vibrant colours, moths on the other hand are harder to distinguish yet are no less glorious dressed in sombre and cryptic colours that, when viewed up close, have the power to enthral just as much.
Whilst butterflies literally flutter by, moths tend to buzz and have long been viewed as sinister creatures of the night with their plump, furred bodies and fine feathery antennae. Or worse still categorised as wreckers of woollen clothes despite the fact that there are only two or three species that favour soiled human-smelling wool; with the rise of man-made fibres even this has become a rare occurrence, though old charity shop clothing and an overly bulging wardrobe of ancient tweed jackets, a mounted stag’s head or case of Victorian taxidermy remains a delicious attractant.
During t he late 1970s, Scotland’s future forest landscape took a new departure as millions of soulless Sitka spruce were planted through government schemes and previously pristine areas of peat bog were lost under a blanket of gloomy, uniform dark green. Inva-
‘By linking restored habitat with suitable native trees and
plants we can do much to help our butterflies and moths’
sions of pine beauty moths wreaked havoc and the problem was so serious that insecticides were applied with aircraft. The pine beauty still causes problems today but it is unusual for most Lepidoptera to cause problems.
Perhaps the good news is that, although we have less species of Lepidoptera, they are indeed faring better in Scotland than in England, particularly in the uplands. Some less regularly seen Lepidoptera are moving further north, such as the lovely comma butterfly that favours nettles and elms as its food plant.
In 2015, after a ten-year absence, the rare belted beauty moth was found on the Hebridean island of Rum. During a fleeting visit to Lismore island last summer I was fortunate enough to see a threatened marsh fritillary feeding on cuckoo flower. This is a species that favours calcareous grasslands and is declin- ing in all its previous haunts. In early spring this year, friends reported seeing the extraordinary bird-like hummingbird hawkmoth in Moidart, another day flying moth from Southern Europe and Africa that only visits the British Isles during suitable conditions. It only once appeared in our garden during a particularly hot summer, and its beauty and likeness to a perfect little hummingbird, due to its size and manner of flying, captivated me.
But perhaps the moth I find most attractive amongst the daytime fliers is the emperor. With its buff and green striped body and perfect exotic eyespots, its beauty is more than enough to trigger an interest in this vast subject. I have occasionally found t he discarded wings of emperor moths beneath merlin plucking posts on an area of heather moorland I often visit; this moth is a vital food source for various birds including the declining cuckoo.
In recent years the charity Butterfly Conservation has been working hard to raise awareness to the many concerns faced by Lepidoptera across the UK, and have adopted a landscape-style approach to preserving isolated habitats where their survival is precarious. By linking restored habitat with suitable native trees and plants, whilst coordinating conservation management at many important sites, we can do much to help our butterflies and moths to thrive again.
Many garden centres label plants that have particular value for pollinators, as well as those that are attractive to Lepidoptera. I have filled one area of our wild garden with some of these, including buddleias of many different colours and types. Buddleia is without doubt a highly effective lure for butterflies, and even if it’s only on a minute scale, I have seen the benefits. Where Lepidoptera are concerned being aware of the problems they face is of vital importance.