Larger moths head north as numbers fall
Populations of the UK’S larger moths have fallen by a third over the past 50 years, new research shows.
Declines have been more severe in southern parts of the country than in the north.
Thefindingscomefromanew report by the charity, Butterfly Conservation, in partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Rothamsted Research.
The report is based on analyses of millions of records gathered through the National Moth Recording Scheme and Rothamsted Insect Survey between 1968 and 2017.
It summarises how around 900 species of larger, or macro, moths found across the UK arefaring,demonstratinglongterm changes in abundance and geographical distribution.
Trends show that 41 per cent of species have decreased dramatically in abundance and 32 per cent have suffered significant decrease in distribution.
Over the same time period, only 10 per cent of species increasedinnumbers,whilethe remaining 49 per cent showed no notable change.
But despite overall declines, more species – 37 per cent – have seen their distribution expand rather than shrink.
Evidence suggests there has also been a northwards movement of some populations – shifting by an average of 5km per year from 1995 to 2016.
Climate change and other humanpressuresonnatureare thoughttobebehindthetrends.
The report states: “Habitat destruction and deterioration remain pressing concerns, driven by land-use change and chemical pollution.
“Artificial light at night has negative effects on moth development and behaviour, but linkstopopulation-leveldecline are yet to be proved.
“Climate change is the principal driver of range expansion, but there is also growing evidence of
negative impacts, particularly on moths that are adapted to cooler conditions in northern, western and upland Britain.”
The UK is home to around 2,600 moth species, including around 900 macros and 1,700 micros.
In Scotland there are approximately 560 macros and 940 macros.
One significant and rapid change has seen the Devon carpetmothexpanditsrangefrom the south-west of the UK northwards,reachingsouthernscotland in 2013.
Itsrangemarginshiftednorthwardsat16kmperyearbetween 1995 and 2016.
Overalldistributionofthespecies more than doubled nationwide from 1980 to 2016 and its abundance increased more than five-fold over the past five decades.
“This decline is worrying because moths play a vital role in our ecosystems,” said Dr Richard Fox, associate director of recording and monitoring at Butterflyconservationandlead author of the report.
“They are pollinators of many plants, with some wildflowers, such as orchids, relying on visiting moths for reproduction. Theyalsoprovideessentialfood forthousandsofanimalspecies, including bats and many familiarbirds.we’reluckyenoughto havealmost900speciesoflarger moths in Britain.
“Because moths are dwindling,wecanbeprettysurethat otherwildlifearealsoindecline and that our wider environment is deteriorating.”
The Chancellor has been urged to save the hair and beauty sector by chopping VAT.
SNP Treasury spokesperson Alison Thewliss has called Rishi Sunak to protect the industry in today’s budget as businesses warn of mounting debt and threat of closures.
The push follows the Save Our Salons campaign calling for VAT to be slashed from 20 per cent to 5 per cent.
That is the rate currently enjoyed by the hospitality sector, which has been able to open to a greater extent than salons during the pandemic.
Ms Thewliss said: "The coronavirus pandemic and public health measures have had a significant impact on the hair and beauty industry, with many facing unmanageable levels of debt and uncertainty over whether or not they will be able to open again.
"The industry is not just a familiar sight on the high street that is vital to communities and the local economy, it contributes over £9 billion annually to the UK economy and employs hundreds
of thousands of people, the majority of them women.
"However, the pandemic has pushed many of these businesses to the brink and they are crying out for help. A recent survey of 5,000 salons across the UK found that a staggering 62 per cent were unsure if their business would survive past the end of the financial year and 18 per cent were sure they would close.
"That is why it is absolutely critical that the Chancellor heeds industry calls and chops the VAT for the hairdressing, beauty and holistic service industry down from 20 per cent to 5 per cent in the upcoming Budget – as it has done for the hospitality sector – if it is to ensure salons and services can get back on their feet." Mr
Sunak will make the annual Budget statement around midday on Wednestoday, but will later take questions in a televised event around 5pm.
He is expected to announce more than £57 million of investment in jobs and green energy in Scotland in his Budget.
Mr Sunak is expected to commit £27m for the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone, which aims to transform north-east Scotland into a globally competitive hub for cleaner energies such as offshore wind and hydrogen as the industry decarbonises.
The life of Captain Sir Tom Moore will be celebrated through an event on what would have been his 101st birthday which people around the world can get involved with, his daughter said.
Hannah Ingram-moore said that the event on April 30 "will truly celebrate his generosity of spirit, the hope and joy he brought to millions and his sense of fun".
She did not disclose full details of the event but asked, in a post on her father's official Twitter account, that people save the date.
Sir Tom captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown when he walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday last year, raising more than £32 million for the NHS.
The Second World War veteran died at Bedford Hospital on February 2 after testing positive for Covid-19.
His funeral was held on Saturday in Bedford, with his coffin carried to the crematorium by soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment and a Second World War-era C-47 Dakota performing a flypast.
Singermichaelbublerecorded a version of the song Smile, which was played at the funeral, while other music included The White Cliffs Of Dover by Dame Vera Lynn, I Vow To Thee My Country by Alfie Boe and My Way by Frank Sinatra.
The service opened with the charity single Sir Tom recorded with Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir, You'll Never Walk Alone, which reached number one in the UK singles charts in April last year.
Ms Ingram-moore said yesterday: "I would like to say an enormous thank you for the continuing support and compassion we've been shown over the last few weeks.
"It is helping us through a very difficult period.
"On Saturday we were able to give my father a fitting sendoff adhering to his wishes in every way.
"The Captain Tom Foundation will be celebrating his life on what would have been his 101st birthday.
"We will make sure it is an event that everyone – in the UK and around the world – can get involved in and it will truly celebrate his generosity of spirit, the hope and joy he brought to millions and his sense of fun."
The Mail On Sunday (MOS) has been refused permission to appeal against a High Court ruling granting the Duchess of Sussex victory in her privacy claim against the newspaper without a trial.
Meghan, 39, sued Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL)
– the publisher of the Mail On Sunday and Mailonline – over articles which reproduced parts of a handwritten letter sent to her father in 2018. She claimed the five articles published in February 2019 involved a misuse of her private information, breached her copyright and breached the Data Protection Act.
Last month, she was granted summary judgment in relation to her privacy claim, meaning she won that part of the case without having to go to trial, as well as most of her copyright claim.
ANL'S lawyers yesterday applied for permission to appeal against that ruling. But Lord Justice Warby refused permission, saying it had "no real prospect" of success
Charities have called for greater spending on child mental health services after figures from Public Health Scotland showed more than 1,500 had been waiting over a year for treatment.
In the last quarter of 2020, 73 percentofreferralstochildand Adolescent Mental Health Services(camhs)wereseenwithin18weeks,animprovementon the previous quarter, at 61 per cent, but below the Scottish Government target of 90 per cent.
More than 1,500 children had been waiting a year or more for treatment – an increase of 165 per cent in 2020.
Separatefiguresalsoreleased yesterday showed that 80 per cent of adults began receiving psychologicaltreatmentwithin 18 weeks of referral, compared to 79 per cent last year. The target waiting period for these services is also 90 per cent seen within 18 weeks.
The figures are a signal of strain on Scotland’s mental health services, charities warned, but Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey called the improvement in waiting times “encouraging”.
Jo Anderson, of the Scottish Association for Mental Health (Samh),said:“scotland’smental health services were struggling before the pandemic, and today’s figures demonstrate once again that we need a radical new plan.
"Young people deserve the right to get help the first time they ask, without fearing that they will be turned away. And theneedforquickaccesstopsychological wellbeing support has never been greater.”
The Scottish Children’s Servicescoalition(scsc)calledfor an “urgent” increase in mental health spending.
A spokesperson said: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a highly challenging environment for both our young people and our mental health services.
"We welcome the fact that the Scottishgovernmentisintending to invest more than £1.1 billion in mental health services overall,butsignificantlygreater fundingisneededtoaddressthe current crisis facing our children and young people.”
Ms Haughey said the announcement of £120 million for a Mental Health Recovery andrenewalfundisthelargest investment in mental health in the history of devolution.
“It will prioritise our ongoing work to improve specialist CAMHS services, address long waiting times, and clear waiting list backlogs,” she said.