Count moths and help save the world...

INSECTS are in decline and this is bad news for people.

They have huge impacts on natural ecosystems and are vital waste disposers, food for many other animals, especially bats and birds, but also people, and of course they pollinate countless plants, including many food plants.

No wonder then that there is a constant stream of citizen science projects helping us to understand what is happening to them.

The latest one is Moth Night, (actually Moth Nights) which this year is on July 8-10. In the West Midlands perhaps it should be ‘Bob-howler Night’ because that’s how folk round here used to refer to moths.

They are incredibly diverse and colourful, with infinitely variable wing patterns and colours.

They also have a wonderful set of common names, including the marbled carpet, the old lady, the setaceous Hebrew character, the elephant hawk moth and the heart and dart.

Moth Night is organised by a public, private and charitable partnership of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Atropos Books, and Butterfly Conservation.

People are being asked to seek out and record the moths they see over these three days.

To help attract and find moths provide some lights in the garden.

Using white sheets in association with the lights helps to see the moths (and other insects) as they arrive.

Even just pulling the curtains back in a lit room should bring moths to the windows.

Another lure is sweet, sticky substances painted on to tree trunks and fences. Recipes for these, tips about other methods, and details of how to participate are on the project website www. mothnight.info.

It is thought that over the last 50 years or so moth numbers have declined by about a third.

Events like Moth Night aids understanding of the distribution, abundance and habitat requirements of this important group of insects. This in turn leads to better and more effective conservation efforts.

So, why not become a ‘mother’ for a couple of days to help out these marvellous insects?