Marvel at Moths… Just Take the Time
“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them.”
John Ruskin
Butterflies are universally and traditionally seen as beautiful, jewelled creatures. Their images are ever popular, depicted on items such as clothes, cushions, jewellery, wallpaper and art. They are regarded as joyous, benign beauties. In contrast, moths are seen as drab, hairy and even sinister. Their images are much less popular. Remember the picture of a death’s head hawkmoth on the cover of the psychological horror novel, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ by Thomas Harris? Not exactly joyous and beautiful, with its association to terror. This was certainly my opinion for many years. I took immense joy from watching butterflies fluttering around, taking notice of any unusual species and being thrilled by them. But by my own admission I completely disregarded moths as boring and not worth observing in the least. That all changed one summer morning on my way to work 13 years ago.
As I left my house, an orange flare caught my eye. Something was on the lavender bush in my garden, flashing like a Belisha beacon. Moving closer I saw an amber-winged creature that looked just like a tiny hummingbird. As in the UK we do not have hummingbirds, my brain was struggling to compute this fact with what was clearly before my eyes. The miniature hummingbird was perfect, hovering above the flowers, feeding on nectar with its unfurled proboscis. I could even hear that it was making a faint humming sound. For 30 seconds or so, I stood still, just gazing before it zoomed off across the garden until out of sight.
I walked to work, feeling very confused but oddly excited by what I had just seen. I had watched a minute hummingbird feeding on lavender, of that I was certain. But it couldn’t have been, of that I was also certain. Returning home, I searched the internet for ‘insects that look like hummingbirds’. The mystery was quickly solved. Apparently I had seen a moth, in fact a hawkmoth. The beauty was a hummingbird hawkmoth. My mind was blown. Moths were dull and flew at night, gravitating often annoyingly, towards lights. But this moth was a butterfly-like gem and was flying during the day. I was captivated by this creature. I started looking for it again in the garden, hoping to glimpse an orange flash.
Fortunately for me, they are known to return to the same food plant, often at roughly the same time of day. I was rewarded with several sighting that year and each time I was charmed. Since then, every year, I always look for hummingbird hawkmoths and try (often unsuccessfully) to photograph them. Flitting and flying at high speed, usually all I have is an orange blurry memento of my sighting. Being a migrant species, some years their numbers are scarce. But in Kent, where I live, I am lucky to spot one or two most summers and it’s always a privilege. They are considered a symbol of good luck, and in particular a swarm of them were seen flying across the English Channel on D-Day, the day of the Normandy landings in the Second World War .
The day I learned that moths could rival the beauty of butterflies was the day my eyes began their education. I began to notice different moths and took pleasure in identifying them with my newly bought books. I discovered that moths could be crepuscular ( active at dawn and dusk), diurnal (active during the day) as well as the familiar nocturnal. They evolved long before butterflies, up to 190 million years ago and can be classified as micro, macro and hawk. Above all, they can be as richly coloured and patterned as butterflies and once you train your eyes to spot them, they are a complete joy. Trust me on this, I am a converted moth enthusiast. They absolutely can compete with butterflies in their allure. In my opinion they are bewitching, delicate, exquisite, fascinating and ethereal.
Once I became interested in moths, I joined social media sites such as Moths UK, and British Butterflies, Moths and Dragonflies. I find this a very useful way to become familiar with the huge variety of moths and helps with identification. Although I appreciate spotting all moths, my favourite type has to be hawkmoths. This is due mostly, to my first sighting of a hummingbird hawkmoth that awakened my fascination with moths. Hawkmoths are some of the largest moths in the UK, named for their swift and hovering flight patterns. I started researching the different UK hawkmoths and have been fortunate to spot most of them over the years: elephant hawkmoth, lime hawkmoth, poplar hawkmoth, hummingbird hawkmoth, and privet hawkmoth (the largest resident moth in the UK).
As my interest in and knowledge of moths grew, I also joined social media sites from around the world, such as Butterfly & Moth e‘X’treme, and Mothing and Moth-watching. I discovered many beauties that I could only hope to see in butterfly houses in the UK. Experiencing free-flying exotic moths is exhilarating and a little unsettling in equal measures. Some are huge, the atlas moth in particular can be the size of a dinner plate. Others are so magnificently painted, they are breath-taking in their elegance.
Of course, moths are not just objects for admiration. From an ecological stance, moths are important pollinators. I would argue as essential as bees and butterflies. Moths account for up to a third of all pollination in crops, trees and flowering plants. From a conservation point of view, their plant foods are necessary in order to support pollination. Protecting green spaces, along with the introduction of a variety of food-plants is vital for moth populations. It can ensure that pollination continues and that future generations of all moths can survive. Being hard-workers 24/7, their advantage is that the nocturnal moths can take the night shift, pollinating when bees and butterflies are not on the wing.
I still enjoy seeing butterflies but now I actively look out for and delight in finding moths. I will forever remember that remarkable day when I chanced upon my first hummingbird hawkmoth. It grabbed my attention and educated me. My hope is that the next time you are in your garden, in a wood or in the countryside, you take the time to look for and marvel at moths. They will be there for you, in their infinite beauty, if you have the eyes to see them.
