Environment

Butterflies and Moths are an indicator species. They’re extremely sensitive to changes in their environment and so the study of their populations provides important insights into the condition of our biodiversity. According to Butterfly conservation the decline of three quarters of butterfly species in the UK is an early warning sign of changes in our climate. They suggest lots of ways that we can help protect and encourage butterfly populations back to healthier levels.

Visit Butterfly Conservation for tips and resources on how to garden with butterflies and Moths in mind.

Did you know

  • Caterpillars don’t just grow wings inside their Chrysalis or Cocoons, they digest themselves and turn almost completely to liquid. A biochemical process called Histogenesis transforms the liquid back into a solid form and finally it emerges a beautiful butterfly. What a journey! 
  • Butterflies can see an incredible spectrum of colours, many of which are not visible to humans. That being a difficult concept to visualise, Radiolab illustrates the extra colours we can’t see using sound performed by a choir in their fascinating podcast Colors
  • It has been theorised that Moths navigate their way around at night using the moon’s light. They lose their way and can overheat when they are lured by spurious light sources.