There are around 1,500 different species of moth in the UK.

The number of moths in the UK has increased significantly over the past few years. In 2017, a survey found that the number of moths had increased by three-quarters since 1989. This increase is part of a global trend, with moths becoming more and more common across Europe. The reason for this change is still unknown, although many people have suggested that climate change could be responsible. Moths have also been seen in greater numbers than normal recently, with sightings being reported as far back as August 2019. This led to theories that there was an infestation of moths, but it’s now thought that these were just isolated cases.

What is a moth?

Moths are insects related to butterflies and are found all over the world except Antarctica. They can be divided into two main groups: macro-moths and micro-moths. Macro-moths include things like silk moths and hawk moths, while micro-moth species include things like grain or snout moths.

How many types of moth are there?

““The exact number of species isn’t known because new species are being discovered all the time.”

According to Butterfly Conservation, there are around 1,500 different species of moth in the UK – although this figure does not take into account new species which may have been discovered since this estimate was made.

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