The latest Wanstead Butterfly and Moth Report celebrates the diversity of moths recorded in the area, including only the fourth Light Crimson Underwing (pictured here) ever seen in Essex. Tim Harris reports
Last summer was hardly a classic and people probably don’t want to be reminded of long periods of cloud, rain and chilly winds. Reflecting this, many people commented on how few butterflies they were seeing. Their near absence wasn’t all down to the weather – the decline in butterfly numbers has been going on for years and is also due to changes in land use and pesticides. Nevertheless, the 2024 Wanstead Butterfly and Moth Report documents 26 different species of butterfly recorded, the same figure as in 2023.
However, for their night-time cousins, things weren’t so gloomy. Local naturalists observed 340 species of moths in 2024, mostly by using special ultraviolet lights to attract them. In so doing, they opened a window on a usually unseen world.
Moths are vital for the natural world. Adults pollinate plants and are an important source of food for our area’s bat population and moth caterpillars are a key component of many birds’ diets. A diversity of moths reflects a diversity of food for their caterpillars to eat. Broadly speaking, the more different types of native plants an area is blessed with, the more varieties of moth will live there. And while clothes moths are a nuisance, 99.9% of moth species have no interest in eating woollen fibres. They eat leaves, buds, lichen and fungi in their larval state (caterpillars) and may feed on flower nectar as adults. So, a varied moth population indicates a healthy environment.
There is a long tradition of observing and recording butterflies and moths (collectively known as the Lepidoptera) in the area around Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park, which stretches back to the early 1980s. All the data collected is fed into the National Moth Recording Scheme, which has collated more than 34 million sightings to date – vital citizen science data to show which are doing well and which are struggling, and so guide conservation decisions.
In 2024, notwithstanding the weather, the total number of species recorded on our patch was the second highest on record, although that headline figure masks the fact that numbers of many species were down. Despite this, it was an extraordinary year in terms of quality. There was much to celebrate, including the addition of an impressive 30 new moth species to the patch list. These included only the fourth Light Crimson Underwing ever seen in Essex.
But, of course, it’s not only about rarities. Our varied matrix of grassland, scrub, woodland, fresh water and leafy suburban gardens provides food and shelter for a great range of commoner species, all crucial pieces in the jigsaw puzzle that makes up our local ecosystems. And we should never take even the most common for granted; the environment is changing so rapidly at present – mostly for the worst – that we should treasure them all.
To view the 2024 Wanstead Butterfly and Moth Report, visit wrengroup.org.uk
For information on the National Moth Recording Scheme, visit wnstd.com/nmrs
