Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is paraphyletic with respect to butterflies and neither subordinate taxa are used in modern classifications.
Class: Insecta
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Lepidoptera
Phylum: Arthropoda
Moths are commonly associated with a few central themes: change, transformation, endings, death, and even the mystery of the night. Moths are often misunderstood, but they hold vital roles in the wildlife ecosystem.Although many people overlook them, moths are numerous and widespread, with over 2,500 species in Britain living in a wide range of habitats.
Since 1914 there have been 56 moth extinctions. Six of these have since recolonised or been re-found.The abundance of the UK’s larger moths has crashed during the past 40 years with three species becoming extinct since 2000.
The State of Britain’s Larger Moths Report 2013 found that two-thirds of common and widespread larger species (macro-moths) declined in the last 40 years. The losses in abundance were much greater in the southern half of Britain than the north.
