UK's Moth Numbers Declined in 40 Years

According to a major scientific report produced by Butterfly Conservation and Rothamsted Research , UK's larger moths had crashed during the past 40 years and over the last decade three species have gone extinct. In the last 10 years the Orange Upperwing, Brighton Wainscot, and Bordered Gothic became extinct.

 According to the report, the population of the macro moths have decreased over the last 40 years. Mcaro moths are the most common and widespread larger species of moth. Compared to the north the southern half of Britain had suffered the major loss.

Other than the macro moths the number of other common garden species such as V-moth, Garden Tiger and Spinach have dropped by more than 90 percent from 1968-207 and are close to extinction, reports official site.

The researchers predict that habitat loss and changes in the countryside are the major factors that are causing the decline of the moth population. This decline would affect the plant pollination and those animals who depend on moth r food.

Apart this the team has also recorded more than 100 species for the first time in Britain.  Alteration in the climate has triggered the arrival of new colonisers.

Richard Fox, Manager at the Butterfly Conservation Surveys  and lead author of the new report said: "This report paints a bleak picture about Britain's biodiversity. Much has been made of the decline of butterflies and honey bees but moths represent the massive, but largely un-noticed diversity of insects that form the vast majority of animal life in Britain.

According to David Brooks, an ecologist at Rothamsted Research who analysed the data, the study is important as it highlights the value of long term investment in monitoring the species population, in order to track the changes occurring in the ecology of British landscape.

The study was published in the State of Britain's Larger Moths 2013.