Following the “love your slugs” initiative, conservationists and horticulturalists are now urging gardeners to welcome caterpillars into their gardens this spring.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Wildlife Trusts have launched their annual wild about gardens campaign, this year focusing on promoting the inclusion of moths and their “very hungry caterpillars” in gardens.
These organizations emphasize the importance of the UK’s 2,500 moth species, which serve as essential pollinators, a crucial food source for various wildlife like birds and bats, and as indicators of environmental health.
Feeding
However, they caution that moth numbers have decreased by a third since the 1960s due to urbanization, climate change, and pollution.
In past campaigns, the RHS and Wildlife Trusts encouraged gardeners to reconsider their attitudes towards slugs and snails, describing them as nature’s cleanup crew and an important food source, with only a small fraction of the 150 UK species causing garden issues.
Currently, the two organizations are asking gardeners to tolerate some plant nibbling and to select flowers and plants that support moths and caterpillars.
While some moth caterpillars have varied diets, others are more selective, feeding on only a few plant species. Some adult moths do not eat at all, instead relying on energy reserves from their larval stage.
Nectar
Some caterpillars are tiny enough to live inside leaves, while others blend in with twigs, bark, or bird droppings. Although moths are mostly nocturnal, around 150 species are active during the day, with some featuring vibrant colors, such as the pink and olive green elephant hawk moths and the red, cream, and black Jersey tiger moths, the two organizations explained.
The campaign to support “magical moths” advises gardeners to allow for some nibbling on both vegetable crops and ornamental plants as caterpillars prepare for their metamorphosis into moths.
Gardeners can also plant native trees and shrubs that provide habitats for a wide range of caterpillar species, such as willow, honeysuckle, foxgloves, Verbascum, comfrey, Majoram, bedstraw, and sweet William.
The campaign also suggests creating a “night-time nectar bar” with plants that flourish at dusk, catering to the hundreds of nocturnal moth species, including sweet rocket, tobacco plants (nicotiana), jasmine, and white campion.
Wild
Helen Bostock, a senior wildlife expert at RHS, stated: “Moths have long played second fiddle to butterflies in the garden but understanding their value and needs, and that of their very hungry caterpillars, can support their recovery and help in creating a garden rich in biodiversity.”
Vicki Hird, an insect expert at The Wildlife Trusts, remarked: “Moths are stunning in name and beautiful by nature.
The green, black, and white Merveille du Jour resembles a work of art, and the White Ermine seems to be elegantly draped in a black-spotted cloak with a warm fur ruff.
It’s no wonder the French call moths ‘butterflies of the night.’ Even little brown moths can have wonderful, intricate markings.”
She added: “Making a simple moth trap is a wonderful way of enjoying these incredible creatures up close – before releasing it back into the wild. Let’s all help them in our gardens and enjoy the benefits they bring,” she encouraged.
This Author
Emily Beament is the environment correspondent for Press Association.Â
