Britain's maligned moths suffer drastic decline

Sir David Attenborough is turning his attention to the humble - but increasingly endangered - moth.

The renowned conservationist will launch a campaign at London Zoo today, called Moths Count, to halt the drastic decline of the butterfly's less-loved cousin and improve its much-maligned image. Campaigners say the moth's reputation as an ugly, cloth-eating beast is unfair and undeserved. "We need people to love moths," said Richard Fox, of Moths Count.

A report, entitled The State of Britain's Larger Moths, revealed last year that in many urban and southern areas, the moth population has almost halved since 1968. Across the nation the long-term study of a third of the country's 900 larger moth species found their numbers had slumped by 32 per cent in four decades.

This has led the charity Butterfly Conservation, of which Sir David is the president, to evolve a strategy to generate enthusiasm and appreciation, develop a broader base of expertise and contribute to long-term preservation. "We must reverse these declines. If we don't, the outlook is grim. The consequences for Britain's wildlife would be too dire to contemplate," he said.

Moths, he insisted, were fascinating in their own right and played an essential role in the fabric of the environment. Their loss threatened the species of birds, bats and small mammals that feed on them

Richard Fox said: "Moths represent the hidden wealth of wildlife on all our doorsteps. Without moths, plants would not be pollinated and our garden birds would go hungry. Currently there's an image problem. That's partly because moths are perceived to be of the night, although many moths are day-flying just like butterflies and just as beautiful too. There are also all those references to moths eating clothes, which go back to the Bible. The reality is that only about half a dozen of Britain's 2,500 species of moths damage clothes."

Reasons for their decline include climate change, a loss of habitat linked to intensive farming and the use of pesticides and herbicides. Although the diversity of moths has increased as new species establish themselves in Britain, overall their numbers have dropped, with some close to extinction.

The four-year campaign, made possible by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £806,000, will consist of a number of projects, the first of which will be the National Moth Recording Scheme. Other projects include a weekend, 23/24 June, when the public will be encouraged to observe wildlife at home and a National Moths Night on 11 August.

Britain's 'hidden wealth of wildlife'

* There are almost 2,500 species of moth in Britain, of which more than 900 are the larger macro-moths. There are 70 species of butterfly. Like the butterfly, moths belong to the Lepidoptera family - derived from the Greek lepis (scale) and pteron (wing).

* Moths vary greatly in appearance. Many, such as the Scarlet Tiger, the Green Silver-lines and the Peach Blossom, are brightly coloured and delicately pattered.

* Contrary to popular belief some moths - such as the Speckled Yellow, the Mother Shipton, the Chimney Sweeper and the iridescent green Forester - fly by day.

* Only a few species eat clothing and those that do require garments that are dirty and hidden away in dark, sheltered places.

* More than 25 species are thought to have become extinct since 1900. The last believed to have disappeared was the Essex Emerald in 1991.

* Some species have recently become established, including the Blair's Shoulder-knot. First recorded in 1951, it has now reached northern England.