Moths Matter - Let's give them their moment

Aim

Will you help create a Red List for Britain’s macro-moths and give these overlooked species the recognition they deserve?

Your support today could help to create the first officially recognised Red List; a formal assessment of the extinction risk faced by each of Britain’s macro-moth species. Macro-moths currently have limited and outdated conservation statuses, but a Red List will change this; opening doors to funding opportunities and inclusion in nature recovery projects for those most at risk of extinction. 

Often misunderstood, moths are facing a challenging future. Since 1900, over 50 species have been declared extinct in Britain. A vital part of the biodiversity of our planet, moths pollinate the plants we see all around us and provide an irreplaceable link in the food chain for species such as birds, hedgehogs and bats. Without these wonderful insects, our natural world would be thrown into chaos. 

We know that moths are in decline, but we now have the chance to give them the status and recognition they desperately need.

Established in 1964, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species framework has become a powerful tool in recognising threatened species, informing conservation and campaigning for change in policies across the world. Britain’s butterflies have a Red List, but our moths are missing out and this must change. 

Moths are usually divided into two categories, micro-moths, and macro-moths. Around 750 of Britain’s resident moth species are larger moths known as macro-moths, many of which are easier to spot and identify, thanks to their size and diversity of colours. 

With access to the most comprehensive moth recording dataset in the world - the National Moth Recording Scheme - Butterfly Conservation’s science team can collate the information needed to create an officially recognised Red List of over 750 of Britain’s macro-moths. Your donation today could kick-start this vital work, providing an irreplaceable overview of how these moth species are faring in Britain and ensuring they receive the conservation status they deserve. Species such as the Lappet pictured above, which has decreased in abundance by 98% since 1968, or the Marsh Carpet which is now restricted to just three areas in East Anglia.

By supporting Butterfly Conservation today, you have the chance to give macro-moths the status they urgently need. Without this formal recognition, species risk being overlooked when national, regional and local decisions about conservation priorities and funding are made. 

Your generosity could inform policies and conservation work for years to come, ensuring funding is secured and targets set to bring threatened moths back from the brink. 

Donations to this appeal will support this work as well as other vital conservation projects to save butterflies and moths across the UK.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 6th October 2026 at 11:00pm