Moths & Other Insects
Welcome to the Moths & Other Insects of North Wales
Moths of North Wales
For the past ten years, I’ve been quietly documenting the moths that visit my garden here in Flintshire, North Wales. What started as curiosity — a light on a sheet, a trap left out overnight — soon became one of the most rewarding parts of my natural history journey. Night after night, season after season, the species list has grown. Familiar regulars return each year, while unexpected migrants and scarce local species occasionally appear like small nocturnal gifts (you can see some in our Hall of Fame page).
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My garden records form the backbone of this section — a personal long-term study of how moths ebb and flow with the seasons, the weather, and the changing landscape. Some years bring bumper hauls of common species; other years surprise me with something altogether more special. It’s a diary in wings and scales.
Exploring Beyond the Garden
While much of my recording has been garden-based, I’ve also ventured out across North Wales — from coastal dunes and saltmarsh to ancient woodland and upland moor. North Wales is an exceptional place for moths. The varied habitats, from the limestone grasslands of the Great Orme to the oak woodlands of Eryri and the windswept coastline, support an incredible diversity of species.
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Each habitat tells its own story, and moth trapping allows you to glimpse an entire hidden ecosystem that most people never realise exists.
Why Moths Matter
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Moths are often overlooked in favour of their daytime cousins, but in truth they far outnumber butterflies in both species and abundance. They play crucial roles as pollinators, as part of the food chain for birds and bats, and as sensitive indicators of environmental change.
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Here in North Wales, we are fortunate to host everything from widespread garden favourites to scarce coastal specialists and northern upland species that barely occur elsewhere in England and Wales.
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Some species are expanding their range with climate change, while others are quietly declining — making careful recording more important than ever.
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This section of the website will act as my living moth diary — a place to share photographs, records, habitat notes and seasonal highlights. From common garden visitors to the more elusive species I hope to find in 2026 and beyond, it’s an ongoing journey into the hidden world that comes alive after dark.
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And the best part? Every trap night still carries that same sense of anticipation. You never quite know what will be waiting in the morning.
A New Chapter in 2026
In 2026, this project takes a step forward. I’ve invested in a new portable, battery-powered moth trap, allowing me to explore more remote areas and target some of North Wales’ more secretive and localised species. Rather than relying solely on what comes to the garden light, I’ll now be able to place traps in carefully chosen habitats — upland clearings, coastal scrub, woodland rides — and see what emerges from the darkness.
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This will allow me to:
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Document species rarely encountered in gardens
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Record moths in under-surveyed areas
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Contribute more valuable data to our understanding of moth distribution in North Wales
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Seek out some of the scarcer and habitat-specific species found in our region
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It feels like a natural progression — moving from observing what comes to me, to actively seeking out the wider nocturnal biodiversity of the landscape.