Upper Thames Moths

Moths and butterflies are classified as related branches of the Lepidoptera; there is no unique identification feature to separate them. Most butterflies have clubbed antennae while most moths do not. Most (but not all) moths are nocturnal, whereas all butterflies are day fliers.

Moths are divided into 'macros' and 'micros'. Micro-moths are usually smaller than macros, but this is not always the case. Macro-moths are commonly known by their English names. In contrast, micro-moths are mostly known by their scientific names, although a few (usually the larger ones or those that are pests) are also known by English names.

Anybody who is just starting with moths will find John Thacker's Moths for Beginners PDFs useful. Those interested in moth trapping will find this getting started guide (PDF) useful.

Each county has a moth Recorder (see here for their email addresses). The CMR can help with identification, although they will need the specimen or a good photograph for confirmation. If you think you have found a rare moth you should contact your CMR as soon as possible. In the past, moth records were submitted to the CMR, but nowadays they should be submitted to iRecord. See here for more about moth recording.

There are ten priority moth species in the Upper Thames region. Some are probably local extinct, but effort is still put in to try to find them.

Moth Identification Resources

The recommended macro-moth identification book (now out of print) is the third edition of The Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Paul Waring and Martin Townsend (2017, Bloomsbury Wildlife Guides). It contains artwork by Richard Lewington that depicts the larger British moths in their natural resting positions. An alternative is the much cheaper Concise Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by the same authors (2019, Bloomsbury Wildlife Guides). The other standard work is the third edition (also out of print) of the Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles by Bernard Skinner (2009, Apollo Books). The illustrations are photographs of set specimens, which means that the hind wings (often important for identification) are clearly shown.

For micro-moths, the recommended book is the Field Guide to the Micro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Phil Sterling and Mark Parsons. The second edition was published in 2023 and covers just over 1,000 species (Bloomsbury Wildlife Guides). The illustrations are by Richard Lewington.

On the web the most comprehensive coverage of all British moths is UK Moths run by Ian Kimber. Some 2,000 of the 2,400 species on the British list are currently illustrated there.

The web site UpperThamesMoths.co.uk is a major new resource for moth-ers in Berks, Bucks and Oxon. It currently holds 2.4 million macro-moth records for VC22, VC23 and VC24 (up to the end of 2022).

Knowing what was on the wing at the same time in previous years is a great help in identifying moths. There is a Flying Tonight page for the Upper Thames region, covering 2017 to 2024.

The Upper Thames Moth Blog is in a private Facebook group. This is useful for identification queries, but you have to be a member of the group to see posts.