Dr Richard Fox, the associate director of recording and monitoring at Butterfly Conservation, which helped with the research, said: “This decline is worrying because moths play a vital role in our ecosystems.
“They are pollinators of many plants, with some wildflowers, such as orchids, relying on visiting moths for reproduction.
“They also provide essential food for thousands of animal species, including bats and many familiar birds. Because moths are dwindling, we can be pretty sure that other wildlife are also in decline and that our wider environment is deteriorating.”
The Brimstone moth, Opisthograptis luteolata, in Cornwall (Image: GETTY)
The report, also written by Rothamsted Research and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, is based on tens of millions of records gathered by experts and volunteers. The declines are blamed on human activity, particularly habitat destruction and chemical and light pollution.
Britain s moths decline by a third in 50 years, study finds
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Britain s moths decline by a third in 50 years, study finds | Insects
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