When exactly is a good time to break out that special bottle of sparkling wine you’ve been saving? For one wildlife enthusiast, the answer was the first known local sighting of a moth in more than 50 years.
Fiona Hutchings, a member of the Essex Field Club, made the stunning discovery by chance while carrying out surveys with the group at a farm near Halstead, England.
As she told the BBC, she noticed a “green flash” that turned out to be the extremely rare forester moth. It was the first recorded sighting in Essex since 1974.
She said, “After finding the forester I thought ‘You know what, this is a special occasion’ and I had a glass of bubbly.”
The forester moth is widely dispersed throughout the British Isles but has disappeared from some regions due to habitat loss caused by development. With its vibrant green coloring, it’s quite easy to miss in the wild, as Butterfly Conservation Scotland points out.
The moths depend on abundant supplies of sorrel and nectar plants to survive, which can be an issue north of the border due to overgrazing by deer with no natural predators.
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Like butterflies, many species of moths fulfill an essential ecological role as pollinators, supporting our food supply. While typically nocturnal, some moths like the forester fly during the day. In dull weather, the forester prefers to take shelter in vegetation.
The Butterfly Conservation notes that moths and butterflies share more similarities than differences, and no hard-and-fast rule to distinguish them applies universally. Regardless, both creatures are hugely important to the overall health of the ecosystems they inhabit.
Other apparently long-gone moths have resurfaced elsewhere in Britain. For instance, the Norfolk snout, so-called for its distinctive schnozz, reappeared after more than a half-century-long absence.
Meanwhile, in India in June 2024, a colorful moth was spotted for the first time in 132 years.
The best way to support these fuzzy little fliers is to create the right habitat for them to thrive, and that effort begins at home.
By rewilding your yard and avoiding harmful chemical pesticides, you can provide them with crucial habitat and help them get right to work free of charge.
That’s got to be worth a glass of bubbly, right?
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