This concise photographic field guide will help you identify any of the 100 or so day-flying moths found in Britain and Ireland. Combining stunning photographs, authoritative text, and an easy-to-use design, this book makes a perfect traveling companion--one that will increase your enjoyment of these colorful and intriguing creatures. Like butterflies, some moths fly regularly in sunshine, whereas others that usually fly only at night are readily disturbed from their resting places during the day. This guide describes all of these species, with at least one photograph of each in its natural, resting pose. The text includes a brief description of each moth, with details of its life history, where and when to look for it, its status, the food plants of its caterpillars, and its special features. Introductory sections cover many topics, including how to distinguish moths from butterflies; classification; life cycle and behavior; ecological importance; the impact of habitat and climate change; recording and monitoring; and conservation.

Preface 5The difference between butterflies and moths 6
What is a day-flying moth? 7
Moth biology 8
The naming of moths 10
Identifying moths 12
Where to look for day-flying moths 16
Gardening for moths 21
Glossary 24
Moth families with day-flying species 26
Introduction to the species accounts 27

THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS
Foresters and Burnets (Family: Zygaenidae) 28
Clearwings (Family: Sesiidae) 40
Eggars, Emperor, Kentish Glory and Hook-tips (Families: Lasiocampidae, Saturniidae, Endromidae and Drepanidae) 58
Geometrids (Family: Geometridae) 66
Hawk-moths (Family: Sphingidae) 128
Tussocks, Footmen, Tigers and Ermines (Families: Lymantriidae and Arctiidae) 134
Noctuids (Family: Noctuidae) 148
Micro-moths (a selection of common day-flyers from the families: Incurvariidae, Adelidae, Tineidae, Gracillariidae, Choreutidae, Glyphipterigidae, Yponomeutidae, Plutellidae, Oecophoridae, Tortricidae, Crambidae, Pyralidae and Pterophoridae) 176

List of day-flying moths with summary data showing: habitat preferences, flight season, larval foodplants, and conservation status, BAP listing and legislative protection 202
Conservation and legislation 210
Butterfly and moth conservation 214
Recording and monitoring 214
Further reading 215
Useful websites 217
Acknowledgements and photographic credits 218
Index 221