Butterfly Conservation

Oak Beauty moth resting on a lichen-covered branch

The Oak Beauty (Biston strataria) certainly lives up to its name 😍

An unmistakable moth of early spring, they can be found in mature oak woodland and even gardens where broadleaved trees such as oak, hazel and elm grow.

📷: Iain Leach
#MothMonday #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

Butterfly Conservation's butterflies and moths to see in March: Red Admiral, Orange Underwing, Peacock, Oak Beauty, Brimstone, Dotted Border, Comma, Early Thorn, Small Tortoiseshell

Spring is on its way! Look out for these butterflies and moths in your gardens and local green spaces 🦋🌷

What have you seen recently?

Woo hoo! My 1st butterfly of the year spotted today! 🥳 A lovely Peacock 🦋 Too quick for a photo so here’s one from last year. #butterflies @bcwarwickshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

#TeamMoth A first 2026 mind boggler for the apprentice 🙋‍♂️ with this very dark fluttering garden visitor. Not sure if I have a Clouded Drab (more likely) or Lead-coloured Drab here 🤔 #DERBYSHIRE #MothsMatter @savebutterflies.bsky.social NFG either way but help needed please fellow moth-ers.

Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria North Antrim Feb2026. I don't often see the dark form (f. monacharia) of this species up here, so 2 earlier this week was a pleasant surprise. #moths #mothsmatter #teammoth @ulsterwildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @europebutterfly.bsky.social

Clean Water Now - tell your MP to take action Take action A new water law is coming. Soon, MPs will decide whether to finally clean up our rivers, lakes and seas − or let toxic pollution continue unchecked. Right now, sewage, farming pollution an...

We've joined forces with experts from across the country to call for #CleanWaterNow.

Politicians have been promising to fix the system for too long. Write to your MP to demand that water companies clean up their act and prioritise nature restoration 👉 action.friendsoftheearth.uk/target/clean...

An Orange-tip butterfly perched on a cuckooflower with sunlit water behind. Text overlay reads: "Email your MP to demand clean water now."

We are in an environmental crisis. Without clean freshwater habitats, the ecosystems our butterflies and moths depend on will never truly be fully protected from the threat of pollution.

But right now, just 14% of English rivers are in Good Ecological Condition. 🧪

Volunteers working amongst colourful flowers in a city park with autumnal-looking trees in the background

Join us in creating beautiful #WildSpaces in Leeds! 🌼🦋

We're looking for volunteers to help us transform spaces across the city into havens for butterflies, moths and people.

No experience needed, just enthusiasm to get stuck in and learn! Find out more 👉 buff.ly/wkxRb0U
@bcyorkshire.bsky.social

Close up of some yellow gorse with a small peacock butterfly with 3 eyes clearly showing and the fourth missing on its bottom left wing.

First butterfly of the year, a peacock on gorse. Photo taken 22nd Feb 2026, St Cleer. Can’t decide if it was hiding its fourth eye or if this was a mutation/aberration. #Cornwall #Butterflies #Insects @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Oak Beauty moth

Dotted Chestnut moth

First #mothtrap of the year yielded 10 moths of 7sp in my Corfe Castle garden. Two stunners this Oak Beauty and Dotted Chestnut. Good to be up and running for 2026 season. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Mottled Grey (Colostygia multistrigaria) - North Antrim - February 2026. The milder weather brought out the first of this species in the local woods. #moths #mothsmatter #teammoth @ulsterwildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @europebutterfly.bsky.social #gcampbellphoto

A small dark brown butterfly, with orange spots along the edges of its wings, resting on a blade of grass

Side view of a Mountain Ringlet butterfly with its wings held closed above its back, resting on a plant

A Mountain Ringlet butterfly basking on a lichen-covered rock on a Cumbrian fellside under a blue sky.

High up in the mountains lives the adventurous and elusive Mountain Ringlet, our Species of the Month! ⛰️🦋

Get to know this brilliant little butterfly 👉 https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/species-of-the-month-mountain-ringlet

📷: Mark Searle, Tim Melling

Dr Amir Khan smiling at the camera and pointing with both hands at his t-shirt, which features a Holly Blue butterfly and text above it that reads 'Big Butterfly Count'. Green shrubs and trees in the background.

Happy Birthday to Butterfly Conservation Vice President @dramirkhangp.bsky.social!

Thank you for being such a passionate advocate for butterflies, moths and our environment, and all the work you do to help others. 🦋💚

Get your free Moon Meadows guide! Moths are a vital part of the ecosystem, but they are threatened by light pollution. Discover how you can create a moon meadow at home and in your local area and help our nighttime pollinators…

For some moths, there is only one plant for them, while others aren't so picky. To help you choose what to grow, look up moths which might be around locally and find out what they eat.

You can help more moths find their perfect match by creating a Moon Meadow 👉 buff.ly/EEyuk4h

It's a match! Angle Shades and Hop have liked each other. Profile photos for each species with a pink heart icon between them. Pink 'Start planting' button below.

Angle Shades and Hop have liked each other! 🩷

It's a match! Puss Moth and Willow have liked each other. Profile photos for each species with a pink heart icon between them. Pink 'Start planting' button below.

Puss Moth and Willow have liked each other! 🩷

It's a match! Mint Moth and Marjoram have liked each other. Profile photos for each species with a pink heart icon between them. Pink 'Start planting' button below.

Mint Moth and Marjoram have liked each other! 🩷

It's a match! Eyed Hawk-moth and Apple have liked each other. Profile photos for each species with a pink heart icon between them. Pink 'Start planting' button below.

Eyed Hawk-moth and Apple have liked each other! 🩷

It's a match! Magpie and Currant have liked each other. Profile photos for each species with a pink heart icon between them. Pink 'Start planting' button below.

Magpie and Currant have liked each other! 🩷

It's a match! Scarlet Tiger and Common Comfrey have liked each other. Profile photos for each species with a pink heart icon between them. Pink 'Start planting' button below.

You complete my life-cycle 💕

One of the best ways to help moths thrive is by growing their favourite food plants. Here are some of our top matches.

Scarlet Tiger and Common Comfrey have liked each other!

#MoonMeadows #MothsMatter

YouTube video by Herts & Middx Butterfly Conservation Hedges for Hairstreaks - butterfly ecology of the hedgerow by James Lunt of CPRE Herts

Hedges for Hairstreaks - butterfly ecology of the hedgerow by James Lunt of CPRE Herts. Did you miss it?
This talk explores the ecology, history and geography of hedgerows, and why they matter youtu.be/xQhC00a53eo @savebutterflies.bsky.social

On this day in 1809, Charles Darwin, author of 'On the Origin of Species', was born

The humble Peppered Moth is one of the best-known examples of evolution by natural selection, Darwin's great discovery, and is often referred to as 'Darwin's moth'. 💡

#DarwinDay #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

A Spring Usher moth with brown and white intricate patterns on its wings, resting on a dead leaf.

A Spring Usher moth resting on a dead leaf with wings open and creamy-white underwings visible

Spring Usher moth caterpillar crawling across the underside of a green leaf

As we inch closer to spring, look out for the fairly common Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia), which can be found in oak woodlands during February and March. 🌳

📷: Patrick Clement, Les Hill, David Green
#MothMonday #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

Close up of an intricate, white butterfly egg laid on blackthorn

A Brown Hairstreak butterfly resting with wings open on a green leaf

Volunteers searching a blackthorn hedge for butterfly eggs

Egg-citing news! 🥚

Volunteers have counted record numbers of rare Brown Hairstreak eggs this winter in Carmarthenshire after landowners let their hedgerows grow wild.

Read the full story 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...

📷: Gillian Thompson, Iain Leach, Paul Taylor

Nothing beats the feeling of seeing the first Orange-tip of year 🧡

Two male Pale Brindled Beauty #moths (Phigalia pilosaria) to outside light here at Marton (Lincs) last night. The females are completely wingless @savebutterflies.bsky.social @britishnatureguide.bsky.social

YouTube video by Butterfly Conservation UK Moth Recorders' Meeting 2026

Thank you to everyone who came along to our annual UK Moth Recorders' Meeting last weekend!

All the brilliant talks from the day are now available to watch back on our YouTube channel. Grab a cuppa and catch up here 👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiZE...

#UKMRM #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

First #butterfly of 2026 - this Peacock at @rspb.bsky.social Arne, Dorset this afternoon.

@dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social
@savebutterflies.bsky.social

A vibrant poster with a green background showing a red squirrel, Scottish wildcat, and puffin wearing party hats. They are surrounded by green and pink confetti, streamers, and balloons holding up a banner that reads: “MSPs voted to pass the Natural Environment Bill! Scotland WILL have legally binding nature recovery targets.

Big win for Scotland’s nature! The Natural Environment Bill passed by MSPs will bring in legally binding targets to restore wildlife and habitats. Huge thanks to LINK’s members and supporters who helped make this happen! Let’s keep pushing for strong action and funding to restore Scotland’s nature.

Spring is on the way! 🦋🌷