Wild Moth Decline Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Moth populations have declined by over 30% in Britain since 1968, with welfare implications for individual moths facing degraded habitats and for the ecosystem services they provide.

Key Facts

Britain has approximately 2,500 moth species, with 900 macromoths regularly recorded
Over 60 moth species have declined by more than 75% since 1968
Light pollution, habitat loss, and pesticide use are primary drivers of decline
Moths are essential nocturnal pollinators for many plant species
The Garden Moth Scheme monitors moth populations through citizen science trapping

Welfare Considerations

Moth welfare involves the complex question of invertebrate sentience applied to insects with uncertain but possible capacity for suffering. Whether or not individual moths experience suffering in a morally significant sense, the dramatic decline of moth populations has welfare-relevant consequences for the ecosystems they support. Moths are critical nocturnal pollinators and food sources for bats and birds — their decline cascades through food webs affecting species whose welfare science is better established. Habitat and landscape management that benefits moths — native plantings, reduced light pollution, pesticide reduction — supports biodiversity at multiple levels and addresses welfare-relevant ecosystem health.

What You Can Do

Create moth-friendly habitat with native plants including wildflowers and shrubs
Reduce outdoor lighting or use motion-sensitive and warm-spectrum bulbs to minimise light pollution
Participate in the Garden Moth Scheme citizen science recording
Avoid pesticide use that kills moths and caterpillars in gardens and on land you manage