Moths are incredible creatures! Here at Butterfly Conservation we know just how much moths matter so we're spreading some moth love with these fascinating facts...

1. There are more than 2500 species of moth in the UK alone. The number of known species worldwide is about 160,000 which dwarfs the 18,500 known butterfly species! It's possible there may actually be hundreds of thousands more moth species that are yet to be recorded.

2. Moths are indicator species, which means their numbers tell our scientists if an ecosystem is doing well or badly. So, if you are not seeing any moths, take a look to see how you can improve habitat for them.

3. Hardly any moths will eat your clothes!! There are only two common moths, out of 2500 species in the UK, that have caterpillars that damage fabrics and even then they only eat wool, fur and feathers and not cotton or synthetic materials.

4. Moths don't just fly at night. There are a number of brightly coloured day-flying moths. In fact, there are more brightly coloured day-flying moths than there are butterflies!

5. The Atlas Moth, of Southeast Asia, is considered the largest in the world and has a wingspan of nearly a foot (30 cms)!

6. The best way to tell the difference between a butterfly and moth is by the antennae. Most butterflies have club-shaped antennae with a little ball at the end, whilst moths' are usually feathery, saw-shaped or taper to a fine point. Most moths also rest with their wings flat, whilst most butterflies fold their wings upright.

7. To avoid being eaten, some moths have evolved to look like less palatable insects, such as wasps, tarantulas, and the praying mantis. Some moths even mimic bird droppings.

8. When an Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar feels threatened, its body swells up to the shape of a snake's head with two huge black markings like beady eyes.

9. The female Bagworm Moth has no wings and lives her whole life in a silken case. After mating, she does everything she can (pokes her head out and moves it around) to get the attention of a passing bird so that it will eat her. Thus her eggs get dispersed.

10. Moths are important pollinators of many wild plants, including orchids.

11. Some moths don't eat.....ever! The adult Luna Moth, for example, doesn't even have a mouth. After it emerges from its cocoon it lives for about a week. Its sole mission in life is to mate and lay eggs.

12. A male moth can smell a female more than seven miles away! Male moths can be expert sniffers and they detect odour molecules using their antennae instead of through nostrils. Female moths produce scents called pheromones to attract males and the males use their antennae to pick up this scent. This is why the antennae of many male moths are feathered as it increases their surface area and makes them more sensitive.

13. Moths are a vital part of the food chain. They are a huge source of food for bats and birds. Many night-flying moths have evolved ear-like organs which can pick up the squeaks of bats and allow them to take evasive action. A moth may escape a bat by changing direction suddenly, or even by performing aerial loops and spirals. If the bat is very close the moth may simply shut its wings and plummet earthwards.

14. Some moths make their own squeaking sound in order to confuse the bats hunting them. Some members of the Tiger Moth family, which in the daytime use bright colours to warn predators that they taste bitter, may use squeaks in the dark to warn bats of their bad taste.

15. The Death's-head Hawk-moth uses squeaks to steal honey! The Death's-head Hawk-moth is a large, heavy moth, so uses a lot of energy and it needs to refuel. Because bees will sting to death any thief entering their hive, this amazing moth makes squeaks which apparently sound like those of a queen bee and fool the worker bees into letting it enter the hive and eat their honey. This isn't the only way moths pretend to be bees though - the Bee Hawk-moth has evolved to look just like a bumble bee, so that predators think they can sting and will leave them alone.

16. Some moths can live underwater! Fancy-cased caterpillars, which are found in Hawaii, build houses for themselves shaped like burritos. Some species of the case-building genus can live underwater for weeks without coming up for air, making them to first known amphibious insects.

17. The caterpillar of the Goat Moth burrows into a tree trunk and eats wood. Digesting wood is a slow process, so the caterpillar takes four years to reach full size. It then emerges from a hole near the base of the tree and, as the caterpillar is very large (up to 10cm long) and many caterpillars use the same tree, these holes can be quite noticeable. It is also said that these caterpillars can be recognised by the goat-like smell that gives the moth its name.

18. The Peppered Moth is widespread in Britain and Ireland and is frequently found in back gardens, yet its story is amazing and has made it famous all over the world. It 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'. https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/why-moths-matter/amazing-moths/peppered-moth-and-natural-selection

19. Some hawk-moths can fly up to 30mph.

20. Moths are incredibly diverse when it comes to lifespan. Some moths live for only days, weeks or a month, while some, like the Hummingbird Moth and Luna Moth, can live up to three months.