This is a not very artful piece of propaganda along the selfsame lines that various national bird and animal protection societies spew out. Love the grey squirrel, the coypu, the mink, magpies etc. Love the Winter Moth whose offspring can ruin a fruit farm and destroy an apple crop. I have to wage a unceasing battle against the little pest, from grease bands round my trees in autumn to fortnightly spraying in the early spring.Look out for Winter Moths this month
Winter moth
The small, dark moths that flutter in car headlights on winter evenings are almost always Winter Moths.
Although not one of our prettiest moths, Winter Moths are a very interesting species that have excellent adaptations to survive the cold season.
Only the male Winter Moths can fly. The females have tiny stumps of wings and spend their time sitting on tree trunks, waiting to be found by the males.
This is clearly an adaptation to living in mid-winter when flight for these tiny, delicate moths is difficult.
Winter Moth caterpillars feed on oak trees and are an important source of food for birds such as Great Tits.
The only time I think a Winter Moth looks good is in my car's headlights just before it splatters over my windscreen.
Come on Butterfly Conservation, don't waste my money trying to get people to think that Winter Moths are anything more than an expensive pest. Next you will be saying that Cydia pomonella should become a protected species.
John