Should we get any mild nights during the rest of December, then there is a chance that you might trap one of these little beauties. The December Moth is a resident and commonly distributed throughout England and Wales, with exception to higher ground.

Identification is straight forward and it is unlikely to be confused with any other species of British moth. The males having feathery antennae and the females are much larger.

December Moth – male – photo Tony Davison.

Another winter species that seems to defy all sense of temperature is the Winter Moth. These are the small moths that one often sees flying very weakly through the car headlights in late autumn and on and off throughout the winter, by woodland and hedgerows. The females are wingless and so it is the drab brown males that are often observed. This tiny creature seems to be able to fly in all kinds of temperatures, I have even seen them on the wing at just about sub-zero. So good moth-ing, if you are lucky enough to catch some mild weather.

Winter Moth – male – photo by Tony Davison.