36 Types of Moths in England: Hawk-Moths, Tiger Moths, and Garden Favorites

A single porch light left on overnight can draw a dozen different moth species to an English garden, yet most homeowners only ever notice the small brown ones fluttering around a lampshade. Britain’s moth list runs into the thousands once micro-moths are counted, though field guides typically focus on a smaller core group of regularly recorded species that anyone can learn to recognize. From hand-sized hawk-moths with wingspans wider than a robin to tiny day-flying burnets that look like they escaped a jewelry box, England’s moths are far more varied than their reputation suggests.

This guide walks through 36 of the different types of moths found across English gardens, woodlands, and hedgerows, covering what each one looks like, when it flies, and where to spot it. Whether a moth turned up in a trap, on a windowsill, or clinging to an outdoor wall at dawn, this list should help put a name to it.

Hawk-Moth	Wingspan	Flight Season
Elephant hawk-moth	45-60mm	June-September
Privet hawk-moth	90-120mm	June-July
Poplar hawk-moth	Up to 90mm	May-September
Eyed hawk-moth	70-80mm	May-July
Lime hawk-moth	60-80mm	May-June
Hummingbird hawk-moth	40-45mm	May-September
Death’s-head hawk-moth	Up to 130mm	Late summer-autumn
Convolvulus hawk-moth	Up to 120mm	Late summer-autumn

1. Elephant hawk-moth

The elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) is one of the easiest hawk-moths to identify thanks to its olive-green wings streaked with bright pink. According to the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the adult moth’s body and wings are mostly olive green and decorated by deep pink stripes, making it unmistakable once seen.

Its caterpillar is just as distinctive. The elephant hawk-moth gets its name from the trunk-like head which retracts and extends from its bulbous neck, and when threatened it swells its neck, making its four large eye spots more prominent. Look for it from July through September undulating across garden paths, usually in search of a place to pupate.

2. Privet hawk-moth

At rest, the privet hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri) looks like a dull brown wedge of bark, but disturb one and it reveals a striking secret. The Butterfly Conservation describes it as the UK’s largest resident hawk-moth, with a pink and black striped abdomen and hindwings that flash into view when the wings open.

It flies for a short window between June and July and is drawn to strongly scented garden flowers at night. Caterpillar food plants include wild and garden privet, lilac, and young ash saplings, which explains why gardens with mature privet hedges often attract this species.

3. Poplar hawk-moth

Widespread and oddly shaped, the poplar hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) rests with an unusual silhouette rather than a bold color pattern. Woodland Trust notes that it rests with its hindwings visible beyond the leading edge of the forewings and its abdomen curled upwards, and when alarmed it flashes brick red patches on the hindwings that are normally hidden from view.

This species is considered the commonest hawk-moth in Britain and turns up in woodlands, parks, and gardens wherever poplars, willows, or sallows grow nearby. A second generation sometimes appears in late summer, giving two chances each year to spot one resting on a fence post or tree trunk.

4. Eyed hawk-moth

The eyed hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellata) keeps its best feature hidden until threatened. Its forewings are mottled grey-brown and look like dead leaves, but the hindwings carry a pair of large blue-and-black eyespots on a pink background that it flashes to startle would-be predators. When at rest it holds its wings in a jagged, leaf-like pose that makes it almost invisible against bark.

Caterpillars feed on willow, sallow, and apple trees and grow into plump green larvae with pale diagonal stripes. Gardeners researching similar sphinx moth species found further afield will recognize the same family traits of bold hindwing patterns paired with camouflaged forewings.

5. Lime hawk-moth

Lime hawk-moths (Mimas tiliae) show a mix of olive-green and pinkish-brown patches across jagged-edged wings, giving each individual a slightly different pattern. The wing margins are notably scalloped rather than smooth, which helps separate this species from other hawk-moths at a glance.

As the name suggests, lime trees are a favored caterpillar food plant, though elm and birch are also used. Adults fly in a single generation during May and June and, like most hawk-moths, are strongly attracted to outdoor lighting after dark.

6. Hummingbird hawk-moth

Unlike most hawk-moths, the hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) flies by day and genuinely resembles the bird it’s named for, hovering at flowers while unrolling a long proboscis to sip nectar. Butterfly Conservation lists it among garden hawk-moths, noting that the Humming-bird Hawk-moth is day-flying while its relatives are mostly nocturnal.

Many British sightings are migrants that arrive from southern Europe each summer, though a small resident population now survives milder winters in the south. This hovering feeding style is a textbook example of the kind of mutualistic relationship between pollinators and flowering plants that keeps gardens productive.

7. Death’s-head hawk-moth

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Famous for the skull-shaped marking on its thorax, the death’s-head hawk-moth (Acherontia atropos) is one of the heaviest moths recorded in Britain. It’s a scarce migrant from Africa and southern Europe rather than a true resident, turning up most often in late summer and autumn, sometimes as a caterpillar found on potato plants.

This species can also squeak audibly when disturbed, a rare trait among moths, and it is known to raid beehives for honey, tolerating stings thanks to a thick cuticle. Readers curious about other large sphinx-family moths might compare it with the sphinx moths recorded across Georgia, which share the same broad-bodied build.

8. Convolvulus hawk-moth

The convolvulus hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli) rivals the privet hawk-moth for size and is sometimes the larger of the two. One wildlife recorder’s garden moth log from south-east London notes that this species is only equalled in wing-span on occasion by the Privet Hawk Moth, with adults reaching 85-120mm and living for around five weeks.

Like the death’s-head, it’s a migrant arriving from the Mediterranean and North Africa rather than a permanent resident, with numbers varying sharply from year to year depending on weather patterns. Caterpillars feed on bindweed, which gives the species its common name, and adults are often spotted hovering at tobacco plants or petunias in the evening, much like the migratory hawk-moths recorded in Texas during warm autumns.

9. Garden tiger

Few British moths pack as much visual drama as the garden tiger (Arctia caja), with chocolate-brown and cream-patterned forewings that open to reveal bright orange hindwings covered in blue-black spots. The Scottish Wildlife Trust explains that it has a chocolate-brown, furry body, brown- and white-patterned forewings, and bright red hindwings with four or five large black spots.

Its caterpillars, known as “woolly bears,” are densely covered in long black and ginger hairs. Sadly, this once-familiar garden species has fallen sharply in number; Country Life reports that Butterfly Conservation has recorded a decline of 92% in the past 40 years, possibly due to milder, wetter winters affecting caterpillar survival.

Pro Tip: Tiger moths and their relatives are most active after dusk, so a simple outdoor light left on near a pale sheet can attract several species in a single evening without harming them.

10. Scarlet tiger

The scarlet tiger (Callimorpha dominula) trades the garden tiger’s browns for iridescent blue-black forewings spotted with cream and yellow, paired with vivid scarlet hindwings. Unusually for a tiger moth, it flies readily during the day as well as at night, often seen in damp meadows and riverside vegetation across southern England.

Caterpillars feed on comfrey, nettles, and bramble, and the species has expanded its range northward in recent decades. Gardeners near rivers sometimes compare sightings to the brightly patterned moth species recorded in South Carolina, since both regions share a fondness among tiger moths for damp, vegetated habitat.

11. Ruby tiger

Smaller and more subdued than its tiger moth relatives, the ruby tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) has plain reddish-brown forewings and pink-tinged hindwings with a scattering of dark spots. It’s one of the few tiger moths that regularly produces two generations in a single year across southern England.

Caterpillars are densely hairy and feed on a wide range of low-growing plants, including dock, plantain, and dandelion. The species is common enough that it’s frequently recorded in garden moth traps alongside the tiger moth species found in Minnesota, part of the same widespread Arctiinae subfamily.

12. Cinnabar

Few British moths are as instantly recognizable as the cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae), a day-flying species with black forewings marked by a red line and two red spots. According to Buglife, this macro moth is found throughout most of the UK, with forewings black and a red line and two red spots at the base of each wing, and hindwings red.

Its caterpillars are just as conspicuous, with bold orange and black stripes that advertise their toxicity after feeding exclusively on ragwort. The caterpillars can be seen out in the open during the day from late June to early September, often stripping entire ragwort plants bare in large groups.

Important Note: Cinnabar caterpillars and adults contain toxins absorbed from ragwort, so they should not be handled by pets or children and are best simply observed in place.

13. Emperor moth

The emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) is Britain’s only native member of the Saturniidae family, the group that includes the world’s giant silk moths. The Natural History Museum notes that emperor moths have four large eye spots to deter birds, and males can detect the scent of females from several miles away using their large feathered antennae.

Males are orange and fly by day, while the greyer females are largely nocturnal, a split that’s unusual among British moths. This family connection makes it worth comparing with the native silk moth species recorded in Colorado, which belong to the same broad Saturniidae group despite living an ocean apart.

14. Peppered moth

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) holds a special place in the history of evolutionary biology. Its typical form is pale grey speckled with black, camouflaging it against lichen-covered bark, but a darker melanic form became dramatically more common in industrial areas during the 19th and 20th centuries as pollution darkened tree trunks, a textbook case of natural selection in action.

Today, as air quality has improved across much of England, the pale speckled form has become common again in many areas. Adults fly from May through August and rest motionless on tree trunks and fences during the day, relying entirely on camouflage rather than flight to avoid predators.

15. Burnished brass

The burnished brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) is named for the metallic gold sheen across its forewings, which can look almost liquid in the right light. Two brassy patches are usually separated by a darker band, though the exact pattern varies between individuals.

According to Countryfile, burnished brass caterpillars feed on marjoram, whose purple and scented flowers also provide nectar for the adults and many other insects. Nettles and other low-growing plants are also used as caterpillar food, making this species a familiar sight in gardens with herb borders, much like the metallic-winged moth species recorded in Oklahoma.

16. Silver Y

The silver Y (Autographa gamma) is named for the small, silvery Y-shaped mark on each brown forewing. Unlike many moths, it’s frequently seen flying frantically by day, darting between flowers to feed with a rapid, hovering flight pattern.

Huge numbers of silver Y moths migrate into England from continental Europe each summer, with populations swelling dramatically in some years and barely appearing in others. Because migrant numbers fluctuate so much season to season, exact population figures are difficult to pin down, but the species remains one of the most commonly reported day-flying moths in British gardens.

17. Magpie moth

With bold white wings scattered with black spots and a dash of orange-yellow, the magpie moth (Abraxas grossulariata) looks almost painted on. One roundup of distinctive UK species from The Nature Network describes it as having bold white wings covered in black spots and splodges with a bit of yellow or orange, striking and easy to identify.

It flies both by day and at night during July and August, often spotted resting openly on leaves since its bold pattern actually warns predators of its unpalatable taste rather than hiding it. Caterpillars feed on currant and gooseberry bushes, which sometimes puts this moth in direct contact with the same garden beds favored by garden snails across England.

18. Six-spot burnet

The six-spot burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) is a day-flying moth with metallic blue-black forewings marked by six bright red spots, paired with solid red hindwings edged in black. It’s one of the slowest, most deliberate fliers among British moths, often seen clustering on scabious or knapweed flowers in grassland and coastal sites.

Like several toxic day-flying species, its bold coloring warns predators that it contains cyanide-based compounds absorbed from its caterpillar food plant, bird’s-foot trefoil. Its reliance on specific nectar plants makes it a useful example of the broader mutualistic partnerships between insects and flowering plants found throughout English meadows.

19. Buff-tip

Few moths disguise themselves as well as the buff-tip (Phalera bucephala), whose grey wings and pale tan wingtips make a resting adult look exactly like a broken birch twig. According to Woodland Trust records on common UK species, buff-tips are on the wing from May to September, feeding as caterpillars on docks, sorrel and other low growing plants as well as various trees.

Its caterpillars are equally notable, covered in yellow and black hairs and feeding in large groups that can strip a branch of leaves. Buff-tips share hedgerow and woodland habitat with plenty of other wildlife, including the frog species found throughout English gardens that hunt the same damp leaf litter at night.

20. Puss moth

The adult puss moth (Cerura vinula) is a soft, furry, pale grey moth that looks almost harmless, but its caterpillar tells a different story. The larva has a bright green body with a large brown saddle marking and two long, whip-like tails that it can flick rapidly to deter parasitic wasps and other predators.

When seriously alarmed, the caterpillar can also rear up to display a face-like pattern on its swollen thorax, an effective bluff against birds. It’s worth noting that despite the name, this species has nothing to do with the indoor pest species known as moths that eat clothes and fabric; puss moth caterpillars feed only on willow and poplar leaves outdoors.

21. Lobster moth

The adult lobster moth (Stauropus fagi) is an unremarkable brown moth, but its caterpillar is one of the strangest in Britain. When disturbed, the larva rears up and extends its elongated front legs, creating a shape that genuinely resembles a small lobster or crab defending itself.

This caterpillar feeds on beech, oak, and birch and can also emit a sharp vinegar-like smell when threatened. The crustacean-inspired name makes an easy mental link to the crab species found along the New England coast, even though the two creatures are entirely unrelated beyond their shared silhouette.

22. Swallow-tailed moth

Pale lemon-yellow wings and distinctly tailed hindwings give the swallow-tailed moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria) its name and make it one of the most elegant geometrid moths found in English gardens. It flies on quiet summer nights, typically from June through August, and is a frequent visitor to garden moth traps and lit windows.

Caterpillars are twig-like in appearance, feeding on ivy, hawthorn, and various garden shrubs while overwintering as partly grown larvae. Its delicate, almost butterfly-like flight sets it apart from the bulkier hawk-moths and tiger moths covered earlier in this guide.

23. Brimstone moth

Named for its bright sulfur-yellow wings rather than any connection to the brimstone butterfly, the brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) is marked with rusty brown patches along the wing edges. It’s one of the most frequently recorded garden moths in England, flying from spring through autumn across several overlapping generations.

Caterpillars feed on hawthorn and blackthorn, both common hedgerow plants, which helps explain the moth’s wide distribution across both rural and suburban areas. Its long flight season and tolerance of garden habitats make it one of the easier species on this list to spot without any specialist equipment.

24. Large yellow underwing

The large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) is among the most commonly trapped moths in Britain, with dull brown forewings that conceal bright yellow-orange hindwings banded in black. When disturbed from vegetation during the day, it bursts into a fast, erratic flight that flashes its hidden color before dropping suddenly back into cover.

This adaptable species thrives in gardens, farmland, and woodland edges alike and has also become established across parts of eastern North America, including the moth populations recorded throughout New England, after accidental introduction decades ago. Caterpillars, known as cutworms, feed on a wide range of low-growing plants and grasses.

25. Red underwing

Large and strikingly patterned, the red underwing (Catocala nupta) has mottled grey-brown forewings that provide near-perfect camouflage against tree bark. Hidden beneath them are bold red hindwings crossed by black bands, revealed only in a sudden flash of color when the moth is startled into flight.

It rests by day on tree trunks, especially willow and poplar, where its forewing pattern makes it almost impossible to spot until it moves. Flying from August into October, it’s one of the latest-season large moths likely to turn up at a garden light trap.

26. Rosy footman

The rosy footman (Miltochrista miniata) is a small, delicate moth with pink and yellow forewings marked by a scattering of black spots. It belongs to the footman group, named historically for a resting posture that was thought to resemble a liveried servant’s folded stance.

Caterpillars feed on lichens and algae growing on tree bark and old fences, making this species most common in older woodland and orchards with plenty of lichen-covered surfaces. Adults fly during warm summer nights and are readily drawn to outdoor lighting.

27. Ghost moth

Male ghost moths (Hepialus humuli) put on one of the more unusual displays among British insects, gathering at dusk in small groups called leks and hovering together over grassy vegetation while flashing pale, almost luminous white wings to attract females. Female ghost moths look completely different, with yellowish-brown wings marked by faint orange streaks.

Caterpillars live underground for up to two years, feeding on the roots of grasses and other plants before finally emerging as adults in June and July. The stark contrast between male and female coloring makes this one of the more confusing species for new moth-watchers to pair correctly.

28. Herald

The herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix) has richly textured, scalloped wings in shades of orange-brown and rust, a pattern one guide to British moth names describes as wearing the rich velvet of a medieval costume. It’s one of the few British moths that overwinters as an adult, tucking into caves, sheds, and hollow trees until spring.

Because it hibernates rather than dying off each winter, the herald can sometimes be spotted on mild days even in midwinter, making it one of the few moths active outside the main spring-to-autumn season. Caterpillars feed on willow and poplar leaves during summer.

29. Angle shades

Few moths fold their wings as dramatically as the angle shades (Phlogophora meticulosa), which crumples its olive-green and pink-brown forewings into jagged, leaf-like creases when at rest. One British moth guide calls the result a perfection of symmetry, and the crumpled shape genuinely mimics a dead or damaged leaf.

This adaptable species produces overlapping generations through most of the year and can be found in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland edges almost anywhere in England. Caterpillars feed on a wide range of plants, including nettle, bramble, and many garden ornamentals, making this one of the most frequently recorded moths in home gardens.

30. Clifden nonpareil

Also known as the blue underwing, the Clifden nonpareil (Catocala fraxini) is one of Britain’s largest and rarest resident moths, with grey-brown forewings concealing striking blue-black hindwings crossed by a pale band. For decades it was considered close to extinct in England before recolonizing parts of the south from continental Europe.

Caterpillars feed on aspen and poplar trees, and adults fly from late summer into autumn, often resting high on tree trunks where their forewing camouflage makes them nearly impossible to spot. Its return to parts of southern England has made it something of a prize sighting for dedicated moth recorders.

31. Leopard moth

True to its name, the leopard moth (Zeuzera pyrina) has translucent white wings dotted with dark blue-black spots, giving it a pattern reminiscent of big cat markings. Its body is also marked with similar spotting, extending the resemblance beyond just the wings.

Caterpillars live inside the wood of various broadleaf trees and shrubs, including apple and lilac, taking up to two years to complete development before boring their way out as adults. Because the larvae feed hidden inside branches, this species often goes unnoticed until the distinctive adult moth appears at lights during summer.

32. Oak eggar

The oak eggar (Lasiocampa quercus) is a chunky, furry moth named for its egg-shaped cocoon rather than any particular fondness for oak trees, since its caterpillars actually feed on heather, bramble, and hawthorn. Males are rich reddish-brown with a pale band across each forewing, while females are larger and paler overall.

Males fly by day in a fast, direct search for females, which instead wait motionless and release scent to attract mates. This species is common on heathland and moorland across much of England, with caterpillars overwintering and taking a full year or more to mature.

33. Kentish glory

Despite its name, the Kentish glory (Endromis versicolora) vanished from Kent and most of lowland England decades ago and now survives mainly in Scottish birch woodlands, making it one of the rarest and most range-restricted species on this list. Its wings show a bold pattern of brown, orange, and white bands that stand out clearly against birch bark.

Males have noticeably feathered antennae used to detect female pheromones across long distances and fly by day in early spring, often before the leaves have fully opened on their birch host trees. Because remaining populations are so localized, sightings in England itself are now exceptionally rare.

34. Lackey

The lackey moth (Malacosoma neustria) gets its name from the striped pattern on its wings, thought by Victorian naturalists to resemble a servant’s livery. Adults are orange-brown to straw-colored with darker cross-bands, while the caterpillars are far more memorable.

Lackey caterpillars are brightly striped in blue, red, yellow, and white and live communally in silken tent-like webs spun across hawthorn and blackthorn branches each spring. These conspicuous nests make the species easy to spot in hedgerows well before the adult moths ever appear in midsummer.

35. Mother Shipton

The Mother Shipton (Callistege mi) is named for the pattern on its mottled brown forewings, which resembles the profile of a hooked-nosed old woman’s face, said to echo the legendary Yorkshire prophetess the moth is named after. It’s a small, day-flying species found in grassy meadows and open countryside.

It flies alongside its close relative the burnet companion during May and June, often disturbed from grass by walkers before settling again just a short distance away. Caterpillars feed on clover and other low-growing legumes typical of unimproved grassland.

36. Orange moth

The orange moth (Angerona prunaria) shows a striking difference between the sexes, with males a warm orange marked by darker brown blotches and females noticeably paler, sometimes almost cream-colored. Both sexes have a similar overall wing shape typical of the wider geometrid family.

It flies at night from May into July and favors broadleaf woodland edges and scrubby hedgerows, where caterpillars feed on blackthorn, hawthorn, and bramble. As one of the more colorful geometrid moths in England, it rounds out a list that ranges from fist-sized hawk-moths to delicate day-flying burnets, proof that moths deserve far more attention than the drab reputation they’re usually given.