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Creatures of the night - how to identify nocturnal wildlife
Andrew Halstead, Principal Entomologist for the RHS, identifies some creatures that you may encounter on your Wild Night Out.
Angle shades ( Phlogophora meticulosa )
The colours of this native moth vary from olive-green to pinkish-brown and at rest it resembles a wrinkled leaf.
Food: The caterpillars of this moth feed on the foliage and flower buds of many wild and cultivated plants. The adult moths may be found visiting flowers or can be lured to sugared fence posts. Silver Y moth ( Autographa gamma )
A common migrant moth that visits UK gardens in the summer, sometimes in thousands under the right conditions.
Food: They feed on the nectar of flowers at dusk and after dark. The caterpillars feed on foliage of many wild and cultivated herbaceous plants. Elephant hawkmoth ( Deilephila elpenor )
The adult moths of this native species fly in early summer, but the equally spectacular caterpillars should be around in late summer.
Food: Caterpillars (right) emerge at night to eat the foliage of various plants, especially fuchsia.
Pipistrelle bats ( Pipistrellus pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus )
The two pipistrelle bats are Britain’s smallest and most common type of bat. Their flight pattern is fast and jerky as they chase and eat insects in mid-flight. Look for them at dusk as they fly out from roofs.
Appearance: Medium to dark brown, with head and body length of 35-45mm, and wingspan of 190-250mm.
Food: Small moths, lacewings, mosquitoes, and other small night-flying insects. Long-eared bat ( Plecotus auritus )
These bats can be seen flying after dark from their summer roosts of old buildings, churches and trees. Their flight pattern includes steep dives and short glides as they glean insects from foliage and tree bark. (include pic)
Appearance: Medium-sized (37-48mm) with ears almost as long as their body. Their wingspan reaches 230-285mm.
Food: moths, spiders, dung beetles, earwigs and flies. * Please note that the handling of bats and the disturbance of their roosting sites is illegal. Please do not handle bats unless you have a licence.
Glow worm ( Lampyris noctiluca )
If you are very lucky, you may spot the twinkling lights of glow worm beetles in your garden. Though mostly found in areas of unmown grass, these insects have been spotted among the undergrowth in gardens so it’s worth a good look. Try looking for the faint greenish-white light produced by female glow worms clinging to plant stems. Glow worm larvae glow more faintly and may be found during the day under stones or logs.
Appearance: A greyish-brown beetle up to 20mm long.
Food: At night they emerge to search for the snails on which they feed. Hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus )
A common garden dweller and one that all gardeners should be pleased to see as they feed on pests such as slugs, snails and caterpillars - up to 200 grams worth every night! Listen out for the distinctive snorting noise (which led to their pig-related name) as they shuffle through the undergrowth of your garden. They are generally shy of humans, so tread quietly, but can be persuaded to wander into the open if you place a saucer of cat or dog food on your lawn.
Tips on how to attract nocturnal creatures
The best plants for a night-time garden
All images copyright the RHS, except the hedgehog, angel shades moth and elephant hawkmoth caterpillar which are copyright RHS/A J Halstead and the pipistrelle bat and long-eared bat which are copyright the Bat Conservation Trust and the photographer.