Butterfly Conservation - Sussex Branch

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Which butterflies and moths use gardens?

To have success, you need to know what butterflies and moths are likely to visit your garden. Just because the Swallowtail butterfly likes Milk Parsley doesn't mean that if you plant Milk Parsley in your garden, you will get Swallowtails - they would have to fly from the Norfolk Broads to get to you!

It is easy to pick out the butterflies that are likely to visit your garden - there are only 45 regular species in Sussex, and many of those are restricted to special habitats or have a very restricted range.

With moths, it is more difficult. Even a small urban garden is likely to have 50 species or more passing through, while a big rural garden may have 300 species, but you will hardly see any of them unless you run a moth trap. We have therefore just picked out a sample of species that are either very very common, very distinctive, or have habits that mean they are easy to spot. You will DEFINITELY have more.

Of course, you may be very lucky and live right next to the Downs, or alongside a nature reserve, or near a river, in which case you may get really exciting species, but if you do just feel very smug.

Butterflies

Moths

Urban gardens