UK Moths Go North

Butterfly Conservation and Northumberland University used data, collected 1968-2002, to confirm that cold-adapted species of UK moths, are relocating to the North-West. Climate change is making more Southerly locations too hot and dry for these species (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/22/drought-threatening-british-moth-species-with-local-extinction). Species like the Garden tiger moth appear especially influenced. Fewer local extinctions seem to occur in places where annual rainfall remains high. This is probably a consequence of food-plants for caterpillars persisting in such areas. Moths are very dependent on food-plants. It's suggested that more should be done, especially in the South, to maintain irrigation in 'wild', as well as agricultural, locations.