The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is working to prevent the extinction of the rare dark-bordered beauty moth, which is found at its last known site in England, the military training area at Strensall Common near York.
Despite the site’s primary use for military training, the MoD, alongside the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and biologists from the University of York, is taking steps to protect the moth.
Retired Major Patrick Ennis, from the DIO and MoD Strensall Conservation Group, emphasised the need to balance military activities with conservation efforts.
“While the primary use of the land is to enable our military to train, we are equally committed to supporting nature recovery by balancing the conservation of species and their habitats with military training requirements,” he said.
The moth’s population at Strensall Common has declined by over 90% since records began in 1894, with only 50 to 100 individuals remaining in the 57-hectare heathland.
The moth relies on creeping willow, a plant it feeds on and uses for laying eggs, but this willow is decreasing due to wildfires and grazing by livestock, further threatening the moth’s survival.
To aid the moth’s recovery, the MoD is funding and providing materials for the DIO to fence off areas of creeping willow, following advice from University of York biologists.
Volunteers from the charity Butterfly Conservation are also growing more creeping willow from seed.
Dr Peter Mayhew, from the University, said the moth was of “enormous cultural importance”.
“[This] was the population where the moth was first discovered in the UK,” he said.
“The moth has only survived thanks to the protection of the heathland provided by the military training area.
“Seeing the moth fly on a sunny morning is a never-to-be-forgotten experience which future generations deserve to enjoy.”
Additionally, the local Yorventure charity has contributed funding, and conservationists are considering a trial captive breeding program in the York area.
Beyond Strensall Common, the dark-bordered beauty moth is only found in Scotland’s Cairngorms, where a project recently released 160 moths to boost their population and prevent extinction.
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