Ynghylch

This broad, pale brown moth is one of the few species that can be seen on the wing in winter. They fly at night and are attracted to lights, though you can also find them resting on tree trunks. These are the moths you're likely to see fluttering in car headlights in winter. They can be found almost anywhere with trees and shrubs.

Female winter moths have stubby wings and cannot fly. They clamber up a tree trunk and give off pheromones to attract flying males. Their eggs are laid on the bark and don’t hatch until spring, when the tiny green caterpillars emerge. You might see them hanging down from trees on long threads of silk. They use these threads to drift from one tree to the next. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of a wide range of woody plants, including oaks, beech, sycamore and willows.