The Hebrew character is named because the black marking on each of its forewings is said to look like a character from the Hebrew alphabet. This moth’s a night flier and isn’t averse to feeding in even the chilliest weather, so if you moth trap in the first cold months of spring, you can almost certainly be sure of at least one Hebrew character to make up for an otherwise meagre haul.

The clouded border is evidence that less can often be more – look at those gorgeous patterns. There’s no mistaking this moth with another species: it rests with its wings open so you can’t miss the black splodges on a bright white background.

A really common visitor to gardens and allotments, the garden carpet isn’t the most stand-out moth but does have some features that differentiate it from other ‘carpet’ species. Look for a wide, dark blotch that extends from the middle-edge of each forewing like a broken band with a jagged edge.

This is one of our largest and most distinctive moths. Its wings look like leaves and when it feels threatened, it flashes the most beautiful red patch on its underwings. Sometimes its normal grey colouring has a stunning purple tinge.

Poplar hawkmoths are really unusual in that their abdomen curves upwards and they rest with their wings held away from their body.

This is definitely the moth of summer – a day flier seen right across Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside on warm, sunny days. Each shimmering black forewing is bordered by a thick raspberry-red line, and has two red blobs at the bottom. When the cinnabar moth is in flight you can’t miss its completely red underwings!

The black and orange-striped caterpillars of this moth are famous for feeding on ragwort in huge numbers.

Large yellow underwings are so prolific during the summer months that they become the bane of many moth trappers’ lives, sometimes numbering triple figures! The bright yellow-orange of their underwings flashes beautifully when they take flight, but when they’re at rest, the best way to identify them is by the kidney shape that sits below a smaller spot. They also have a small black dot that sits right on the bottom edge of each forewing.

It isn’t hard to see where this shimmering beauty gets its name. The burnished brass looks like it’s been painted with liquid gold. It’s a great example of why you should let some patches of ‘weeds’ like nettles and thistles grow in your garden, as burnished brass caterpillars feed on nettles and spear thistles.

Elephant hawkmoths (and their weird-looking caterpillars) are one of the most common garden moths in the UK. The caterpillars adore fuchsias and the adult moths nectar on honeysuckle, so if you have these plants in your garden there’s a good chance these rainbow-bright insects will visit.

Did you know the silver Y is actually a migratory moth that flies over from the continent? It can arrive here in huge numbers, particular during late summer and early autumn. Its wings are a gorgeous, almost marbled mixture of dark grey, silver and brown, with a distinctive Y-shaped mark in the middle.

Is it a crispy autumn leaf? No, it’s the angle shades moth! Its crinkled-looking wings and pinkish-brown markings help to hide it from predators at the height of its flight season. They’re seen at rest quite frequently during the day, where they often sit on walls, fences or vegetation.

This is one fascinating moth – males vary from brown to orange, are covered in dark speckles and have dark bands running across their forewings. Females, on the other hand, are completely wingless! Rather than flying, they give out strong pheromones that bring amorous males straight to them.

Winter moths are pretty amazing. They can cope with freezing temperatures and are active on even the coldest days. Similar to mottled umbers, the females don’t actually have wings. Instead, they have the tiniest little winglets that render them incapable of flying.

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? This striking ball of fluff is easily recognisable among winter moth species: chocolate brown with creamy white markings. Males have incredible feathery antennae and both sexes are incapable of feeding, emerging from their pupae solely to mate.