Over 220 varieties of moths and butterflies in castle garden

More than 220 species of moths and butterflies have been discovered in the garden of a National Trust property.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent has been found to provide an abundant habitat for winged insects in a two-month long audit of the garden's insect life.

The haven for moths and butterflies has been hailed as inviting for both visitors and wildlife by Warden Peter Dear.

He told the BBC: "We are currently in the process of doing a moth survey and we have already recorded a total of 221 moth species on the property in just two months.

"Our survey has also highlighted 20 different butterflies, including the rare white letter hairstreak, which has suffered dramatic decline in recent decades due to Dutch elm disease which kills off elm, the only source of food for the caterpillars of the white letter hairstreak."

The garden at Sissinghurst was designed by scribe Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson.

The grounds feature a lake and woodland walk as well as a vegetable garden that produces organic fruit and vegetables.

Related Stories

More wildlife sightings reported in urban gardens

Toads an alternative to gardening pesticides

Hampshire construction stopped over wildlife concerns

Some wildlife species 'need farmland to thrive'

Untidy gardens 'ideal' for wildlife

Associated Topics

Wildlife