THIS year has been a rough one generally for our Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths).

What with long-term issues like habitat loss, they’ve also had to face some fairly ropey weather, which doesn’t help when you’re essentially relying on the sun’s warmth to get you up and about.

There have been signs in the last few weeks of more flying insects on the wing, as a result of a bit more sunshine.

One of the more common recent sightings, butterfly-wise at least, has been the peacock.

The great thing about the peacock is that it’s so distinctive and, like its avian namesake, is easy to identify. The (mainly) red wings carry large 'eyespot' patterns which are thought to frighten and confuse potential predators, especially birds. By contrast, the underside of the wings is dull brownish-black, which provides excellent camouflage when the butterfly is at rest or hibernating.

As if these defences weren’t enough, the peacock can also produce a hissing sound by rasping its wings – this seems to be a very effective deterrent against small mammal predators.

Male peacocks are very territorial and have been observed attempting to chase away small birds that get too close. These territories are often based around patches of nettles.

The nettle is the main food plant of peacock caterpillars and therefore attracts females looking for suitable sites to lay their eggs. All of which is a good reason for us to cherish our nettle patches. We should all embrace the nettle – metaphorically speaking.

Late summer can be a good time to go moth hunting – the evenings are generally warm enough for these insects to be very active, but it’s beginning to get dark a bit earlier, so you don’t have to wait too long for the nocturnal wildlife to make an appearance.

Moths are a difficult group of animals to get your head around: there are more than 2,500 species in the UK and many are difficult for the non-expert to tell apart.

However, some are a bit more user-friendly, like the silver Y, for example. This is a medium-sized moth in various shades of brown and grey providing excellent camouflage. However, in the middle of each forewing there is a silvery-white mark resembling the letter Y. Alternatively, the mark looks like the Greek letter gamma, which gives the moth its scientific name Autographa gamma.

Happily, this is a moth which will fly during the day as well as night, making it relatively easy to spot. It will feed on the nectar of a wide variety of flowers and can be found in almost any habitat, including gardens.

Perhaps surprisingly, the silver Y is a migrant to this country, arriving from Europe in the spring, sometimes in very large numbers.

So, whilst it hasn’t been the greatest summer for butterflies and moths, they’re still out there and well worth searching out. Look out for them on warm days, feeding on nectar-rich late-flowering plants such as knapweed and ragwort.