Does mixed farming benefit moths? Exploring how different farming systems shape both local features and the wider landscape.

Abstract

Lepidoptera are important pollinators and provide an essential food source for higher taxa, yet many species that were once widespread are in decline across Europe and in the UK. This is largely due to practices associated with intensive farming, such as pesticide and fertiliser applications and habitat loss. If we are to reverse biodiversity decline whilst feeding an ever-growing human population, we must find ways of farming that are beneficial for insects. ‘Mixed’ farming, where livestock are integrated into the crop rotation, is thought to provide benefits to biodiversity by reducing synthetic inputs and by increasing habitat and crop diversity. However, at commercial stocking levels, livestock can have detrimental impacts on grassland Lepidoptera. We investigate the different pathways through which mixed farming could benefit moths in comparison to arable farming (where livestock are absent). Between June and August 2022, twenty-six farms in Scotland were surveyed for moths using ultra-violet LED light t