Hawkmoth appeal

Hawkmoth appeal update

Thanks to the phenomenal response to our appeal by supporters, we are pleased to announce that we have raised all the funds necessary to secure the hawkmoth collection – a huge thank you to everyone who supported us.

We will be putting some of the hawkmoths on display for a limited period later in the year – keep watching this space for further details.

Insects at the Museum

Insects make up about 80% of the world’s species of wildlife. They play a vital role in nature and the Museum has many ways of finding out about, identifying, and conserving them.

To get involved, try visiting our bug forum where you can discuss all things bug-related. It includes comments from the Museum’s expert scientists who can help identify bugs from your home or garden.

For tips about identifying insects, go walking with woodlice , use the bumblebee identification key, or visit our bug gallery that includes images of many different types of bugs. You can also watch some of the Museum’s bugs live online.

Our Entomology Department is the largest in the UK and over 28 million specimens are looked after there. Hawkmoths are one area of the collections that the Museum is focusing on at the moment. To find out about the rest of our insect specimens, visit the Entomology collections and the Entomology Department online.