From the ominous Death's-head hawk-moth to the carnivorous habits of round-leaved sundew, plenty of British wildlife has a gruesome reputation. But does it deserve it? Read on to learn more about some of our spookiest species and how they help us.

Bats

There are 17 species of bat in the UK, meaning they make up a quarter of all our mammals! All UK bats are nocturnal – preferring to leave their haunts only at night.

Despite a spooky reputation and association with vampires, bats are actually very helpful visitors to have in your garden because of their bug-eating habits. They feed on midges, mosquitos, and other flying insects that they find in the dark by using echolocation. Pipistrelle bats can easily eat 3,000 insects a night!

Could you build a bat box?

Ghost moth

The ghost moth is so-called because of the male's spectral white wings and wraithlike behaviour. When seeking mates, male moths glide over open ground at dusk, slowly floating up and down in the twilight.

What's really spooky is the fact that ghost moth adults have no functioning mouthparts, so they cannot eat anything! 

Moths are important creatures in our ecosystems, pollinating flowers and providing food for birds and bats which rely on them. The only scary thing about them is how rapidly they are declining in the UK - with 28% lost since 1968.

Attract moths and bats to your garden

Ravens

Many people consider ravens imposing, gothic, and haunting. In some cultures they predict ill omens, or are associated with lost souls. But there's a softer and more caring side to these misunderstood birds - ravens pair for life, and often remain in family groups.

Ravens, like all members of the crow family, are highly intelligent, with similar problem-solving skills to that of a seven year old child. They can use tools to access food and even make their own tools from tree bark or twigs to solve problems.

Corvids eat a variety of foods including nuts, fruits, seeds and meat scraps.

How to feed garden birds

Fly agaric

The classic fairy tale toadstool, this red and white fungus is often found beneath birch trees in autumn. Like most fungi, the parts we see are just the fruiting bodies, or mushrooms. These grow up from an unseen network of tiny filaments called hyphae, which together form a structure known as the mycelium. The mycelium of fly agaric often forms a symbiotic relationship with the trees around it, wrapping around the roots and supplying them with nutrients taken from the soil. In exchange, the fungus receives sugars produced by the trees.

Fly agarics are poisonous, giving them a frightening reputation, although fungi are very beneficial for our ecosystems, helping to recycle nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter, and providing food and shelter for different animals.

Identify fungi