The attractive, easily identified and day-flying butterflies have received a lot of attention and the list will probably never by increased (unless a rare migrant Clouded Yellow passes through!)

The moths (some of which are day-flyers too) have been studied to a reasonable extent with a moth trap run there on several occasions.

The Large Skipper is a bright amber-coloured butterfly that depends on grasslands. It occurs at Keyworth Meadow and was chosen as the emblem for the reserve. During May, a small day-flying moth, the Chimney Sweeper, can be found fluttering around its host plant, Pignut.

For a fuller account of butterflies and moths locally see

Hepialidae

14 Ghost Moth Hepialus lumuli
15 Orange Swift Hepialus sylvina
17 Common Swift Hepialus lupulinus

Nepticulidae

50 Stigmella aurella

Zygaeninae

171 Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet Zygaena lonicerae

Choreutidae

385 Nettle-tap Moth Anthophila fabriciana

Oecophoridae

358 Carcina quercana

Tortricidae

937 Agapeta hamana
989 Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana
998 Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana
1033 Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana
1097 Endothenia gentianaeana

Pyralidae

1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella
1305 Agriphilla tristella
1331 Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella
1358 Evergestis pallidata
1376 Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata
1388 Udea lutealis
1398 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella
1405 Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis
1439 Trachyceria advenella

Plume moths - Pterophoridae

1513 White Plume moth Pterophorus pentadactyla

Whites - Pieridae

Small White Artogeia rapae
Green-veined White A. napi
Large White Pieris brassicae
Orange-tip Anthocaris cardamines
Brimstone Gonopteryx rhamni

Admirals, Tortoiseshells and kin - Nymphalidae

Peacock Inachis io
Comma Polygonia c-album
Painted Lady Cynthia cardui
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae

Browns - Satyridae

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus
Gatekeeper (Hedge Brown) Pyronia tithonus
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Wall Lasiommata megera

Hairstreaks, Coppers & Blues - Lycaenidae

Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Brown Argus Aricia agestis

Skippers - Hesperiidae

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
Large Skipper Ochlodes venatus

Eggars - Lasiocampidae

1640 Drinker Philudoria potatoria

Hook-tips - Drepanidae

1646 Oak Hook-tip Drepana binaria
1651 Chinese Character Cilix glaucata

Geometers - Geometridae

1682 Bloodvein Timandra griseata
1693 Cream Wave Scopula floslactata
1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe spadicearia
1727 Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata
1728 Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata
1738 Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata
1742 Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata
1750 Water Carpet Lampropteryx suffumata
1758 Barred Straw Eulithis pyraliata
1764 Common Marbled Carpet Chloroclysta truncata
1776 Green Carpet Colostigia pectintaria
1825 Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata
1834 Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata
1870 Chimney Sweeper Odezia atrata
1884 Magpie Abraxas grossulariata
1913 Canary-shouldered Thorn Ennomos alniaria
1914 Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria
1917 Early Thorn Selenia dentaria
1923 Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria
1937 Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria
1956 Common Wave Cabera exanthemata
1958 Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata

Hawk-moths - Sphingidae

1980 Eyed Hawkmoth Smerinthus ocellata
1981 Poplar Hawkmoth Laothoe populi
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpinor

Prominents and kittens - Notodontidae

1997 Sallow Kitten Furcula furcula
2007 Swallow Prominent Pheosia tremula
2011 Pale Prominent Pterostoma palpina

Tussock Moths - Lymantriidae

2028 Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda
2030 Yellow-tail Euproctis similis

Tigers - Arctiidae

2061 Buff Ermine Spilosoma luteum
2064 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa

Noctuids - Noctuidae

2077 Short-cloaked Nola cucullatella
2082 Garden Dart Euxoa nigricans
2089 Heart & Dart Agrotis exclamationis
2092 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta
2102 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta
2107 Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba
2109 Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes
2110 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua fimbriata
2111 Lesser Broad-bordered YU Noctua janthe
2112 Least Yellow Underwing Noctua interjecta
2123 Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi
2126 Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum
2133 Six-striped Rustic Xestria sexstrigata
2134 Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa
2145 Nutmeg Discestra trifoli
2187 Common Quaker Orthosia cerasi
2190 Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica
2198 Smoky Wainscot Mythimna impura
2199 Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens
2269 Centre-barred Sallow Atethmia centrago
2297 Copper Underwing agg Amphipyra pyramidea/berbera
2299 Mouse Amphipyra tragopoginis
2306 Angle Shades Phlogophera meticulosa
2321 Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha
2331 Small Clouded Brindle Apamea unanimis
2334 Rustic Shoulder-knot Apamea sordens
2337 Marbled Minor agg Oligia sp,
2340 Middle-barred Minor Oligia fasciuncula
2341 Cloaked Minor Mesoligia furuncula
2343 Common Rustic agg Mesapamea secalis/didyma
2352 Dusky Sallow Eremobia ochroleuca
2397 Small Yellow Underwing Panemeria tenebrata
2434 Burnished Brass Diachrysia chrysitis
2439 Gold Spot Plusia festucae
2441 Silver Y Autographa gamma
2462 Mother Shipton Euclidia mi
2474 Straw Dot Rivula sericealis