Moths in the wizarding world appear largely identical to their Muggle counterparts. However, specific sightings in the novels suggest unusual or notable specimens are collected by wizards. In Borgin and Burkes, Harry Potter observes a box containing what look like “giant, black moths”. Later, in the Room of Requirement, he sees a glass-fronted cabinet filled with dead, framed moths. While the specific species are not identified in the text, their context—surrounded by dark artefacts—suggests they may be a magical variant or a species with a sinister reputation, such as the Death's-head hawkmoth, an insect known in the Muggle world for the skull-like pattern on its thorax. The term “moth-eaten” is also used to describe decaying objects, such as old cloaks found in the Room of Requirement, linking the creatures to themes of age and neglect.
In the canonical texts, moths are not used in potions or spell-casting but are instead featured as collected items that contribute to a dark or mysterious atmosphere. Their presence is strongly linked to locations associated with the Dark Arts or the accumulation of lost magical objects.
The primary role of moths in the series is atmospheric. They function as a symbolic detail to establish the sinister, decaying, or long-forgotten nature of certain magical places. Their appearance in Borgin and Burkes alongside other Dark Arts objects immediately signals the shop's dangerous character. Similarly, their presence within the Room of Requirement's “room of hidden things” underscores the sheer age and neglect of the countless items stored there, including a Horcrux. They are a visual shorthand for the darker, more neglected corners of the magical world.