Moth matters
Moth Week runs July 19-27. Here are some details on some of the locals in Southern California.
Most of us are not too thrilled about moths and blame them for being a nighttime nuisance and their caterpillars eating our clothes. But moths are vital ecosystem workers. They act as nighttime pollinators for a vast range of flowers and crops. Here are a few good things to thank these creatures for.
Working the night shift
Research shows they can pollinate certain plants at faster rates than other insects like bees. Over 45% of sampled moths transport pollen, and in some urban environments, they are responsible for pollinating up to 33% of plant species. Their fuzzy bodies easily collect pollen, which they transport as they visit various plant species, including night-blooming flowers.
According to the Penn State University Entomology Department, pollinators are essential to our environment because approximately 75% of all flowering plants rely on animal-assisted pollination to reproduce. They also play a significant role in our economy and diet, as one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of pollinators. Moths prefer pale and light-colored flowers because these blossoms reflect moonlight much better and are easier for moths to find in the dark.
Nature’s hot dogs
Moths and their caterpillars are a primary food source for songbirds, bats, frogs and small mammals. A single nest of chickadees requires thousands of caterpillars to raise its young. An article by the Audubon Society in 2020 was titled “An Ode to Nature’s Hot Dogs: Moth Caterpillars.”
Environmental health barometer
Because they are highly sensitive to habitat changes and depend on specific plants, scientists use moth populations to measure the overall health of ecosystems.
Textile production
The caterpillars of the domesticated silkworm moth (Bombyx mori) is the world’s primary source of natural silk.
Weed whackers
Certain moth caterpillars feed on invasive or nuisance weeds, which naturally helps manage unchecked plant growth in local habitats.
Old timers
Moths have existed for approximately 190 million years, with almost 170,000 moth species. Butterflies have only been around for 56 million years, and there are about 17,500 species of butterflies. Moths are in the insect order Lepidoptera, and they share this order with butterflies.
Sources: Erin Wilson Rankin entomologist Professor and Vice-Chair Department of Entomology University of California Riverside, UC Davis Entomology Department, iNaturalist.org, San Diego Zoo, Animalfact.com, Xerces Society, Penn State UniversityPhotos: David Rankin CC BY-NC, unless otherwise noted