National Moth Week 2014 celebrates the beauty and diversity of ALL moths, but we are giving silk moths extra special attention this year. It’s easy to see why when you visit the silk moth page on Encyclopedia of Life’s website, an important partner of NMW.
Expect to be dazzled by the variety and sizes of silk moths. Some of the largest and most visually striking moths in the world are silk moths, which are members of the Saturniidae family. There are about 2,300 species of silk moths worldwide. National Moth Week’s symbol, the Automeris io, is a colorful silk moth found in the U.S. and Canada.
Silk moths are found throughout the world, but their populations recently have shown declines, according to NMW team member Dr. Elena Tartaglia.
“As scientists have observed the decline in Monarch butterflies as their habitat disappears, we need to pay attention to similar declines in the populations of other Lepidoptera, the insect order that includes moths and butterflies,” said Elena.
So, we hope you’ll be on the lookout for silk moths at your NMW events this year. You can post your photos or seek help identifying the moths you find with our partner organizations.
National Moth Week is just a little more than a month away! Make sure to register your event.
