I’ve written before about how light pollution can affect moth behavior and foraging and studies have shown that light pollution can affect the way moths escape from predators such as bats. But did you know that odor pollution can adversely affect moths as well? We already know that moths are amazing at chemosensing – some …
I mentioned in my last post on diurnal Sphingidae that several species are mimics of hummingbirds and bumblebees. Today I’ll talk a little more about mimicry. In evolutionary biology, mimicry is the imitation of one species by another species that results in protection from predators to one or both of the species. Stories of mimicry …
One common misconception about moths vs. butterflies is that moths are nocturnal (active at night) and butterflies are diurnal (active during the day). While this is true in the vast majority of cases, there are a few diurnal moths, some of which are members of the Sphingidae. Today, I’ll introduce you to a few day-flying …
Sphingidae (and several other moth taxa) play a critical role in many ecosystems – that of pollinators. Pollination is a mutualism – an ecological relationship where both partners get a benefit. The pollinator gets food in the form of nectar (and sometimes pollen) from the flower, while the plant gets pollinated – that is, it is …
As you’re probably aware if you are following NMW news, we’ve designated 2015 as the year of the Hawkmoth, so over the next few weeks we’ll feature some blog posts on them. There are about 1400 species of Sphingidae, which can be found all over the world. Hawkmoth is one common name for moths in the …
Introducing a new website – Moths of Belize by Ian Morton “a photographic record and field guide to the moths of Southern Belize”. Well, if you are interested in wildlife then this could be paradise! We live just a mile and half from the sleepy town of Punta Gorda in the jungle of Southern Belize, …
Ian sent us this blog post from Hickatee Cottages, Southern Belize: I thought that this was a fun title and a good excuse to post images of some of National Moth Week’s spotlighted family, Sphingidae, as well as some of the critters that use moths as their hosts for part of their lifecycle – in …
Mighty moths and moths with mites! Guest post by Ian Morton, Belize Read More »
Happy New Year from the National Moth Week team! While National Moth Week celebrates the diversity of all moths, we like to shine a light—literally and figuratively—on a certain family of moths. Last year, we celebrated the year of the Silk moth (Saturniidae). This year, we are celebrating the family Sphingidae. Robust fliers with distinctive wing …
National Moth Week 2015: The Year of the Sphinx Moth Read More »
The Project Noah Moth of the Month for October is the Tau Emperor (Aglia tau), spotted by Project Noah member Daniele Pralong in Switzerland! The Tau Emperor (Aglia tau) has a very interesting adult behavior. The males, with larger feathery antennae as pictured above, fly diurnally, while the females only fly at night. Although this may …
Project Noah Moth of the Month: Tau Emperor (Aglia tau) Read More »
Project Noah‘s Moth of the Month is the Confusing Petrophila, Petrophila confusalis, spotted by Tristan Pragnell! Submit moths to the Moths of the World mission on Project Noah throughout the year to contribute to citizen science and global moth appreciation! For many moths and their larvae, submergence in water can lead to an inevitable death. However, some …
Project Noah Moth of the Month—Confusing Petrophila Read More »
National Moth Week is a project of the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission (Friends of EBEC), a 501c-3 nonprofit organization.
©️ 2024 National Moth Week. All Rights Reserved.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to analyze our website traffic, and to understand where our visitors are coming from. By clicking “Accept,” you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. You can manage your cookie preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by accessing the cookie settings in your browser. For more information about how we use cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.