Moths are having a moment this week because it is National Moth Week, and community scientists around the world are seeking them out!
But you wouldn’t know it to talk to my cycling pal, Kaily. Today Kaily and I were pedaling along a backroad––we had plenty of time to fill with chit-chat––so I decided to tell her about how I was going out at night to search for moths. She flat-voiced this reply:
“I don’t think I care about moths.”
See what it’s like for the non-charismatic insects of the world? 1 Just see exactly the BS they have to put up with around here?
Don’t care about moths, huh? Does Kaily know that moth species outnumber butterflies 9 to 1? That moths are more productive pollinators than bees? That moth larvae caterpillar waste returns crucial chemicals to our soil? That some moths are such lookers that they beat butterflies in the beauty department by a country mile?
Probably no. By now, Kaily was a good country mile ahead of me. Was she trying to avoid me? Community science? Who knows, but it’ll never work! I raced ahead to catch her, thinking how later, over iced coffees, I’d tell her about the plight of uncharismatic insects.
Moths can actually be quite meaningful. The Moth Storytelling project, winner of the 2010 Peabody Award for excellent radio broadcasting, started in 1997 when neighbors sitting out in the evening became fond of watching moths circle the porch light as they shared tales down in St. Simons, Ga.
The Luna Moth. Source: AZ Animals.
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The community science activity for National Moth Week is mainly to go out at night and try to observe moths and submit observations (images plus a few lines of story) to the project webpage. Here’s how it went for me:
Night 1: Following my moth-viewing instructions, I strung up a white sheet near an outdoor light close to foliage in the front yard. I went outside at 9 p.m. to have a look and convinced Fred to come along. We hung around for 15 minutes and didn't see any moths, then my sheet fell into the dirt, so we sat on the driveway in the dark and enjoyed a cicada symphony. Just before I went in, I caught a glimpse of a tiny flit of a tiny moth beside the front porch light, but it didn’t hang around. Moth count: 1.
Night 2: No sheet, but I sat on the front porch near my two porch lights, and I unsuccessfully looked for moths in flight, or in repose on a surface, for maybe 15 minutes. Two barred owls were out, however, and their abrupt crazy-person screams over my head gave me an powerful jolt of nature. Plenty of cicadas too, but . . . Moth count: 0.
Night 3: I’d read that sometimes moths can be seen in the daytime near businesses which have lights on all night. During the day, I checked the outside of a Walmart, a Texaco, and a Waffle House and scanned surfaces. Nada. I gave it 30 minutes outside in the evening this night hoping, at least, that the owls were back. But no. Just cicadas. Moth count: 0.
Night 4: I read some more instructions that advised putting white paper over the light because moths like to land on something white. Doing this, finally I got what I think is a Crambid snout moth (the tiny one) and a Porcelain Gray. Yay. Moth count: 2.
From l-r, the porch light setup, the Crambid snout moth, the Porcelain gray.
In the end, my moth-spotting didn't amount to much. Phil Delestrez, a Georgia park ranger and butterfly expert, last week had much better luck. He gave me permission to share some beautiful moth photos he posted to his Facebook page last week:
Delestrez on 7.20.23: “On our way to visit a couple of our North East Georgia Parks today, we stopped to get fuel. On the wall of the store we found these two gorgeous Regal Moths! Likely attracted by the gas station lights the night before. The caterpillars are called “hickory horned devils” because of their size and fierce appearance. but it’s all for looks, the caterpillars are totally harmless! The adult Moths are truly “Regal”!”
A Regal Moth at a regular gas station.
Moths are like canaries in the coal mine
Unfortunately, moth numbers are decreasing. According to Butterfly Conservation, many individual species have declined more than 30% in recent decades and over 60 became extinct in the 20th century. Moths play a vital role in indicating the health of our environment because they are widespread, live in various habitats, and are incredibly sensitive to changes. This makes them excellent as "indicator species" that help show when something is amiss. By closely monitoring moth populations and where they are found, researchers can gather important information about environmental changes caused by things like new farming practices, pesticides, air pollution, and climate change. Community science can help. Whether you participate in a special week dedicated to moths, or just try to submit images to iNaturalist when you do see one, your small efforts can make a difference.
Three more things before you go (to tape paper to your porch light):
A new book on moths is getting rave reviews: “The Lives of Moths,” by Andrei Sourakov, was published last year and is filled with striking imagery.
Because I appreciate you as a reader and a friend, here’s a moth-related gift for your weekend: the top 10 most popular episodes of The Moth podcast in its 25-year history.
A tasar moth laid on my deck railing this morning! As beautiful as any butterfly. Thanks for educating me more about moths!
Hang a nice wool sweater under the porch light. That should work.