Like A Moth To A Flame

I love moths! I know a lot of folk are either for moths or against- they get a lot of bad press with people saying their the ugly version of a butterfly or weird because they come out at night but personally, I think their even more beautiful then butterflies and deserve our love and respect.

The word "moth" may conjure up images of drab brown insects sticking to your screen door on a summer night. But there's much more to these mostly-nocturnal fliers than

meets the eye. So let’s get all you moth anti folk, pro moths! - Did you know there are over 180,000 different kinds and they can be found on every continent – except the Antarctic! Butterflies and moths are part of the same group of insects, known as

‘Lepidoptera’. To tell them apart, butterflies fly in bright sunshine, while moths are most active at night.

Moths Outnumber Butterflies by a 9 to 1 Ratio! We tend to think of moths as creatures of the night, but this isn't always the case. Some moths are quite active during daylight hours. Moths evolved long before butterflies; moth fossils have been found that may be 190 million years old. While moths are notorious for eating clothing, most species do not, and some moth adults do not even eat at all. Some moths are farmed for their economic value. The most notable of these is the silkworm, the larva of the

domesticated moth  Bombyx mori . It is farmed for the silk with which it builds its cocoon. As of 2002, the silk industry produces more than 130 million kilograms of raw silk. Moths have an amazing sense of smell and we don't often think of moths as pollinators, perhaps because we aren't outside in the dark watching them work. But While butterflies get all the credit, there are plenty of moths moving pollen from flower to flower. Some moths don’t even have mouths!

They emerge from their cocoons ready to mate, and content to die soon afterward. Since they won't be around for very long, they can get by on the energy they stored as caterpillars. If you don't plan on eating, there's really no point in developing a fully-functioning mouth. And did you know that months have some pretty cool ways of avoiding getting eaten- When everything in your world is intent on eating you, you've got to get a little creative to stay alive. Moths employ all kinds of interesting tricks to avoid predation. Some are masterful mimics, such as caterpillars that look like twigs and adult moths that blend in with tree bark. Others use "startle markings" like the underwing moths that flash brightly coloured hindwings to distract pursuing predators. Tiger moths produce ultrasonic clicking sounds that confuse sonar-guided bats.

And I know your all asking the really important question- why are moths drawn to light?

Or in the case of the old saying “like a moth to a flame?” well….insects are drawn to bright lights because they confuse the animals's navigational systems. It's a familiar sight, especially in the summertime: moths and other insects gathered around lights like lamps. Sadly, Often, creatures entrained in such a glow get eaten by predators or overheat.

So there you have it! The most splendid moth! Now who can so I’ve not managed to change your mind?