The Last Full Week of July is National Moth Week (July 20-28). Well, I certainly didn’t know this until I recently received an email and now I’m wondering what this is all about.

I read on the Garden for Wildlife Website, that we are encouraged to host a mothing event. Our event can even be registered! Your event can be as simple as your family sitting on the porch and noting the moths attracted to a light. We are encouraged to be more mindful of their beauty, life cycle and the habits of moths around the world.

 

Did you know that we have more moths than butterflies? There are roughly 14,000 species of moths in North America. For every species of butterfly on the planet, there of 19 species of moth, says entomologist Doug Tallamy. See the graphic below showing North Carolina Moths. 

So why are moths important? Moths are important in the ecosystem in many ways. They are pollinators— especially at night when other pollinators are asleep; a food source—providing food for song birds, bats, mammals … and an early warning indicator —if the number of moths in an ecosystem decreases, it could be a sign the ecosystems is in trouble.

Remember, moths love native plants.  ​