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National Moth Week 2023 -NW Library: Survival and Conservation

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Conservation Efforts

Currently, the farming industry's land clearing and insecticide use are the main threats to moths and their natural habitats, disturbing their delicate ecosystems. Additional threats to moths are climate change and the logging industry clearing acres of land from forests. 

photograph of land Clearing and brush removal in Fort Worth, Texas

carpenter worm moth camouflaging on top of tree bark

Survival

Moths are known creatures of deception. At every stage of their life, moths use tactics like mimicking and camouflage to ensure survival.

Many can mimic the native plants of their region, like the Carpenter Moth’s ability to mimic a bark texture.

Another common example is that night-flying moths will often have darker colors on their wings to prevent being seen by predators. Some night-flying moth species have colorful undersides on their wings to flash as warning colors to startle away predators. 

 


Source: Carter, David J., and Frank Greenaway. Butterflies and Moths. Dorling Kindersley, 2000.