Moths evolved to deal with flowers. Their long, tube-like
tongues are just right for sipping nectar from long-necked blossoms. Nectar is
practically the only food of adult moths, thus a strong partnership with
flowers developed. We are familiar with butterflies pollinating flowers, but
easily forget about moths. Actually, butterflies are a specialized type of
moths, or, more properly they are all Lepidoptera.
Then, it is important to learn more about the role of moths in
pollination. Here are a few articles that deal with this subject.
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| Yellow-collared scape moth on turtlehead |
Crambid snout moths
Gardening for Honorary Butterflies: Mint Moths
Hummingbird Moths. Where do they go in Winter?
Inch worms: more little known pollinators
Little known moth pollinators: seed casebearers and flower moths
Metalmark moths. More little known pollinators
Noctuids, another family of little known pollinators
Plume Moths. More Little Known Pollinators
Pollinators, the Night Shift
Yellow-collared scape moth
The Yucca Moth and the Yucca
Zygaenidae, more little known pollinators
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| Geometrid caterpillar, or inchworm (Eupithecia) on sunflower |
Other Articles on Moths and other Lepidoptera:
Bugs in the Garden. Hornworm: Friend or Foe? Friend and Foe
Caterpillars are for the Birds
Food for wildlife
Gardening for Honorary Butterflies (Mint Moths)
Pollinators in Winter: Fritillaries
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| Hummingbird moth on Monarda |
Hawk Moths
Ailanthus Web-worm Moth
Yellow-collared Scape Moth
Carnivorous Lepidoptera. In Bugguide.net
Projectile Frassing. In Flickr
Pollinators in second shift: moths. Dave's Garden
Pollination by Nocturnal Lepidoptera and Effects of Light Pollution: a Review
Videos
© Beatriz Moisset. 2012