It’s National Moth Week! This annual event happens at the end of July each year celebrating the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of these creatures.  

Moths are often thought of as the dark and drab cousins of butterflies, however, they come in all shapes and sizes and range in colors and patterns. Some display bright colors, warning predators not to eat them (they are poisonous), while others blend in with their surroundings using camouflage wings, artfully designed to match their habitats. 

It is important to protect moths as these insects pollinate our park and serve as a food source for other wildlife. We monitor them throughout their life cycles using the free iNaturalist app. Tracking this process helps ensure that mature moths have a place to lay their eggs, and caterpillars—soon to be moths—have a place to form cocoons. While you’re visiting the park, we encourage you to study and record their sightings, too. 

Moths are threatened by light pollution which affects their ability to navigate and often causes blindness. Controlling light pollution is essential for moth life cycles. They return the favor by traveling from flower to flower, usually at night as they are nocturnal species, moving pollen to fertilize our flowers with their fuzzy bodies. Unfortunately for the moth, they are often a food source for the park’s birds and bats! 

Each moth in Madison Square Park plays an important role in keeping the park green, help us celebrate one of the most diverse species on Earth.