Other things which may be causing problems for moths include changes in the way we manage our gardens, pesticides, herbicides and light pollution. However, the loss of habitats resulting from more intensive agriculture, commercial forestry, industry and urban development are likely to be major reasons. More research is needed to understand what is happening. The reasons for the loss of moths are likely to be many and complex, and may vary for different species. It is not clear what is causing the downward trend in our moth numbers. They specialise in eating hairy caterpillars, which most other birds avoid, and it has been suggested that the drop in our Cuckoo population may be linked to the decline in moth caterpillars like those of the Garden Tiger. Already, research has indicated that a decrease in the abundance of bats over farmland is related to the decline in the moths that they depend on. ![]() A serious decline in moth numbers could have disastrous knock-on effects for all these wildlife species. Moth caterpillars are especially important for feeding young chicks, including those of most familiar garden birds such as the Blue Tit and Great Tit, Robin, Wren and Blackbird. Moths and their caterpillars are important food items for many other species, including amphibians, small mammals, bats and many bird species. These alarming decreases in moth populations are not just bad news for the moths themselves, but also have worrying implications for the rest of our wildlife. Sadly, among the species which have declined are many beautiful moths which were previously very common and frequently seen in our gardens. Many individual species have declined dramatically in recent decades and over 60 became extinct in the 20th century. The situation is particularly bad in southern Britain, where moth numbers are down by 40%. Studies have found the overall number of moths has decreased by 28% since 1968. The harmful effects on nontarget species are critical issues in combating invasive plants and animals.Moths are declining in the UK. Meanwhile, those parasitoids have not ended the threat of the spongy moth. Unfortunately, those parasitoids also attack several of our native saturniids, including cecropia, luna, and promethea moths, reducing their populations in New England and elsewhere. People concerned with the devastation caused by spongy moth caterpillars identified insect parasitoids from the spongy moth’s native lands and introduced them to America. ![]() Populations of our native saturniid moths (the family that includes luna moths) are shrinking as an unanticipated result of fly and wasp parasites intentionally introduced to North America to prey on nonnative, invasive spongy moths. The caterpillars of luna moths can make clicking noises and vomit to deter predators. The tails on the hindwings of luna moths apparently disrupt the sonar that hunting bats use to locate the moths. Luna moth caterpillars are herbivores that graze on the vegetation of trees. She was also seriously into collecting and pinning moths, but when it came to lunas, she noted that dead specimens quickly lose their color, and that "a living moth must be seen to form a realizing sense of its shape and delicacy of colour." In the early 1900s, with only black and white photography at her disposal, she turned to watercolors to capture the luna's subtly clear greens, yellows, and purples. Stratton-Porter was a pioneering natural history writer, photographer, novelist, and film producer. Chapter 6, "Moths of the Moon," is about luna moths. If you're interested in moths, look for Gene Stratton-Porter's 1912 book "Moths of the Limberlost." It's a classic of natural history writing, written by a native Midwesterner. "Luna" originated as the name of a Roman moon goddess the Greek equivalent was the goddess Selene. The name "luna" means "moon," and it is the root of the words "lunar" and "lunatic" (a term that arose back when people thought the moon could have a harmful effect on human mentality). ![]() People who collect butterflies and moths consider these breathtakingly beautiful moths some of their prized specimens. The beauty of luna moths is appreciated by anyone who is lucky enough to spot them. Luna moths are often used in classrooms to teach insect life cycles.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |