Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • Australia
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. Australia
  3. 2020
  4. July 18
  5. Nine-spotted moth in Switzerland
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Nine-spotted moth in Switzerland

July 18, 2020

Nine-spotted moth in Switzerland

© Thomas Marent/Minden Picture

The moth wonderful creatures

All too often dismissed as pesky, drab counterparts to our brightly fluttering friends the butterflies, moths seem to hog every light but the spotlight. But they don't need flashy marketing to win the numbers game: With an estimated 160,000 moth species (though some estimates go up to half a million), they vastly outnumber their swaggering butterfly cousins in the Lepidoptera order.

Plus, as the nine-spotted moth in today's image proves, butterflies don't have such a wing up on pretty patterning as you might think. The moth's orange stripes and white flecks across its 3.8-centimetre wingspan make it one of many moths that show aposematism, biologist-ese for colourful visual features that say 'I taste bad' to predators but 'I look cool' to humans. And that's not all moths can tell us: Moths are important bioindicators, meaning a healthy moth population in most cases indicates a healthy environment. So perhaps consider occasionally leaving your outdoor light on a few nights to see what kind of moth-ley crew swarms to your door.

butterfly moths and butterflies invertebrate insect animal black yellow pollinator colored

Related Images

Group of giant cuttlefish in Spencer Gulf, off Whyalla, South AustraliaGroup of giant cuttlefish in Spencer Gulf, off Whyalla, South Australia
Short-eared owl hunting in heavy snowShort-eared owl hunting in heavy snow
Bee tending a honeycombBee tending a honeycomb
Butterflies in a meadow in GermanyButterflies in a meadow in Germany
Tiny gecko on leaf spearTiny gecko on leaf spear
Monarch butterflies feeding from blazing star wildflowersMonarch butterflies feeding from blazing star wildflowers
Tegalalang terrace farms in Ubud, IndonesiaTegalalang terrace farms in Ubud, Indonesia
European honey bees in Sheffield, EnglandEuropean honey bees in Sheffield, England

Today on Bing

Coral reef in the Indian Ocean, Mayotte, France

Coral reef in the Indian Ocean, Mayotte, France

Jul 18, 2024
Great hornbill, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Great hornbill, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Jul 18, 2023
Omijima Island, Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park, Japan

Omijima Island, Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park, Japan

Jul 18, 2022
Pink salt lake, Gruissan, France

Pink salt lake, Gruissan, France

Jul 18, 2021
Leatherback sea turtles in Trinidad and Tobago

Leatherback sea turtles in Trinidad and Tobago

Jul 18, 2019

Related Tags

invertebrate insect animal water butterfly plant flower pollinator reef mollusk fish aquarium underwater marine invertebrates moths and butterflies cuttlefish marine biology honeycomb closeup amber
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.