A Loepa oberthuri moth
© Robert Thompson/Minden Picture
Pretty, pretty… butterfly?
Not quite. This winsome winged creature is a moth, a Loepa oberthuri to be exact, a type of silkmoth. It's the star of our homepage because today marks the start of National Moth Week, which shines the porch light on this unlikely hero. Unlike their showier cousins, butterflies, moths get a bad rap from time to time, and that’s fair, as caterpillars of some moth species are agricultural pests. But before you break out the mothballs, consider this - scientists estimate that there are some 160,000 species of moths worldwide, many just as stunning as our silkmoth today, and tracking their health often helps us gauge the health of entire ecosystems. So, we encourage you to investigate moths this week right in your own backyard. All you have to do is turn on the porch light and the moths will come calling.
Tiny gecko on leaf
Monarch butterflies feeding from blazing star wildflowers
Tegalalang terrace farms in Ubud, Indonesia
European honeybees in Sheffield, England
Mediterranean red sea stars, Mediterranean Sea
Glass octopus in the Atlantic Ocean off Cabo Verde
A pair of silver-studded blue butterflies
Golden jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake on the island of Eil Malk, Palau
