By: Chelsea Jandreau, Senior Nature Educator
The temperature is still in flux, and this will likely remain true as we continue to march forward through spring. However, there appears to be a steady upward trend towards warmth and sunshine, and nature is responding accordingly. As I write this, I am looking out the window at a downtown street, but even here the trees have buds, flowers, and small, green leaves. The small maple tree is full of new samaras, the helicopter seeds that spin to the ground in the wind.
However, once we manage to reach mid-spring, after the plants wake up and begin flourishing, another wave of life starts coming out, to a mix of delight and disdain by the people around them. Thousands of tiny creatures in all shapes, sizes, and colors begin emerging, letting us know that we are well on our way to truly warmer weather. Arthropods, like insects, arachnids, crustaceans, millipedes, and a number of other invertebrates are starting to come out. Some of these animals are generally looked upon favorably, while others, such as mosquitoes and ticks, are a dreaded but unavoidable presence when outside.
This morning when I opened the curtains, I looked at the old spiderwebs that are now full of hundreds of tiny flying insects, and as I left the house, I walked into a swarm of those same insects. Just like the flowers and plants, different kinds of bugs come out at different times of spring and summer, depending on temperature, humidity, rainfall, their life cycles, and a number of other factors. The small midges near the lake come out early, but they will stick around all summer. Other flying insects will make an appearance when we properly enter summer weather.
Now, this might be my own unobservant behavior lately, but it wasn’t until today, the last week of April, that I saw my first butterfly of the year. Butterflies are generally considered a “good” insect. They are delicate and pretty, they don’t bother humans, and they are pollinators. There are hundreds of types of butterflies around the world. Cabbage Whites, Mourning Cloaks, and Red Admirals come out a little earlier. Eventually Monarchs, swallowtails, and any number of others will complete their larval and pupal stage to be seen flying around fields and gardens. Most people enjoy seeing butterflies, and they are considered a happy sign of summer.
The butterfly’s slightly fuzzier cousin does not always have the same reception. Moths fly around porch lights, get into the house, and some varieties get into our closets and birdseed. Google “moths” and there are any number of resources to help you get rid of them. However, they are not all bad, and in fact, many of them are just as beneficial as butterflies, and some of them even get mistaken for butterflies.
From afar it can be difficult to even tell the difference. The bright orange Monarchs and yellow swallowtails are obviously butterflies, but many people assume that all small white or brown ones are moths. This is not necessarily true. The Cabbage White that I saw today is a medium-sized, white butterfly.
Moths and butterflies are similar looking and you have to get a little closer to tell them apart if you cannot identify them from farther away. A general belief is that butterflies come out during the day and moths come out at night. This is true for a good number of them, but definitely not a rule.
There are a couple of ways to tell the difference, although of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. If you are a little further away, take a look at their wings when the insect is at rest. Butterflies rest with their wings together and pointing to the sky, while moths have their wings open and lying down their back. If you can get close enough to see their antennae, I find that to be the most helpful way to tell them apart. Butterflies usually have long, slender antennae. Moths antennae are typically fuzzier and feathered. Moths in general tend to be a little bit on the fuzzier side.
Butterflies can be all white, or they can be brightly colored. Moths are usually brown or white, but some are just as beautiful as a butterfly. Luna moths, for example, are a large, light green moth and just as gorgeous.
Butterflies also get praise because they are pollinators, which means that they move pollen from plant to plant as they visit flowers to drink the nectar. Pollinators allow plants to reproduce and create the seeds that will grow and turn into new plants, and aid in making sure many plants remain genetically diverse. There are many animals that are pollinators, and while butterflies might be a big one, many moths are also pollinators. Various moth species, along with some bats, take the night shift, and pollinate flowers at night. There are some plants that rely on certain species of moths for their pollination. Not all, but many of those flowers with white or pale petals are pollinated by nighttime residents.
So what makes many people consider one a beneficial insect and the other a nuisance? My immediate answer is that it may be a perception that is passed along, person to person. When we hear a family member or friends talk about things, sometimes their perception of something becomes our reality, without our conscious consideration. My second thought though, is that yes, there are some moths that can be a nuisance to humans. There are pantry moths and clothes moths that get into our stuff and their larvae chew through it. However, don’t let the few moths speak for the many, many moths that are out there. Many moths are just as beneficial, beautiful, and interesting as the butterflies they share a scientific group with.
Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature. ACNC is located just east of Route 62 between Warren and Jamestown. The trails are open from dawn to dusk and birds of prey can be viewed anytime the trails are open. The Nature Center is open from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily except Sunday when it opens at 1 p.m. More information can be found online at auduboncnc.org or by calling (716) 569-2345.
Feature image: Hummingbird moths can be found day or night and hover like hummingbirds when flitting from flower to flower.
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