Moths are important after all

Published May 13, 2020

Moths seem to be more important than just making butterflies look good (or as fodder for disturbing memes) It seems they ‘complete’ the role of daytime pollinators. Original thought: “Meh, we checked their proboscises* and there wasn’t much pollen. These guys are useless.” New insight: “Ohhhh. The pollen is sticking to their ‘distinctly hairy bodies’ and they’re pretty important for pollination.”

Not easy finding a cute one

“Our study highlights an urgent need for them to be included in future agricultural management and conservation strategies.”
* Our Latin speakers checked their probosci.