Source link : https://usa365.info/its-miller-moth-season-in-colorado-an-entomologist-explains-why-theyre-important-and-where-theyre-headed/
It is spring on the Front Range of Colorado, which means before long the region will receive an influx of many, many moths.
Colorado is home to thousands of species of moths, many of which are hatching out from a winter of hibernation, known as diapause.
Moths are known to swarm porch, stadium and street lights at night. Each summer, Denver is visited by miller moths as they make their trek to the mountains.
Fairfax Media/GettyImages
At night, porch lights, stadium lights and street lamps are regularly visited by moths, a collective term for most of the nocturnal members of the insect order called Lepidoptera. Butterflies are also part of this order, but they are mostly diurnal, or active during the day. Butterflies are actually just a subset of moths, so all butterflies are moths, but not all moths are butterflies.
The Front Range lies on the path of a springtime migration of a particularly familiar species of moth, usually referred to in this part of the country, including Colorado and neighboring states, as “miller moths.” Miller moth caterpillars are often called the “army cutworm,” a whimsical name referring to the caterpillars’ tendency to reach large numbers that march across fields and roads to find food. Both the moths and their caterpillars are rather drab and brown in color, though the moths are variable in patterning.
‘Miller moth’ is the common name for a moth species that…
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Author : USA365
Publish date : 2025-06-04 01:32:00
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