Importance of Butterflies and Moths

Adult butterflies and moths are harmless, but their caterpillars (larvae) are often serious pests of plants, plant products, and certain animal products. Millions of dollars are spent each year to combat injurious caterpillars. Some of the harmful species are the clothes moths, cabbage butterfly, corn borer, codling moth, gypsy moth, and cotton bollworm. There are more types of harmful moths than harmful butterflies.

A few kinds of butterflies and moths are important in the pollination of flowers. The hummingbird moth, for example, pollmates certain flowers while gathering nectar; the yucca moth places a ball of pollen in the yucca flower where it has just laid eggs. On the whole, however, butterflies and moths play a much smaller role in pollination than do bees.

The silkworm moth is the only insect other than the honeybee that has been domesticated. Some people collect butterflies and moths for the beautiful coloring of their wings. Caterpillars are eaten by many kinds of insects, reptiles, mammals, and birds; some humans also eat them, as a delicacy.

A butterfly garden, of course, is a garden designed to attract butterflies!

To attract swallowtails, a butterfly garden should include herbs from the parsley family. Swallowtails lay their eggs on these plants. Even plants that are usually considered “weeds” might be good to have in a butterfly garden. Of course, to entice monarchs to lay their eggs in a butterfly garden, milkweed must be chosen.

Brightly colored blossoms draw butterflies to nectar in the flowers. Butterflies especially like red, orange, yellow, and purple. To attract feeding adult butterflies, butterfly gardens should include plants that have flowers of these colors.

A butterfly garden should be a safe place for the insects. Strong chemicals called insecticides (ihn SEHK tuh sydz) should not be used. These chemicals kill harmful insects. But they kill butterflies, too.

Some species, or kinds, of butterflies are in danger of becoming extinct. In many places in the world the number of butterflies is dropping.

Worldwide, there are over 40 species (types) of butterflies, skippers, and moths that are considered to be endangered or that are in danger of extinction. Little is known about the status of hundreds more species.

The Karner blue butterfly is one example of an endangered butterfly. In the past, the Karner blue lived in many places in the northern United States. But farms, highways, and houses have taken over most of the land on which Karner blues used to live.

In addition to habitat loss, butterflies in many places live in danger of being poisoned. People use pesticides to kill harmful insects. These chemicals also kill butterflies, bees, and other helpful insects.

One way to help butterflies is to plant butterfly gardens and to learn about the species that appear in those gardens.