National Moth Week shines the porch light on an 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, take a gander at winged wonders like the comet moth, shown here. Scientists estimate that there are some 160,000 species of moths worldwide, many just as stunning as our comet moth, and tracking their health often helps us gauge the health of entire ecosystems.
And you thought moths were boring
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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A monastery in the mountain
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Take the Stairs Day
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Nature Photography Day
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Quiver trees in Namibia
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Great cormorants
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Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Innerdalsvatna Lake, near Ålvundeidet, Norway
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The tale of squirrels like Nutkin
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The Canary Islands, Spain
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Autumnal equinox
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Happy Bee Day to you
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Islands of the Salish Sea
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Mont-Saint-Michel
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We re gonna need a bigger birdhouse
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An opulent backdrop for a historic event
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Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera
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World Sea Turtle Day
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Spring comes to Glacier National Park
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National Trails Day
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National Bison Month
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Bearded reedlings in Flevoland
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Polar bear capital of the world
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International Jazz Day
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Winter in Old Nuuk
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Jerte Valley in bloom
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It’s Napping Day
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In the valley of the doll
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Autumn in Alaska
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Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
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Computer science on the page