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
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Misool Island, Indonesia
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World Population Day
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Adorably evolutionary sea sheep
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Once upon a time there was a bridge…
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First day of summer
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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A plot was afoot
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Coming home to roost
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Twosday
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Flock together for Cousins Day
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A path lain with petals
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Fresh water on the Silk Road
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Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on the institution s 175th anniversary
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50 years of World Heritage Sites
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Drop in on International Surfing Day
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Ruins of Inca temples and terraces on Huayna Picchu, Peru
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Jeju Island, South Korea
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The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
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Class, please take out a No. 2 pencil…
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International Day of Friendship
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Happy Independence Day!
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World Art Day
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Belgium celebrates its independence
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Life carries on, rising from a ship s skeleton
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Dressed for winter fun
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Falling for the Canadian Rockies
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Independence Day
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Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, England
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International Women s Day
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A misty morning in Brazil