(A Reflection for National Moth Week)

Step outside tonight and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Wait. Be still. Somewhere near the jasmine vines or the edge of the moonflower’s white bloom, a flutter of movement will catch your attention—a moth, soft and purposeful, slipping from flower to flower under the cover of night.

While butterflies dance in daylight, moths keep the secret hours. They are the quiet pollinators, working in the cool hush when most of us have already turned away from the garden. Without them, many flowers would never bear fruit. Without them, the bats and birds who depend on their caterpillars might go hungry.

National Moth Week, which begins tomorrow, asks us to notice them—to look closer at what we usually overlook.

The Overlooked Beauty of Florida’s Moths

In Florida, moths are everywhere if you know where to look. The Luna moth, pale green and otherworldly, glows like a scrap of moonlight caught in the trees. Io moths flash bright yellow and bold black “eyes” when startled. The white-lined sphinx moth hovers at firebush flowers, beating its wings so fast you might mistake it for a hummingbird. Even the plainest gray moth carries its own quiet magic, perfectly camouflaged against bark or sand.

A Lesson in Slowing Down

There’s something almost meditative about watching moths at night. Unlike butterflies, they don’t put on a show. Their beauty reveals itself slowly, in moments you have to wait for—a flicker of patterned wings, the way their antennae quiver as they drink nectar.

Maybe that’s why I love them. They remind me that wonder often lives in the quiet places, waiting for us to pause long enough to notice.

Try This Tonight

If you have a garden, step outside at dusk and sit by your flowers. If you don’t, hang a white sheet and shine a soft light on it. Watch who arrives. You might be surprised at how many different moths are already part of your backyard ecosystem.

And if you do see one, consider sharing your observation on iNaturalist or the National Moth Week website. Every sighting helps scientists better understand these vital pollinators.

Closing Thought

The night belongs to the moths. And maybe, just for this week, it can belong to us too—if we’re willing to step outside and pay attention.