Supporting Our Nighttime Bugs 🐛

When the sun sets and we settle in for the night, many a bug are pulling on their work boots and clocking in. Fireflies start blinking. Moths dance from flower to flower. Crickets and katydids begin their cacophony. Beetles get to foraging.

These nighttime bugs pollinate a wide range of native and edible plants (especially those that bloom at night) and they serve as a critical food source for birds, bats, and other wildlife. They signify a necessary balance in our ecosystems and many of them are fading in numbers.

So, what can we do? It can be as simple as swapping out a lightbulb.

Yucca plants (Yucca filamentosa) have a unique relationship with yucca moths, which are their exclusive pollinators—these moths both pollinate the flowers and lay their eggs inside, ensuring survival for both species.

Firstly, lots of these bugs like beetles, firefly larvae, and moth caterpillars spend portions their lives on the ground. Undisturbed soil/humus offer shelter and breeding habitat so leaving your leaves and maintaining moist soil (especially in shady areas) is an easy path to supporting their development.

Our nighttime pollinators are looking for food too. So, consider incorporating nectar-rich, night-blooming, fragrant flowers. Here are some options:

• Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) – A soft yellow flower that opens at dusk and attracts moths with its sweet scent and ample nectar.
• Phlox (Phlox spp.) – Though not exclusively nocturnal, its blooms and fragrance are a favorite for night-flying moths.
• Yucca (Yucca filamentosa) – Pollinated almost exclusively by the yucca moth, which lays its eggs in the flower while ensuring pollination.
• Wild Bergamot (Monarda spp.) – A magnet for hummingbird moths and other dusk pollinators, with fragrant, tufted lavender blooms.
• Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) – A native vine with tubular flowers that open in the evening and invite nocturnal moths and sphinx moths. 

Lastly and crucially: let your yard go dark. Artificial light can negatively affect both the physiology and the behavior of many nocturnal insects. Creating true darkness is one of the simplest ways to welcome the wild. Some wildlife-inclined folks are even swapping out their traditional outdoor bulbs for bulbs with a specialized light spectrum (often they’re yellow) that better deters insects. We all know how incessantly insects are attracted to your average white bulb; it disorients and takes precious time away from foraging, pollinating, and mating.

Hummingbird moths (Hemaris spp.) are active at dusk and are important pollinators of native plants like wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), using their long proboscis to reach deep into tubular flowers.

Every small change is meaningful! Start by planting a new flower or swapping out a white bulb for a warm one. The often overlooked nighttime bugs will thank you!