WILLOWBROOK — Moths will be in the spotlight next week.
The Staten Island Museum is planning a "Moth Night" featuring a night hike through the woods, the viewing of a collection of the insects, a live "moth wall" and dances inspired by the fluttering creatures.
"Moths are incredible and, in my opinion, way cooler than butterflies," said Claire Aniela Arthurs, manager of education at the museum.
"They do all of the same cool stuff — metamorphose, fly, pollinate and are a food source — but they do it all at night, and therefore often go unnoticed."
The event at the Greenbelt Nature Center on July 19 will mark National Moth Week.
The "moth wall" involves hanging a sheet across two trees in the woods and rigging a UV light to shine on on it and attract the insects.
The event will culminate with a performance by the Deep Tanks Butoh dancers of their piece "Moth Balls."
Moths can grow from as small as a tenth of an inch to as large as 18-inches and be a variety of colors. While some do eat clothes, the majority of them create silk and pollinate crops like yucca, Arthurs said.
The Staten Island Museums' "Moth Night" will be on July 19, at the Greenbelt Nature Center, 700 Rockland Ave., at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and children under 12 are free. The museum recommends people bring a flashlight, camera, container and notebook.
