Move over butterflies − moths are the pollinating stars for three more days during National Moth Week!

Become a “moth-er” to learn about and document moths where you are. It’s global, it’s easy, and you might even discover a new species while you help scientists!

Participate on your own from anywhere, or join a local event. Our editors highlight more ways to get involved, below.

Cheers!

The SciStarter Team

Pictured: Luna Moth (Actias luna) by iNaturalist user annawinge.

Download the free iNaturalist app, then start “mothing”! Simply shine a light on a white sheet outside at night, snap some pictures, and share them on iNaturalist. You’ll quickly discover what type of moth you’re looking at, thanks to millions of human identifiers and some AI.

Bonus: you’re bound to discover many other “iNat” members in your community!

Tip: iNaturalist is a SciStarter Affiliate. Add your iNat username to your SciStarter profile settings in the iNaturalist “Affiliate Integration” section to earn credit in your SciStarter Dashboard. You’ll only do this optional step once.

Location: Global

Pictured: Submission to Project Noah of a Sphinx Moth Caterpillar.

Project Noah is a wildlife journaling app and popular Facebook group where you can document sightings, earn digital patches, get species ID help, and, through July 27, join a special mission to document moth diversity.

Location: Global

Pictured: Submission to Butterflies and Moths of North America of a blueberry sulphur butterfly.

Butterflies and Moths of North America is a long-standing effort to collect quality-controlled data on moth and butterfly sightings, from Panama to Canada.

By submitting photos and sighting info, you’ll help build one of the continent’s most trusted biodiversity databases — used by scientists to study species range shifts, climate impacts, and pollinator health. Every submission is verified by lepidopterists and added to public maps and species profiles.

Location: North America

Take pictures of your (six-legged) roommates for science! Researchers have discovered more than 1,000 arthropod species — including moths, butterflies, spiders, beetles, and even entirely new species — living quietly in homes. Use iNaturalist to explore the most overlooked ecosystem on Earth: the indoors.

Location: Indoor Spaces Everywhere

Get your hands dirty (literally!) with this curated collection of projects to do in the garden. Whether you're planting, observing, or restoring, there's a project for you.

Location: Global