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The larvae of Lepidoptera can be very
destructive and do have a significant economic influence on humans, but at the
same time they are a vital link in the food chain. It is no coincidence that
birds nest when moth larvae are abundant. Caterpillars are the staple diet of
many nestling birds.
The domesticated Silk moth is an example of
a species which is economically beneficial to humans throughout the world,
providing a total of well over 80,000 tonnes of silk per year.
Apart from the effect on our economy, the
number of butterfly exhibits and the way butterflies and moths are so often
portrayed in our art, surely indicates aesthetic benefits we cannot value in
money alone.
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