Habitat for Primrose Moth (Schinia florida)

Habitat for Primrose Moth (Schinia florida)

Ayleen Gutierrez, Mikah Albro, and Emily Brodsky
Shawn Chiki Studio

At dusk, primrose moths begin searching for the night-blooming evening primrose, which provides them with both nourishment and shelter. After feeding, the moth settles into the flower which camouflages it while it sleeps. This habitat features sculptural primroses coated with UV paint.

Meet the Pollinator

• Learn more about the unique lifestyle of the primrose moth. Voiced by Karen Wylie.

  Transcript ›

  I am a primrose moth. At dusk, when the sun dips under the horizon, I wake up from my slumber and crawl out of my closed evening primrose flower, which serves as my home while I rest. I naturally gravitate towards the evening primrose, which is my namesake. Its bright colors offer camouflage and shield me from predators.

  I have a lot of work to do in the evenings. I travel from flower to flower to eat, and look for more evening primrose plants to lay my eggs on. This will hopefully help my offspring survive. As caterpillars, their green bodies will be camouflaged by the flowers’ stems. And when they become moths like me, they’ll eventually use the flower as shelter.

See all Pollinator Lounge habitats  ›