They’re actually expendable decoys that trick hungry bats. As the echolocating hunter comes in for the kill, says Barber, the moth’s moving tails distract and fool the bat, knocking its attack ...

For one, they are one of the few nocturnal pollinators in North America, alongside moths ... eating up to 6,000–8,000 insects a night. One 2015 study on the effects of bats on corn earworm ...