The Dumbest and Best Nature Trivia Game in the World

Think you’re a whiz at nature trivia? It won’t matter for this game. If you’ve followed this blog for a while you might recognize some of the names in these questions. Nice. You’ll have an advantage over the newcomers.

Also, I added some random photos of moths to enhance the entertainment value. Do I know the names of those moths? Nope. Do you? Great. Bonus points to you.

Answers at the bottom of the post. You might choose to write down your guesses and then check them at the end. Or you might choose not to. Play the game the way you want.

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  1. Which of these is NOT the actual name of a moth species?

A. The Laugher

B. Scarce Infant

C. Ambling Twig

D. Black Langessa

Here’s a moth that appears to be feeding on Indiangrass. What is it eating? There’s no nectar in there. Maybe it’s just a grass licker. No shame in that.
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2. Which of these is NOT the actual name of a bird found in South Africa?

A. Natal Francolin

B. Salvin’s Prion

C. Yellow-tailed Mystifera

D. Wing-snapping Cisticola

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3. Is ‘Snaky Arches’ the common name of a plant, mushroom, or moth?

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This moth was resting upside down in Idaho. That should make it easier for you to identify it, right?

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4. Which of these is NOT the actual name of a moth species?

A. Marbled Wave

B. Water Veneer

C. Many-lined Carpet

D. Spotted Herald

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5. Is ‘Wild Madder’ the common name of a plant, mushroom, or moth?

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6. Which of these is NOT the actual name of a bird found in Australia?

A. Macquarie Shag

B. Hairy Thikwol

C. Southern Boobook

D. Varied Thriller

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This is some kind of plume moth. What species? You tell me. It looks like an airplane.

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7. Is ‘Rufus Fuzzyfoot’ the common name of a plant, mushroom, or moth?

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8. Which of these is NOT the common name of a butterfly species?

A. Gold-spotted Aguna

B. Sapphire Slip

C. Dull Firetip

D. Fritzgaertner’s Flat

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This one is unfair. I bet if you had a clear view of its head you could identify the species, huh?

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9. Is ‘Scurfy Quaker’ the common name of a plant, mushroom, or moth?

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10.Which of these is NOT the actual name of a butterfly species?

A. Happy Tramp

B. Confused Calisto

C. Malachite

D. West Coast Lady

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Answers below.

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  1. ‘Ambling Twig’ is not the name of a moth.
  2. I invented the name ‘Yellow-tailed Mystifera’.
  3. ‘Snaky arches’ is a moth species.
  4. ‘Spotted Herald’ is not the real name of a moth.
  5. ‘Wild Madder’ is a plant.
  6. ‘Hairy Thikwol’ came out of my brain. It’s a fake name.
  7. ‘Rufus Fuzzyfoot’ would be a terrific children’s book character. It’s also a mushroom.
  8. ‘Sapphire Slip’ is made up.
  9. ‘Scurfy Quaker’ is the name of a moth species. Of course it is.
  10. I made up the name ‘Happy Tramp’ because it sounded like a name a butterfly person would pick.

Did you get them all right? Congratulations. You’re a real biologist now. Miss some of them? I mean, it’s a dumb game, right?

This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Chris Helzer. Bookmark the permalink.

About Chris Helzer

Chris Helzer is the Director of Science for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska. His main role is to evaluate and capture lessons from the Conservancy’s land management and restoration work and then share those lessons with other landowners – both private and public. In addition, Chris works to raise awareness about the importance of prairies and their conservation through his writing, photography, and presentations to various groups. Chris is also the author of "The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States", published by the University of Iowa Press. He lives in Aurora, Nebraska with his wife Kim and their children.

9 thoughts on “The Dumbest and Best Nature Trivia Game in the World

  1. Good one Chris. I DID get the Rufus Fuzzy Foot which CLEARLY speaks to my expertise as a fungal biologist :)
    This must have been fun to put together. Will definitely bring it to the Thanksgiving table for some laughs!

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