Final answer:
Moths may lose scales when handled, which doesn't typically hinder flight or survival unless it's excessive. Significant loss can affect camouflage and temperature regulation. Environmental changes can cause shifts in coloration patterns as seen in the peppered moth.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a moth is handled and loses scales off of its wings, it does not significantly impair their flight or survival unless it happens excessively. Moths, like their butterfly counterparts, are covered in tiny scales that can come loose quite easily. This is a normal occurrence and is why moths and butterflies leave a powdery residue if they are touched. However, if a significant number of scales are lost, it could potentially affect the moth's ability to camouflage itself from predators or to regulate its body temperature. Additionally, evolution plays a role in the coloration and pattern of these scales, with environmental changes often leading to shifts in population dynamics, such as the well-documented phenomenon of the peppered moth during the industrial revolution.