Moth: photos of various species of this insect

Moths are not only the well-known small and nondescript butterflies, the caterpillars of which spoil clothes and groceries in the kitchen. Generally speaking, moths are a vast group of insects remarkable for their biology and often their appearance.

For example, the photo below shows a leopard moth at high magnification:

Among the moths there are both very large and bright, and small and completely nondescript butterflies. At the same time, moths live on all continents and have managed to adapt to completely different conditions of existence.

Their caterpillars feed on wool and bark, horns and wax, leaves and even ant eggs - it is difficult to find an object of wildlife that is not associated with moths. But at the same time, any stunningly bright tropical moth and inconspicuous clothes moth have structural features that unite them into one taxonomic group and make them similar to each other.

It is interesting

In English, there is no complete analogue of the Russian word "mol". The word "moth" in English-speaking countries denotes both moths and large moths, up to scoops and silkworms.

 

Moth as it is

It is customary to call moths all representatives of the microlepidoptera group - butterflies that are relatively small in size and for the most part lead a nocturnal and twilight lifestyle.

Another distinctive feature of moths is the structure of their jaws - the mouth apparatus of the moth is usually of a gnawing type, which allows moth butterflies to eat very coarse food. (which is why you should not be surprised why the moth does not have a proboscis, like many butterflies). Some moths in the adult state are not able to eat at all and live by consuming the energy reserves accumulated at the caterpillar stage.

Their jaws can be reduced to a certain extent.

In the photo below - clothes moth and its caterpillar. It is the latter that is known for the fact that it can gnaw holes even in semi-synthetic fabrics.

The gnawing jaws give researchers reason to believe that the moth is an insect more primitive than other butterflies, which have developed mechanisms for feeding on flower nectar through the proboscis. Perhaps it was the ancient moths that were the progenitors of all other butterflies. However, it is precisely the powerful jaws, capable of cracking even the walls of fruit stones and seeds, that have led to the fact that the moth is an insect less whimsical to food sources than other butterflies.

On a note

The group of moths combines a huge number of species of butterflies. According to scientists' estimates, more than 73,000 species of Lepidoptera can be called moths, some of which are even invisible to the naked eye.

It is also characteristic of moths that in many species the caterpillars lead a secretive lifestyle and are very inconspicuous. At the same time, it is caterpillars that are the most active pests of plants, and in human dwellings - tissues and food supplies.

In the pictures below - a wax moth larva in a bee hive:

 

What moths look like: all the variety of colors and shapes

Butterflies and caterpillars of different types of moths look different.

Moths, which are domestic pests, are small butterflies with wings about 5-7 mm long, which they fold into a characteristic triangle (see photo). The coloration of most house moths is nondescript, only some species have at least some memorable patterns on the wings.

For example, a photograph of a clothes moth:

In the picture below - barn fire:

And in the next photo - ermine bird cherry moth, widely known in almost all European countries:

Almost all moths are characterized by very narrow wings when folded. This distinguishes them well from other butterflies with rounded and fairly noticeable wings. At the same time, not all moths, sitting on a hard surface, hold their wings the way a food or clothing moth does.

For example, ermine moths are characterized by folding their wings in a pyramid with a small ledge in the back. In the photo - moth butterfly Argyresthia brockeella:

There is a whole group of moths that fold their wings into narrow tubes and hold them perpendicular to the abdomen. At first glance, it is difficult to say that this insect is a moth.

In the photo - moth Caloptilia hemidactylella:

And, finally, it is among the moths that there is the largest number of species in the order of butterflies that demonstrate the wonders of disguise. Given their small size and low flying qualities, the ability to be invisible to predators is vital for these insects.

For example, the photo below shows a fireweed moth butterfly. With folded wings, this moth looks like a rust fungus on a leaf, very common in its habitats:

And in the next photo - snow leaflet (Acleris logiana) on birch bark, which she very successfully copies:

But among the moths there are also species that do not need disguise. For example, the wax moth is a parasite of bee hives. Adult butterflies and caterpillars secrete a special substance by which the bees identify them as their own and therefore do not touch them. And the caterpillars themselves at this time feed on garbage in the hives, often not disdaining honey and even bee brood.

 

Lifestyle and nutrition: are all moths harmful?

Most moths are secretive or nocturnal. In some species, the larvae are very inactive and develop in the same place where they hatched from the egg, only moving short distances in the absence of food.

And in some species, even adults are not particularly prone to travel. For example, the female of the same clothes moth cannot fly, but only crawls over clothes and the inner surface of cabinets:

In nature, many moths, precisely because of their gnawing abilities, turn out to be important links in various biocenoses. To call them pests does not dare - it is thanks to them that a large amount of organic matter is processed.

For example, many moths are keratophages, that is, they feed on the horn formations of various animals. So, it is moths that process a large number of feathers, hair and horns of wild and domestic animals. The life of these "utilizers" of keratin is hardly noticeable - they swarm mainly in the nests and burrows of wild animals - but their work is very important for ecosystems as a whole.

It is interesting

There are moths that gnaw out the horns of wild mammals even on the hosts themselves.For example, the caterpillars of the moth Ceratophaga vastella gnaw out the keratin in the horns of African antelopes and buffaloes, and the larvae of the related species Ceratophaga vicinella feed on the shells of dead turtles.

A huge number of species of moths are typical phytophages: their caterpillars feed on various plants. For example, all ermine and mining moths are like that. Moreover, some of their species are so small that their caterpillars live inside the leaves, leading to the appearance of swellings on each leaf - min.

Adult butterflies can feed on flowers, nibbling petals or stamens, or they can “fast” throughout their adult life. Such, for example, is the chestnut moth, which is extremely dangerous for parks. The photo below shows her adult and larva:

But there are also moths that feed on weeds and are thereby able to restrain their reproduction. Moreover, some of them even feed on plants that are inedible for other insects, such as wormwood (although, it would seem, wormwood should scare away moths and other insects).

 

How do moths reproduce

All moths are very strongly attached to the substrates on which their caterpillars feed. Almost immediately after leaving the pupa, females mate with males and begin to lay eggs, usually directly on the plant or object that the larvae will subsequently eat.

One female makes only one laying of eggs (after about 5-6 hours after mating). After another 5-6 days, she dies.

Moths reproduce very quickly. For example, cabbage moth in the warm regions of our country gives up to 6 generations during the spring-summer season.But the clothes moth gives only one generation per year - after all, its food is much less nutritious, and caterpillars on such food cannot develop very quickly.

The larvae of different moths vary greatly in their appearance. Most of them are white or light yellow caterpillars with a pink or brown head and few transparent hairs. Such, for example, is the larva of the clothes moth shown below in the photo:

And in the next photo - the caterpillar of the moth Pandemis corylana:

 

Moth as a pest

Typical agricultural and household pests are only a few types of moths. They belong to several different genera and families - real moths, moths, ermine moths, moths, moths, and some others.

• Fur coat moth - a thunderstorm of all fur coat stores. In the photo below - a female moth and a fur coat spoiled by larvae.
  
  
• Clothes moth is close to a fur coat. Prefers to eat on woolen products.
• The potato moth is a moth that can cause serious crop losses.
• The cabbage moth is a relative of the potato moth and the thunderstorm of cruciferous plants.
• Barn moth - it is she who is most often called food moth. Its larvae develop in cereals and groceries.
• The chestnut miner moth is the cause of the death of a huge number of chestnut trees throughout Europe.

In total, there are several dozen species of such pest moths. This also includes wax moth, which is very harmful to bee hives.

It is interesting

Many moths are known for developing resistance to various insecticides very quickly.For example, the cabbage moth is an insect that was the first to develop resistance to Entobacterin, which for some time was a universal means of controlling insect pests.

Due to the long history of human relations with moths, a large number of means for the effective destruction of these pests in homes, gardens and industrial enterprises are known today. Almost all moths die from nerve-paralytic insecticides, many "home" species are afraid of the smell of lavender and eucalyptus.

The choice of means for fighting moths today is quite large: read more about preparations and methods for effectively fighting moths in the corresponding section of our website “How to get rid of moths”.

 

The original way to get rid of moths in the apartment and in the kitchen

 

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