Everything about Moth totally explained
A
moth is an
insect closely related to the
butterfly. Both are of the
order Lepidoptera. The
differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy. Sometimes the names "
Rhopalocera" (butterflies) and "
Heterocera" (moths) are used to formalize the popular distinction. Many attempts have been made to subdivide the Lepidoptera into groups such as the Microlepidoptera and Macrolepidoptera, Frenatae and Jugatae, or Monotrysia and Ditrysia. Failure of these names to persist in modern classifications is due to the fact none of them represents a pair of "
monophyletic groups". The reality is that butterflies are a small group that arose from within the "moths" and there's thus no way to group all of the remaining taxa in a monophyletic group, as it'll always exclude that one descendant lineage.
Most species of moth are
nocturnal, but there are
crepuscular and
diurnal species. They can be distinguished from butterflies in
several ways.
Etymology
The
Modern English word "
moth" comes from
Old English "
moððe" (cf. Northumbrian "
mohðe") from Common Germanic (compare
Old Norse "
motti",
Dutch "
Mot" and
German "
Motte" all meaning "
moth"), perhaps its origins are related to Old English "
maða" meaning "
maggot" or from the root of "
midge" which until the 16th century was used mostly to indicate the larva, usually in reference to devouring clothes.
The study of butterflies and moths is known as
lepidoptery, and
biologists that specialise in either are called lepidopterists. As a pastime, watching butterflies and moths is known as
butterflying and
mothing. The latter has given rise to the term "mother" for someone who engages in this activity — sometimes written with a hyphen (moth-er) to distinguish it from its
usual meaning. This confusion doesn't arise in speech as it's pronounced differently (not /ˈmʌðɚ/).
Economic significance of moths
Moths, and particularly their
caterpillars, are a major
agricultural pest in many parts of the world. The caterpillar of the
gypsy moth (
Lymantria dispar) causes severe damage to forests in the northeast United States, where it's an
invasive species. In temperate climates, the
codling moth causes extensive damage, especially to fruit farms. In tropical and subtropical climates, the
diamondback moth (
Plutella xylostella) is perhaps the most serious pest of
brassicaceous crops.
Several moths in the family
Tineidae are commonly regarded as pests because their larvae eat
fabric such as
clothes and
blankets made from natural
proteinaceous fibers such as
wool or
silk. They are less likely to eat mixed materials containing artificial fibers. There are some reports that they can be repelled by the scent of wood from
juniper and
cedar, by lavender, or by other natural oils. However, many consider this unlikely to prevent infestation.
Naphthalene (the chemical used in
mothballs) is considered more effective, but there are concerns over its effects on human health. Moth larvae may be killed by freezing the items which they infest for several days at a temperature below −8 °C (18 °F).
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Moths are sturdy and usually are more resistant to pesticides than are mosquitoes and flies.
Some moths are
farmed. The most notable of these is the
silkworm, the larva of the domesticated moth
Bombyx mori. It is farmed for the silk with which it builds its
cocoon. The silk industry produces over 130 million kilograms of raw silk, worth about 250 million
U.S. dollars, each year.
Not all silk is produced by
Bombyx mori. There are several species of
Saturniidae that are also farmed for their silk, such as the Ailanthus moth (
Samia cynthia group of species), the Chinese Oak Silkmoth (
Antheraea pernyi), the Assam Silkmoth (
Antheraea assamensis), and the Japanese Silk Moth (
Antheraea yamamai).
The mopane worm, the caterpillar of
Gonimbrasia belina, from the family
Saturniidae, is a significant food resource in southern Africa.
Despite being framed for eating clothing, most moth adults don't eat at all. Most like the Luna, Polyphemus, Atlas, Prometheus, Cercropia, and other large moths don't have mouths. When they do eat, moths will drink nectar. Only one species of moth eat wool . The adults don't eat but the larvae will eat through wool clothing.
Attraction to light
Moths frequently appear to circle artificial lights. One hypothesis advanced to explain this behavior is that moths use a technique of
celestial navigation called
transverse orientation. By maintaining a constant angular relationship to a bright celestial light, such as the
Moon, they can fly in a straight line. Celestial objects are so far away, that even after travelling great distances, the change in angle between the moth and the light source is negligible; further, the moon will always be in the upper part of the visual field or on the horizon. Human light sources have not existed long enough to affect the evolution of moth navigation systems. When a moth encounters a much closer artificial light and uses it for navigation, the angle changes noticeably after only a short distance, in addition to being often below the horizon. The moth instinctively attempts to correct by turning toward the light, causing airborne moths to come plummeting downwards, and - at close range - which results in a spiral flight path that gets closer and closer to the light source.
In 1972, Henry Hsiao, now a professor of
biomedical engineering, suggested that the reason for moths circling lights may have to do with a visual distortion called a
Mach band . He says that they fly towards the darkest part of the sky in pursuit of safety and are thus inclined to circle ambient objects in the Mach band region. This hypothesis isn't scientifically accepted and has never been confirmed.
Hsaio says that the celestial navigation theory should cause moths to circle lights, not to head directly toward them, as many are seen to do. He conjectures that moths, which are nocturnal creatures, must find a place to hide from predators when daylight comes, but can't do so in darkness. Their instinct when morning comes is to fly toward the light (presumably up) and then down again, with some probability landing on a surface which matches their camouflage.. The spiky infrared spectra of a candle flame happens to contain a number of emission lines which coincide with the vibrational frequencies of the female moth's pheromone . The male moth is thereby powerfully attracted to the flame. Sources, eg. hurricane lamps, with different spike patterns are less powerful attractants.
Night-blooming
flowers usually depend on moths (or
bats) for
pollination, and artificial lighting can draw moths away from the flowers, affecting the
plant's ability to reproduce. A way to prevent this is to put a cloth or netting around the lamp. Another way is using a colored light bulb (preferably red). This will take the moth's attention away from the light while still providing light to see by.
Predators of moths
Nocturnal insectivores often feed on moths, these include some
bats, some species of
owls, but also other species of
birds. Moths are also eaten by some species of
lizards, some
cats and some
rodents.
Notable moths
- Atlas moth (Attacus atlas), the largest moth in the world
- White Witch moth (Thysania agrippina), the Lepidopteran with the biggest wingspan
- Madagascan Sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus), considered to be one of the most impressive and beautiful Lepidoptera
- Death's-head hawkmoth (Acherontia spp.), is associations with the supernatural and evil and was featured in art and movies
- Peppered moth (Biston betularia), the subject of a now well-known study in evolution.
- Luna moth (Actias luna)
- Emperor Gum moth (Opodiphthera eucalypti)
- Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus)
- Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa), south eastern Indigenous Australians were known to have feasted on the moths.
Moths of economic significance:
- Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), a pest of hardwood trees in North America
- Corn earworm or cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa zea), a major agricultural pest
- Codling moth (Cydia pomonella), a pest mostly of apple, pear and walnut trees
- Light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), a highly polyphagous pest
- Silkworm (Bombyx mori), for its silk
Further Information
Get more info on 'Moth'.
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