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Moths
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon Moths
Other Common Names larvae commonly called caterpillars (as are larvae of butterflies)
pupal case commonly called a cocoon (vs. chrysalis in butterflies) Synonyms and other taxonomic changes BugGuide currently follows the classification shown at All-Leps (See discussion here). Jean-Francois Landry and Don Lafontaine of Agriculture Canada, and John Burns and Scott Miller of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History are curators of the list, with assistance from others named at the bottom of this page. The classification of moths is continuously under study, and further changes are inevitable. Explanation of Names The related word "motte" in German shows that "moth" was inherited from the ancestral language that gave rise to both German and English. The Old English form was "moþþe" ("moththe" after converting the Old English letter thorn). Numbers about 13,000 described species in about 70 families in North America (plus many more undescribed species of mostly micromoths)
about 165,000 described species in the world Size wingspan of North American species ranges from about 2-3 mm in the tiniest micromoths, to more than 150 mm in the largest silk, sphinx, and owlet moths; some tropical species have wingspans of more than 250 mm (see Largest Lepidopteran Wing Span) Identification
Adults usually have feathery, thickened, or threadlike antennae (not knobbed or hooked, as in butterflies and skippers), and most species are active at night. At rest, many species hold their wings out horizontally, or hugged over/around the abdomen. Rarely, the wings are held together vertically above the body, as butterflies do.
Larvae (caterpillars) have a hardened head capsule and a fleshy body composed of a thorax bearing three pairs of legs, and an elongated cylindrical abdomen bearing from zero to five pairs of prolegs (short fleshy ventral projections used for clinging or walking). The body may be either uniformly colored or patterned with stripes, bands, or spots; the surface may be smooth, or may be sparsely or densely covered with short or long hairs, tufts of hair, spines, knobs, or other features. Habitat larvae may be found anywhere on their host plant, from underground on or inside the roots, to the highest leaves of tall trees; a few species are aquatic, developing on or in standing or running water
adults are generally found near the larval host plant; many species are attracted to artificial light. Essentially a group of nocturnal insects but there are some diurnal species; see Internet Reference (TT). Season active spring through fall outdoors; in some species, overwintering adults may occasionally become active on warm sunny days in winter
species considered household pests may be active all year indoors Food depending on species, larvae may feed on all parts of herbaceous plants, roots/twigs/stems/leaves of trees and shrubs, fungi, lichens, dead or decaying plant material, stored food products, fabrics made of cotton or wool, or generally any organic material; many species are very host-specific, and can be identified by the plant they are feeding on; larvae of a few species are known to eat other caterpillars, and a few other species eat soft-bodied insects such as aphids
most adults feed mainly on nectar from flowers of a great variety of woody and herbaceous plants; secondary foods include sugary secretions (honeydew) from insects, juices of decaying fruit, tree sap, and manure liquids; adult moths in several families have either no mouthparts or non-functional mouthparts, and therefore do not feed as adults Life Cycle These insects undergo complete metamorphosis, that is, the young go through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Many species have one generation per year; others may have from two to several generations; a few species take more than one year to develop. Depending on species, moths may overwinter as an egg, larva, pupa, or adult. Adult lifespan ranges from as short as a few days (in ghost moths) up to several months in species that overwinter as an adult. Remarks Modern cladistic analysis using DNA evidence shows that butterflies probably evolved from within the moths, most likely in or near the Superfamily Geometroidea.
Although dividing Lepidoptera into butterflies and moths may not be scientifically accurate, it's easier for non-scientists to understand, and it's still useful in many ways, so we've kept it. See Also Trichoptera (caddisflies) have hairs but few or no scales on wings; no coiled proboscis.
Butterflies and skippers have knobbed or hooked antennae.
Larval sawflies (Hymenoptera) are often mistaken for caterpillars but have more than five pairs of prolegs, whereas caterpillars always have five or fewer pairs.
Various other insects are sometimes mistaken for small moths: see moth flies, whiteflies, pleasing lacewings, and derbid planthoppers in the genus Otiocerus. Internet References Moth Anatomy - illustrated guide and glossary of technical terms (Gerald Fauske, North Dakota State U.)
Moth Photographers Group - several thousand pinned and live adult photos of all types of moths by many individuals and a few organizations (Bob Patterson [Webmaster], hosted by Mississippi State U.)
The Moths of Canada - classification, distribution, and identified pinned adult photos of more than 2,000 species of macromoths occurring in Canada (J.T. Troubridge and J.D. Lafontaine, Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility)
Mostly Moths of Maryland - adult photos of about 1,000 species of all types of moths (Larry Line, Maryland)
Moths of Ottawa area - live adult photos of about 500 species of mostly macromoths (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands - links to pinned adult images of about 250 species of western macromoths, plus flight season, foodplants, similar species, and other info (Jeff Miller, United States Geological Survey)
Caterpillars of Eastern Forests - links to live larva images of about 200 species of mostly macromoths, plus foodplants, seasonality, and other info (David Wagner and Valerie Giles, United States Geological Survey)
Texas Diurnal Moths - links to images of 25 species of day-flying macromoths, plus distribution and hosts, references, and links to related species (Mike Quinn, Texas) Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm Additional contributions by cotinis, John VanDyk, Robin McLeod, Lynette, Tony-2, Chris Wirth, Chuck Entz, J.D. Roberts, JohnMaxwell22Last updated 5 July, 2008 - 1:33pm |
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