What is a moth? Do moths only come out at night? What do moths eat? We answer some of your most-asked questions about moths.
What is a moth?
Moths and butterflies are insects which together form the order called Lepidoptera, meaning 'scaly-winged' (sorry dragons, moths and butterflies got there first).
Moths vary greatly in appearance as well as size. For example, the big hawk-moths have narrow swept-back wings for fast, powerful flight, while the plume moths have delicate feathery wings. Some female moths have wings that are so short that they’re more like little nubs and they don’t fly at all! Moths can also be all sorts of colours and patterns – some are very bright and bold while others have wonderful camouflage.
How many species of moth are there in the UK?
There are around 2,500 species of moths in the UK, with more establishing every decade as they migrate across from continental Europe. Worldwide, there are thought to be around 160,000 species of moths!
As there are so many species of moths, experts split them into two groups, the larger (or macro-) moths and the smaller (or micro-) moths. There are around 900 macro-moths in Britain. Many micro-moths are very small indeed, although confusingly a few of them are larger than the smallest macro-moths. Science is weird.
Are moths nocturnal?
Whilst most moth species are nocturnal and fly at night, there are actually more species of day-flying moths in the UK than there are butterflies. Some are very colourful, like the Cinnabar and the Scarlet Tiger, and might also easily be mistaken for butterflies (although try telling that to our moth experts!).
What’s the difference between a moth and a butterfly?
Now, this is where things get a bit tricky. It may seem like there are simple rules for telling moths from butterflies, but none of these "rules" holds completely true.
Some people think butterflies fly in the day and moths only fly at night, but, as you’ve just discovered we have many day-flying moths, and some butterflies (like the Red Admiral) will even fly at night to migrate.
Butterflies tend to fold their wings vertically over their backs when they’re resting and moths tend to fold them horizontally, but again, there are exceptions to this rule (I’m looking at you, Early Thorn).
Moths and butterflies share the same basic biology and have far more similarities than differences. You could say that a butterfly is just another kind of moth…
What do moths eat?
What moths eat depend on what stage of their lifecycle they’re at.
Moth caterpillars might feed on leaves, flowers, stems and roots, and some can be very particular, feeding only on a single plant species. Others might feast on fungi and lichens, making unexpected places like graveyards a buffet for hungry caterpillars. Some eat other caterpillars (hey Dun-bar moth, put that caterpillar down!) and yes, some moth caterpillars do eat fabric, but there are just two species of moth regularly found in houses – that’s less than 1% of all moth species in the UK – whose caterpillars eat natural animal fibres. Common Clothes Moth caterpillars prefer dirty wool to clean well-stored clothes and will also feed on fur, hair, and feathers.
Adult moths tend to feed on nectar from flowers, fruit, or sap. However, some adult moths don’t feed at all and don’t even have mouthparts. These species tend to survive for only a short number of days, and they’ve taken a firm position in the great food versus sex debate, choosing to use their time to mate and lay eggs.
So, how do moths get it on?
Moths are either male or female. Female moths attract males using scents (pheromones) which the males detect with their antennae. Once they’ve found each other (aww) they mate by joining the tips of their abdomens, and the male passes sperm to the female to fertilize her eggs. The female then lays her eggs on plants or on the ground.
Once the eggs have hatched into caterpillars, they go on an eating and growing spree until they are ready to pupate. This might be over a few weeks or a few years, depending on the species – the Goat Moth caterpillar, for example, can live for up to five years before pupating!
Pupation is when the caterpillars gain a tough outer skin, inside which its body is reorganised into a moth. Many caterpillars burrow into the soil to pupate, but others fasten themselves to plant stems with silk. Some spin a silk cocoon and pupate inside it.
When ready, the adult moths will emerge and repeat the cycle all over again.
Are moths amazing?
Yes. Tell your friends.