Moth butterflies are relatively small insects that belong to the order Lepidoptera, that is, butterflies. They will be discussed in this article.
Lepidoptera squad
Representatives of this order - moths, butterflies, moths - are distinguished by the presence in adults of thick individuals of chitinous scales located on the front and rear wings.
These insects go through four stages of development. These are eggs, larvae (or caterpillars), pupae and adults. Lepidoptera caterpillars (larvae) are worm-shaped, with a powerful sclerotized cover of the head. The similarity to worms arises from the fact that insects in this phase of development have underdeveloped abdominal legs. Of particular note is a well-developed gnawing oral apparatus. Moreover, it differs in each species, since the larvae eat differently.
Distinctive features of a moth butterfly from other Lepidoptera
These insects appeared supposedly 190 million years ago. Their modern descendants have changed, many new species have appeared.
All representatives of the order Lepidoptera are divided into day and night butterflies. Those that are predominantly twilight and nocturnal, make up a family of moles. But such a division cannot be called scientific.
Modern entomologists divide Lepidoptera into suborders. According to one classification, there are three of them today: the lower isoptera, the higher isoptera and the different-winged. Lepidoptera with a primitive structure of wings are referred to the first subspecies. Both wings have almost identical venation. The proboscis of these small butterflies is either absent or present, but very short. Spurs are located on the legs. These butterflies are called primary moles.
The second classification divides Lepidoptera into four suborders, distinguishing primary toothed moths, spineless, heterobatmy and proboscis.
So, to answer the question of how the moth differs from the butterfly, you can do this:
- small size;
- the primitive structure of the wings, which the moth at rest folded behind its back is not a “sail”, but a “house”;
- pale, mostly gray;
- nightlife.
The opinion that a mole harms a person and butterflies adorn the world is not true. Both those and others can cause significant damage to the human economy. But mainly the imago itself does not harm, but the larvae of butterflies and moths. Actively eating, caterpillars eat plants, grain, fruits, fabrics, wax honeycombs and other products and materials. Adult butterflies, moths, moths often do not need food. Their harm lies in the fact that they lay eggs, from which then voracious larvae emerge.
Small moths that look like moths
Watching insects in nature is both pleasant and funny. But completely different feelings arise when they occupy a human dwelling by uninvited guests. For example, sometimes people notice that small moth-like butterflies appear on curtains in houses in the evenings. The host will inevitably have a feeling of anxiety. What if this small lepidoptera didn’t just appear in the house? Suddenly, she is a lover of carpets, fur coats, flour, dried fruit or something else, what does the owner have no intention of sharing with him?
It is possible that in this situation, anxiety is not at all groundless. After all, a small butterfly, similar to a moth, can turn out to be a mill fire. And one should not expect good from this gluttonous guest: once having declared herself, she will very soon get into flour, cereals, and other products, lay her eggs everywhere. And the caterpillars will hatch from them very soon, which will eat and grow, grow and eat, spoiling the products with waste products and eating them.
It’s a completely different matter if the moths fly to visit them. These insects do not pose a hazard to food and household items. So, they made a mistake with the address of what is called. Leading a nocturnal lifestyle, a moth flew into the light, climbed through a crack into a house, and does not know how to get out.
Pretty small night butterflies are leafworms. They also sometimes end up in human homes. For gardens it is a terrible pest. But in the house there is no harm from them. You can distinguish a leaflet from a moth by its size, which is nevertheless almost 2 times larger than that of a moth.
Types of agricultural moth
Many people think that worms annoy them in the garden. But in fact, these are caterpillars - the larvae of butterflies or moths. It is they who devour the fruits and foliage of plants, destroy them and deprive people of the crop.
There are many types of moths. Part of this suborder is agricultural pests. For example, you can select potato, cabbage, apple, rye moth. The damage from the larvae of these pests is noticeable, since they are able to completely destroy the entire crop in the garden or orchard.
But in the houses, these insects are helpless, because they have nowhere to even lay eggs in their home. Unless, of course, the owner of the cabbage or freshly picked potato bush suddenly appears in the room in the public domain.
Winged pests in the human home
Usually at the word “moth” everyone sees a small, nondescript butterfly that climbs to the places where the clothes are stored and leaves its eggs there. And after some time, the hostess discovers that the pile at the coat has bald spots, and the woolen blouse is completely covered in small holes. And it is the larvae of the moth who tried.
In fact, many moth butterflies in an apartment are a real disaster. In addition to the already called wardrobe, furry, furniture, grain, and wax moths annoy people in the houses of moths. Moreover, it is sometimes quite difficult to determine by appearance the affiliation of this pest to a particular species and to guess its taste preferences. Although there are differences between them.
Fur moth
This lepidoptera is painted in clay yellow with a luster. The wings below are of a light gray hue with a slightly yellowish sheen. In their front part near the middle there are small dark dots, and a little further there is a larger speck. The wingspan is approximately fifteen to sixteen millimeters. This is a pretty pretty moth butterfly. The photo shows how the insect looks peculiar.
Their caterpillars are worm-shaped, whitish in color and practically bare. They have eight short abdominal legs, the skin is transparent, through which the stomach is visible.
The fur moth larva feeds mainly on natural fur, for which it got its name. Crawling along the skin, the caterpillar gnaws at all the hairs that come in the way. Moreover, this process is not always due to hunger. So, hanging a brand new furry coat in the closet, after a while you can get an absolutely bald little thing, provided that the fur moth has been in the chiffonier and managed to get the offspring there.
Clothes moth
The body length of an adult insect of this species is from 5 to 8 ml, and the wingspan reaches 1.6 cm. The wings of the moth are narrow, without spots. But on them along the edges is a long fringe of hairs.
The body of the moth is beige with golden wool. Reddish-golden hairs grow on the head.
The caterpillars of the clothes moth are similar in appearance to the larvae of a fur coat. They live in natural tissues, eating those places of matter that are not visible from the outside, because most often they do not even try the upper layer. Having developed, the larva ceases to feed and weaves a spindle-shaped rigid silk cocoon. Outside, this sarcophagus is covered in feces and food waste.
Female moths fly badly. Therefore, they move in leaps, trying to hide in the folds of clothes. Having noticed a flying clothes moth in the house, you can be sure that it is a male.
Furniture Moth
An adult insect of this species has a characteristic luster. The wings of the furniture moth have a light yellow hue. The head of the insect is rusty yellow, brownish closer to the beginning of the wings. Entomologists identified furniture moth as a separate genus for the absence of labial tentacles.
The insect usually uses only furniture. Pupation itself occurs under chairs, sofas and other furniture. The larva develops year-round. In a year, the female is able to lay eggs up to four times.
