Top 10 Most Interesting Types Of Moths
Various types of moths are often described by simply comparing them to butterflies. The biggest difference between the two is that moths are most often, active at night while butterflies are active during the day. Moths also have thicker bodies and a tapered antennae rather than ones that are club shaped.
- Black Witch – These are large, bat-shaped, types of moths with brown dorsals and hints of iridescent pink and purple. They are found throughout Mexico and Central America feeding on overripe rainforest fruit, being quite fond of bananas. Most of their host plants are legumes and they are considered an agricultural pest due to their often attacks on edible fig and mesquite.
- Cinnabar Moth – Found in Asia and Europe, these could easily be mistaken for a butterfly due to their fabulous coloring and the fact that they are one of the few that break the nocturnal rule and fly through the day. The caterpillars from these types of moths are voracious eaters which results in few surviving through the pupae stage because they consume their food source before maturing
- Clearwing Moth – These moths have barely any lepidopteron scales, resulting in them being transparent. Their bodies have yellow stripes which creates a similar appearance to hornets or wasps which gives them a great reduction in being predated against. The larval from them are generally wood-borers and occasionally they will occupy plant roots as well.
- Corn Earworm Moth – These types of moths are a serious agricultural pest and will feed on a large number of plants such as cotton, corn and tomatoes while in the larval stage. The caterpillar is extremely aggressive and it will bite. Their bodies are a tan shade with double lines either in olive green, gray or a reddish brown. They have bright green eyes and a tan head and it is virtually impossible to tell a male and female apart.
- Geometer Moth – About 26,000 species makes up this family of moths. They have slender abdomens, broad wings and tend to be brownish and gray, allowing them to blend in with many surroundings. They eat flowers, pollen or lichen and their caterpillars can be quite destructive.
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Polka-dot Wasp Moth – These types of moths are dark metallic blue, housing white polka-dots on their abdomen and wings and although they look fierce with their bright red abdomen, they are completely harmless. They are native to the Caribbean but have recently been reported in Georgia and Florida. The larvae stage is called the Oleander caterpillar and can cause severe damage to these plants.
- Tent Caterpillar Moth – The caterpillars from these moths live in very big, silk tent-like structures that are attached to limbs of trees. They are found around North America and are considered pests due to colonies being capable of eating all of the leaves off of their host tree.
- Sphinx Moth – Found mainly in the tropics, these types of moths are large in size and are quick fliers topping out at speeds of 30 miles per hour. They feed on nectar and hover, similar to humming birds and they only fly around dawn or dusk, for short periods of time. They prefer pale flowers that have a sweet odor and have been known to steal honey from bees.
- Silk Moth – These are important economic insects because they produce silk. They prefer to feed on White Mulberry leaves but will also sometimes eat the Tree of Heaven. Their eggs take around 10 days to hatch and they eat continuously. After they have molted four times, their bodies turn yellow and the larvae is enclosed by a cocoon of raw silk that is created by their salivary glands. One cocoon, unraveled is about 3,000 feet of silk.
- Rosy Maple Moth – These are mystical insects with bright pinkish-red antennae and legs, yellow bodies and pink wings with yellow triangles on them. These types of moths feed on maples, mainly the Red Maple, Sugar Maple and Silver Maple. The females lay clusters of around 30 eggs on the leaves, often resulting in them being considered a pest.