- Read: Aphids are one of the most remarkable insects on the planet<\/a><\/li>\n
- Read: Dragonflies and damselflies: once had wingspans of almost 1 metre and weighed the same as a crow<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Everything you need to know about moths<\/h2>\n
In folklore common to many cultures, moths have long been associated with \u2018witches\u2019 and butterflies<\/a> with \u2018fairies\u2019, which might explain some of the associations that endure between moths and death, grief and loss. Moths tend to be more feared than butterflies, and knowledge about the positive role they play in the ecosystem less well understood. Despite only three of the 2,500 UK moth species feeding on natural fibres (expensive cashmere often being a favourite!) moths are also often most associated with holes in clothes and carpets.<\/p>\n
Moths tend to be more feared than butterflies, and knowledge about the positive role they play in the ecosystem less well understood. <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Autumn Feathered Thorn moth<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 David Fotheringham<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n We have some truly stunning moths resident here in the UK, with tens of thousands more around the world. Moths can vary in size, in the UK the largest is the Privet Hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri<\/em>) with a wingspan of up to 12cm. The group known as \u2018macro-moths\u2019 (wingspans generally larger than 1cm) are well studied, but there are many \u2018micro moths\u2019 that are less well known, the smallest have wingspans of just a few millimetres and there are likely to be more species still to be recorded.<\/p>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Red Underwing moth<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 John Proudfoot<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n Butterflies don\u2019t have the monopoly on bright colours; moths come in a full range of rainbow colours, and even the brown and grey species have fascinating wing patterns and forms. These colours and patterns are made by the scales on their wings, from which their scientific name Lepidoptera<\/em> or \u2018scale \u2013wings\u2019 arises. These patterns are important for attracting and finding a mate and providing ingenious camouflage from predators. Some species have strong differences between male and female appearance, such as the Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata<\/em>); the female has legs and a body, but no wings. She walks up into the canopy of a tree to release sex pheromones to attract a mate, laying eggs in cracks in its branches and bark so her offspring can feed on the leaves after her eggs have hatched.<\/p>\n
Butterflies don\u2019t have the monopoly on bright colours; moths come in a full range of rainbow colours. <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Mint moth<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Fabian Harrison<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n Moths undergo full metamorphosis \u2013 an incredible transformative process common across the majority of insect species. After mating, most moth species lay their eggs on a specific plant which will in turn provide food for the moth larvae, known as caterpillars<\/a>. Once fully grown the caterpillar pupates or forms a chrysalis, from which the adult emerges.<\/p>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Iron Prominent moth caterpillar<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Beverley Brouwer<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n A huge range of habitats are home to moths, including gardens, meadows, forests, coastlines and more. Most moths feed on live plants, with many having a specific host plant their caterpillars will feed on. Some are more generalist, able to feed on a wide variety of leaves depending on availability. A very small number of species feed on things other than plants such as the Common Footman (Eilema lurideola<\/em>), which eats algae and lichens<\/a>, or the Waved Black (Parascotia fuliginaria<\/em>), which eats fungi and rotting wood. Just four species are associated with houses, three are known to eat natural fibres although one of these, the Tapestry Moth (Trichophaga tapetzella<\/em>), has been scarcely seen over the past 50 years, and the other eats stored products such as flour.<\/p>\n
Most moths feed on live plants, with many having a specific host plant their caterpillars will feed on. <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>6-spot burnet moth, Zygaena filipendulae, and common drone fly, Eristalis tenax, on brown knapweed<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jessica Caterson<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n As well as providing beautiful flying visitors to a garden, moths are an essential part of the food chain, providing essential protein for other animals such as birds<\/a>, bats, predatory beetles and many more. Gardeners have come to view moth caterpillars feeding as damage to plants, holes in vegetable and ornamental plant leaves seen as unsavoury. As entomologists, fascinated by the intricate ecosystems that insects underpin, we would urge gardeners to learn to tolerate some holes in plants and perhaps provide alternative plants and wilder areas for moths (and their colourful cousins) to feed on.<\/p>\n
- Read: Dragonflies and damselflies: once had wingspans of almost 1 metre and weighed the same as a crow<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\""Iron\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/18\/2023\/07\/Iron-Prominent-moth-caterpillar-Notodonta-dromedarius--Beverley-Brouwer-5ef1baf.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Iron\\"\/")
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