Moth butterflies are relatively small insects that belong to the Lepidoptera order, that is, butterflies. They will be discussed in this article.
Squad of Lepidoptera
Representatives of this order - moths, butterflies, moths - are distinguished by the presence in adults of a dense cover of chitinous scales located on the front and hind wings.
These insects go through four stages of development. These are eggs, larvae (or caterpillars), pupae and adults. Caterpillars (larvae) of Lepidoptera are worm-like, with a powerful sclerotized head cover. The resemblance to worms arises from the fact that insects in this phase of development have underdeveloped ventral legs. Of particular note is the well-developed gnawing mouth apparatus. Moreover, it is different for each species, since the larvae feed differently.
Distinctive features of the moth butterfly from other Lepidoptera
These insects supposedly appeared 190 million years ago. Their modern descendants have changed, many new species have appeared.
All representatives of the Lepidoptera order are divided into diurnal and nocturnal butterflies. Those that are predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal make up the family of moths. But scientificsuch a division cannot be called.
Modern entomologists subdivide Lepidoptera into suborders. According to one classification, there are three of them today: the lower homoptera, the higher homoptera, and the heteroptera. The first subspecies includes Lepidoptera with a primitive wing structure. Both wings have almost the same venation. The proboscis of these small butterflies is either absent or present, but very short. There are spurs on the legs. These butterflies are called primordial moths.
The second classification subdivides Lepidoptera into four suborders, highlighting the primary toothed moths, proboscis, heterobatmy and proboscis.
So, to answer the question of how a moth differs from a butterfly, you can do this:
- small size;
- the primitive structure of the wings, which the moth at rest folds behind its back not as a “sail”, but as a “house”;
- pale, mostly grey;
- nightlife.
The opinion that moth harms a person, and butterflies adorn the world, is not true. Both of them can cause significant damage to the human economy. But mostly it is not the adults themselves that harm, but the larvae of butterflies and moths. Actively feeding, caterpillars eat plants, grain, fruits, fabrics, wax honeycombs and other products and materials. Adult butterflies, moths, moths often do not need food. Their harm is that they lay eggs, from which voracious larvae then hatch.
Small moth-like butterflies
Watching insects in nature happensboth nice and funny. But completely different feelings arise when they occupy a human dwelling as uninvited guests. For example, sometimes people notice that small moth-like butterflies appear on the curtains in houses in the evenings. The owner will involuntarily have a feeling of anxiety. What if this small lepidoptera did not just appear in the house? What if it is a lover of carpets, fur coats, flour, dried fruits, or something else that the owner does not intend to share with him at all?
It is possible that in this situation, anxiety is not at all groundless. After all, a small butterfly, similar to a moth, may turn out to be a mill fire. And one should not expect good from this gluttonous guest: having declared once, she will very soon get into flour, and cereals, and other products, she will lay her eggs everywhere. And caterpillars will hatch out of 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 fenestrated moths have come to visit. These insects do not pose a danger to food and household items. So, they made a mistake with the address, as they say. Leading a nocturnal lifestyle, a moth flew into the light, crawled through a crack into the house, but couldn’t get out.
Pretty small night butterflies are leaf rollers. They also sometimes end up in human habitation. For gardens and orchards, this is a terrible pest. But in the house there is no harm from them. You can distinguish a leafworm from a moth by its size, which is still almost 2 times larger than that of a moth.
Viewsagricultural moth
Many people think that worms plague them in the garden and in the garden. But in fact, these are caterpillars - larvae of butterflies or moths. It is they who devour the fruits and foliage of plants, destroy them and deprive people of the harvest.
There are a lot of types of moths. Part of this suborder is agricultural pests. For example, potato, cabbage, apple, rye moths can be distinguished. The damage from the larvae of these pests is tangible, since they are able to completely destroy the entire crop in the garden or garden.
But in the houses these insects are helpless, since they even have nowhere to lay their eggs in their dwelling. Unless, of course, the owner just in the room suddenly does not have free access to forks of cabbage or a freshly picked potato bush.
Winged pests in human habitation
Usually, at the word "moth" everyone imagines a small nondescript butterfly that climbs into places where clothes are stored and leaves its eggs there. And after some time, the hostess discovers that the pile of the coat has bald spots, and the woolen blouse is completely full of small holes. And these are the clothes moth larvae.
In fact, many moth butterflies in the apartment are a real disaster. In addition to the already named wardrobe moth, fur coat moths, furniture moths, grain moths, and wax moths annoy people in their homes. Moreover, sometimes it is quite difficult to determine by appearance the belonging of this pest to a particular species and to guess about its taste preferences. Althoughthere are differences between them.
Fur coat moth
This lepidoptera is painted clay yellow with a sheen. The wings are light gray below, 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 rather beautiful moth butterfly. The photo shows how peculiar the insect looks.
Their caterpillars are worm-like, whitish in color and practically naked. They have eight short abdominal legs, transparent skin through which the stomach is visible.
The fur coat moth larva feeds mainly on natural fur, for which it got its name. Crawling along the skin, the caterpillar gnaws all the hairs that come across on the way. Moreover, this process is not always due to hunger. So, having hung a brand new fluffy fur coat in the closet, after a while you can get an absolutely bald little thing, provided that the fur coat moth has been in the chiffonier and managed to breed offspring there.
Dress 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, devoid of spots. But they have a long fringe of hairs along the edges.
The body of the moth is beige with golden hairs. Reddish-golden hairs grow on the head.
Caterpillars of clothes moth are similar in appearance to fur coat larvae. They live in natural tissues, eating those places of matter that are not visible.outside, because most often they don’t even try the top layer. Having developed, the larva ceases to feed and weaves a spindle-shaped hard silk cocoon. The outside of this sarcophagus is covered in feces and food waste.
Female clothes moths do not fly well. Therefore, they move by jumping, trying to hide in the folds of clothing. If you notice a flying clothes moth in your home, you can be sure that it is a male.
Furniture Moth
Adult insect of this species has a characteristic luster. The wings of furniture moths have a light yellow tint. The head of the insect is rusty-yellow, brownish closer to the beginning of the wings. Entomologists have identified furniture moth in a separate genus for the lack of labial tentacles.
Insect usually eats only furniture stuffing. Pupation itself occurs under chairs, sofas and other furniture. The larva develops throughout the year. During the year, the female is able to lay eggs up to four times.
Ways to get rid of moths in the house
If you do not pay attention in time to the fact that these insatiable gluttons have settled in the apartment, then very soon you will find that the pests have multiplied just monstrously! Running around the house trying to swat flying creatures is useless, as getting rid of moth butterflies does not mean anything. The larvae do the most damage. And flying insects eat almost nothing. Their concern is to lay their eggs in a convenient place so that the babies have something to eat after they are born.
There are several types of getting rid of moths.
- Items thattoo moth infested, best to throw away.
- Those things in which there are not so many moths can be dried on the stove, in the oven, in the sun.
- Cabinets in which the moth lived should be washed with soapy water. Adding whiteness to the liquid will not be superfluous.
- Things affected by moths need to be treated with dichlorvos.
- UV irradiation will help get rid of moths.
- In clothes drawers, on the shelves of cabinets, in the pockets of outerwear, you can put special tablets or powders that repel insects. Naphthalene has always been considered the best in this direction.
- It is very important to regularly shake out stored clothes, dry them, iron with a hot iron, rewash.
- Don't store a lot of old junk - these are the deposits that attract moths.
