Moth Of The Week

Moth of the Week

Domestic Silk Moth

Bombyx mori

The domestic silk moth is from the family Bombycidae. It is very closely related to the wild silk moth (Bombyx mandarina), which was first described in 1872 by Frederic Moore. The domestic silk moth was created through selective breeding in order to produce more silk and therefore lacks several behaviors of other moths.

Description This species has white hairy bodies, legs, and wings unlike the wild silk moth which is pigmented brown. This loss of color is due to the domesticated moths no longer needing camouflage. Additionally, this species wings form from larval imaginal disks, and although some may be able to hover, due to domestication the B. mori in incapable of prolonged flight as their bodies are too big to carry. This changes their mating behaviors.

Compared to the wild silk moth, the domesticated silk moth has increased cocoon size, body size, growth rate, and quicker digestion.

Wingspan Range: 3 – 5 cm (1.2 – 2.0 in)

Females are about 2 to 3 times the size of males to carry the eggs.

Diet and Habitat Silk moth larva or silkworms prefer to eat white mulberry leaves and other species of mulberries. They are also known to eat the leaves of the osage orange.

As domesticated species, these moths live in man made habitats for silk production.

It’s undomesticated relative the wild silk moth, B. mandarina, ranges from inland China to Korea and Japan.

Mating Since they cannot fly to find mates like the males of other silk moths species, the B. mori is completely dependent on humans for mating.

The eggs laid are put in and hatch in incubators after approximately 14 days.

Predators This species has no predators due to being taken care of by humans. They have also lost their camouflage, seen in the B. mandarina, from domestication.

Fun Fact Many Asian cultures such as Indian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai eat silkworms. They are roasted, boiled, and/or packaged for snack sale. They have also been proposed as food for astronauts on long missions.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Moth of the Week

Polyphemus Moth

Antheraea polyphemus

This moth is another member of the Saturniidae family, or the great silk moth family. The Polyphemus moth gets its name from the eyespots on its wings and the Greek myth of the cyclops Polyphemus. This species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1776.

Description Polyphemus moths come in many varying shades of brown and gray with pink, white, and black accents. These accents are called the “ante-medial” and “post-medial” lines on the forewings while the hindwings have only the “post-medial” lines. Along the lower edges of both the forewings and the hindwings, called the “outer margin,” is a large band which may vary in color based on the moth but is usually a lighter shade than the rest of the wing. Despite differences in color, all Polyphemus moths have four yellow and black eyespots, 2 on the forewings and 2 on the hindwings. The hindwings’ eyespots are more prominent than the ones on the forewings, being larger and having a thicker outline. The centers of the spots are transparent.

Average Wingspan: 15 cm (6 in)

Females have larger bodies for egg laying

Males have large antennae to detect female pheromones (type: quadripectinate, comb-like)

Diet and Habitat The larvae eat the leaves of beech trees, birch trees, oak trees, maple trees, willow trees, and a large range of other trees. Adult moths have smaller mouths and do not eat.

These moths have a very large habitat range, being found in all of continental North America, except for northern Canada, Nevada, and Arizona. The eggs are laid in deciduous hardwood forests, wetlands and orchards.

Mating When the female moths release their mating pheromones, males can fly miles to find them. Mating usually occurs at night in early summer and lasts 24 hours. Once finished, a female will lay 100 to 300 eggs, which the caterpillars will hatch from in 10 days.

Predators Polyphemus moth caterpillars, larvae, and pupae are prey to yellowjackets, ants, raccoons and squirrels. Adult moths use the owl like eyespots on their wings to scare off predators.

Fun Fact The Polyphemus moth caterpillar can eat 86,000 times its weight when it leaves its egg in a little less than two months.

(Source: Wikipedia, Animal Diversity Web, Animal Spot, and University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department)

Moth of the Week

Luna Moth

Actias luna

The luna moth is in the Saturniidae family or the giant silk moth family. Originally, James Petiver described and named this moth in 1700 as the Phalena plumata caudata. However, this name was replaced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Linnaeus renamed it Phalaena luna and later he again changed the name to Actias luna, after the Roman moon goddess, Luna.

Description These moths are known for their green wings with long tails extending from the back edge of the hindwings. These moths also have a purplish or brown outline at the top and side of the forewings and along the bottom of the hindwings with a yellow eyespot on each wing. Luna moths have fuzzy white bodies, yellowish orange antennae, and legs ranging from maroon to magenta.

Wingspan averages at 9.75 cm (≈3.8 in) and and occasionally can grow up to 17.78 cm (7.00 in)

As most Lepidoptera do:

Females have a larger body compared to males in oder to carry eggs

Males have longer and wider antennae to pick up on mating pheromones

Diet and Habitat These moths are found in Canada from Saskatchewan to Quebec and Nova Scotia and in the United States from Florida to Maine. They are also found in Western Europe on occasion. Luna moth caterpillars live in and eat many species of broadleaf trees such as white birch, American persimmon, American sweet gum, and several species of hickory, walnut, and sumac trees. Adults moths have small mouths and do not eat.

Mating In the north, luna moths breed once a year in June while in the south, they breed up to 3 times a year in March. Mating occurs at night when females release pheromones to attract males, and a mating session lasts several hours. Females lay 200 to 400 eggs one by one or in small clusters. Egg laying takes several days, and eggs hatch after about a week.

Predators The luna moth’s hindwing tails are theorized to be used to confuse bats that use echolocation to hunt the moths. (TW: regurgitation/vomit) Another defense mechanism this species has is the larvae make clicking noises as a warning and then can regurgitate or hurl horrible tasting fluid from their intestines at predators. In addition to bats, a parasitic fly brought to North America to take care of the invasive spongy moths are also hunting the luna moth and other moth species.

Fun Fact Luna moth caterpillars have a special enzyme in their digestive systems that neutralizes a toxic chemical found in hickory and walnut trees. Additionally, some caterpillars have more enzymes than others because of different amounts of hickory and walnut trees in habitats!

(Source: Wikipedia, Finger Lakes Land Trust)

Moth of the Week

Cecropia Moth

Hyalophora cecropia

The cecropia moth is a member of the family Saturniidae or the family of giant silk moths. This species was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. This moths gets its name from the mythological kind of Athens, Cecrops I.

Description The cecropia moth’s wings are brown or black with crescent spots which are white in the center and then fade to red then black. They are larger on the hindwings. All the wings also have a white stripe followed by a red one and then frilled white patterns and white and grey edges. The forewings have a black eyespt on the upper corners. The moth’s head and back are red with a white band and dark antennae. The body is hairy with red legs, a white upper body, and an alternating red and white abdomen.

Average wingspan: 15.24 cm (6 in)

Diet and Habitat Caterpillars eat trees and shrubs such as wild cherry, plum, maple, willow, boxelder, apple, crabapple, and lilac, to name a few. Adult moths have no mouths and do not feed. These moths can be found east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. Their range goes west to Washington and north into the majority of Canadian provinces. They prefer hardwood forests and are most commonly found on maple, cherry, and birch trees.

Mating Mating season for this moth is late May or June. The females release pheromones which the males detect with their antennae. They can detect up to a mile away but can fly up to 7 miles during their search. The mating usually begins early in the morning and lasts until the evening. These moths are univoltine, meaning they have only one generation per year.

Predators This species is parasitized by some species of wasps and flies, especially the Compsilura concinnata, who lay their eggs in or on the caterpillars. Other threats are squirrels, loss of habitat, and outdoor lights.

Fun Fact The cecropia moth is North America's largest native moth

(Source: Wikipedia; Iowa State University, Horticulture and Home Peat News; National Wildlife Federation; Prairie Haven; AZ Animals)

Moth of the Week

Atlas Moth

Attacus atlas

This moth is a part of the Saturniidae family, or the family of great silk moths and royal moths. This moth was first described by Carl Linnaeusin 1758. The atlas moth is of of the largest species in the Lepidoptera order, the order of insects for butterflies and moths

Description An atlas moths has a small body and large wings.

Wingspan: 24 cm (9.4 in)

Wing surface area: 160 cm (≈25 in2)

The upper surface of the wings are maroon, black, white, pink, and purple with four triangular outlines in black. These outlines border a translucent part of the wings where there are no scales, the tips of the moth’s forewings resemble snakes to scare off predators.

Common traits of most Lepidoptera:

Females are larger than males

Males have larger antennae

Diet and Habitat Atlas moths are native to dry rainforests, secondary forests, and shrublands in Southern and Eastern Asia. Atlas moth caterpillars eat the leaves of citrus fruits, willows, cinnamon trees, guava trees, and Jamaican cherry trees. Adult moths do not have mouths and no not eat.

Mating For mating, a female moth will release pheromones which the male moths decent with their antennae. A female moth will lay 200 to 300 eggs on the underside of the leaves the caterpillars eat. It takes about 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch.

Predators The main predators do these moths are lizards and birds. The moth’s wings are patterned to look like snakes’ heads to scare off predators.

Fun Fact Atlas moths only live for 5 to 7 days because they live off of energy stored as a caterpillar.

(Source: Wikipedia, Animal Spot, and California Academy of Sciences)

Moth of the Week:

Rosy Maple Moth

Dryocampa rubicunda

First described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793, this moth is part of the Saturniidae family. This family is better known as the great silk moth family. However, these moths are the smallest of the silk moths. They get their name from their preferred host plants: maple trees.

Description One difference between males and females are males have larger antennae to sense female mating pheromones. Both share pink antennas, undersides, and legs. Body and wing colors range from yellow, pink, white, and cream. As caterpillars they are green.

Female wingspan: 3.8 - 5 cm (1.5 - 2 in)

Male wingspan: 4.3 - 4.4 cm (1.25 - 1.75 in)

Diet and Habitat The rosy maple moth feeds on red maples, sugar maples, silver maples, box elder maples, and turkey oaks. The caterpillars eat the entire leaf and can even defoliate entire trees, however the damage isn’t usually permanent. Adult moths have no mouths so they do not eat. Rosy maple moths are found on the Atlantic coast of the United States and eastern Canada. Their northernmost reach includes Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Their southernmost reach is Dade County, Florida. They extend west from eastern Texas to Minnesota. Caterpillars live in temperate forests by suburban and urban landscapes

Mating Adult moths are solitary besides mating. During the warmer months, females release pheromones at night to attract males then lay eggs 24 hours after mating. Usually females lay eggs once a season, but they can lay up to 3 times in souther regions. In these cases, rosy maple moths are polyandrous, meaning they will have multiple mating partners. Females lay eggs on the underside of the leaves of the host trees in groups of 10 to 40 eggs.

Average amount of eggs laid: 150 - 200

Predators The predators of these moths are birds like blue jays, tufted titmice, and black-capped chickadees. To prevent predation, this moth uses bright colors to trick predators into thinking it is poisonous. Additionally, the colors help the moth camouflage itself by blending in with the maple seed cases.

Fun Fact Rosy maple moths can’t hear sounds.

(Source: Wikipedia and Animal Spot)