Moth - photos and features of the existence of each species

Moth can adapt to various living conditions pretty quickly, so this insect can be found on any continent. Adult individuals and larvae, depending on the species, vary in size and color - some large and bright, others small and unprepossessing. In this article you can determine which type of pest you are dealing with and what to expect from it.

Who is the mole?

Moths are insects of the order Lepidoptera, which are characterized by small size and they lead mostly twilight lifestyles. The larvae of these insects are serious pests, and adult individuals, having reached puberty, only mate and lay eggs.

Mouth organ

Moths are very similar to butterflies, but one of the most striking distinguishing features is their lack of proboscis. Butterflies with this organ get nectar, which is hidden deep enough in the inflorescences of plants. Moth larvaeBeing creatures primitive and less whimsical in food, they have powerful jaws that can even crack fruit bones and plant seeds.

So why doesn't a moth have a proboscis? The answer is pretty simple. These insects simply do not need it, since being caterpillars, they consume food using the oral apparatus and accumulate energy in the body.
Growing up, moths not only lose the opportunity to eat, but also can not digest food. In adulthood, their main task is to breed.

For this reason, fighting against adults does not make any sense. It is the larvae that spoil your furniture, clothes and eat cereals hidden in the kitchen.

Interesting fact! Some species that have reached puberty may still have jaws, but even then they will not pose a potential threat. This means that they have not yet fully evolved.

Life span

Now you need to find out how much the mole lives. The duration of the winged specimen is quite short and can be about 2-4 weeks, which depends on the type of insect. During this period, they move very little and fly only at dusk, due to their complete defenselessness against predators and poorly developed wings. But before the stage of puberty, there are two stages:

• the female lays eggs, of which caterpillars appear at a temperature of + 20 ° C in 13-15 days;
• the larvae turn into a cocoon, which is made from nutritious material, live and develop in it for a relatively long period of time - from 3 to 10 months.

Based on the duration of the above stages and summing them up, it is easy to calculate the life cycle of a moth and what damage they are capable of causing during their existence.

Variety of species

Domestic moths are small insects whose wings are up to 7 mm long and when folded form a triangle. These pests differ in their color to a small extent, since for the most part they are quite inconspicuous and inconspicuous.

If we consider the ermine moth, then it will differ not only in its bright color, but also in the way it folds its wings - this is not a triangle, but a pyramid. Clover also stands out for its colorful wings, which when folded look like a narrow tube.

Some pests have a unique color, with the help of which they are perfectly masked. This is mainly necessary for species living in the wild, as they are unable to fly long distances and they also have no means of protection.

The main pests of household and agriculture

Particular attention should be paid to how the pest moth looks. There are few of these species, but they can cause significant damage.

Wax moth

A danger to bee hives is a wax moth. The caterpillars of these insects feed on honey and bee bread, and also eats bee larvae. In some cases, large colonies can even destroy the insulation, which serves as a protection for bees from low temperatures.

Interesting fact! Caterpillars of this type of moth are widely used in medicine, as they, feeding on bee products, perfectly digest wax.

Once in the caterpillar’s ​​body, the wax breaks down and, when combined with the enzyme, forms a unique substance that destroys pathogenic bacteria. This was the reason that wax moth larvae began to be used as a healing agent for many diseases.

Fur moth

Enumerating the types of moths, it is impossible to ignore the insect, which is able to destroy your favorite fur coat. For this type of insect, your closet, where fur products are stored, becomes a real "paradise." After all, it is here that she finds an endless source of nutrition.

Fur coat moth caterpillars carefully cut the villi using their mouthparts, after which they are crushed and swallowed. After saturation, the larva moves to the side of its nest and "along the road" cuts off the hairs of the fur, which prevent it from moving freely. That is, these individuals parasitize not only for saturation. As a result, narrow tracks of clipped pile are formed on the fur product.

Clothes moth

A clothes moth destroys mainly wool products. External signs include straw color and small insect sizes, which reach 9 mm when the wings are folded.

Attention! Wardrobe moth, in addition to things made from natural fabrics, can also damage semisynthetic materials. But with this nutrition, the development of the caterpillar and the stage of puberty slows down a little later.

Females always move on foot, because, despite the presence of wings, they have no need to fly. During the breeding season, the males find them on their own, after which the females lay their eggs without moving over long distances.

Room (furniture) moth

Furniture moth is a nondescript butterfly of a light yellow hue. Her wings have a characteristic golden tint. For 15 days, the female lays eggs, the number of which can reach 300 pieces.

Being in the caterpillar stage, indoor moths are inactive. They begin to move only after they begin to fully eat. Larvae are very afraid of bright light and if you put a thing infected with these pests in the sun, you can see how they begin to hide in folds or crawl into their cocoons.

Important! Lowering the air temperature in their parasitic zone can stop the development of caterpillars. They hide in their cocoons and stop parasitizing.

Potato moth

Listing the types of moths, it is worth paying attention to parasites that can cause damage to agricultural land. These individuals include potato moth. Its appearance is rather unattractive - its wings are dirty gray in color with numerous dark spots.

Winged individuals have long antennae and live only a few days. When the wings are folded, the body length reaches about 7 mm.An inconspicuous color allows the butterfly to remain invisible even at a small distance with a direct look.

Caterpillars of this species are light green in color, sometimes larvae of a pale pink color are found. The female lays eggs on the underside of the plant leaf, from which, after a short period of time, larvae appear and begin to develop very quickly.

Attention! Caterpillars die when the temperature drops to + 4 ° C, but settling directly in the tubers can remain alive. As a rule, during the onset of cold weather, they move to barns, where they feed on seed potatoes, after which they fall into the ground during spring planting.

Cabbage Moth

Cabbage Moth - pest of cruciferous plants. It has an elongated body and wings are light brown in color. When the wings are folded, the butterfly looks like a small straw. There is a fringe along the edges of the wings of an adult. Like many other species, the cabbage pest flies rather badly and always remains in close proximity to the place of exit from the cocoon.

The head of the caterpillar is brown. These insects rarely accumulate in numerous colonies - on one leaf, as a rule, one or two individuals parasitize. In the pupal stage, this pest can be found on the stems and leaves of the plants that they feed on.

The eggs of this parasite are easy to recognize by their small size and elongated shape. Egg length can reach 0.44 mm, width - 0.26 mm, color - green, which makes them invisible against the background of foliage.

Food moth

Food or barn moth can be found in foods that have been stored in violation of basic rules. Most often it is groceries and cereals. In nature, the source of nutrition for this type of insect is the nuts and fruits of many plants, which leads to the frequent presence of parasites in the forest-steppe and steppe zone.

Interesting fact! Food moth unable to harm clothes and furniture, as it eats exclusively cereals, flour, sugar, dried fruits and berries, can also parasitize in dry pet food.

When the wings of an adult are folded, its body length reaches 8 mm. Moth sitting on any surface is quite difficult to notice at first glance, since it looks more like a small ledge than an insect.

Caterpillars of this species have a light yellow or light pink color with a flat surface of the body. It is impossible to determine the type of barn moth by the appearance of the larva, but one thing saves - the struggle can be waged by the same means, therefore the species affiliation is unimportant.

The normal development of this species occurs under certain conditions:

• air temperature up to + 25 ° C;
• humidity is about 50%.

The life cycle of food moth is about one and a half months. This stage includes all stages of the development of the insect.

Chestnut moth

A chestnut moth parasitizes on horse chestnut and maple leaves. They spend winter in the pupal stage, and with the onset of spring, adult individuals are selected from the fallen leaves, fertilized, and after 2-3 weeks offspring appear which adhere to the blossoming leaves.

Parasites leave embossed orange spots along the entire surface of the leaf.

Prevention of the occurrence of moths is the most powerful argument that will allow you to keep your property intact, the garden plot and not force to throw away food. But if this parasite has already managed to settle next to you, then you must immediately choose an effective tool to combat it.

The modern market is replete with a variety of insecticides from these pests, but it is worth remembering that some species are able to quickly develop immunity, while continuing to multiply intensively.