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| Land | Animals | Bugs | Moth |
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All across the world moths can be found on warm, summer nights, swarming around lights and resting on the windows of well-lighted homes. It is thought that these insects, which are nocturnal, exhibit this strange behavior because they use light sources to orient themselves when they fly. Normally this source would be the moon, a planet, or a bright star. But a moth that orients itself to a light source that is much closer, such as a porch light or a car light, ends up going in a spiral direction right into the light itself. This sometimes will result in death for the moth, especially if the light source is a very hot bulb or a fire. Moth eyes also adapt to light intensity automatically by shutting out bright light. Since they are nocturnal, bright light means daytime, which is when they normally sleep. So, once they have spiraled toward a light and are successful in finding a safe landing place, such as a window or lampshade, they automatically shut out the light and go to sleep. Moths and butterflies are in the order Lepidoptera. Like butterflies, moths go through metamorphosis, the period of time during which they change from tiny eggs into caterpillars and then into adult moths with wings. During the caterpillar phase, which lasts up to several months, they will eat constantly and grow rapidly. Once fully grown, caterpillars enter the pupa stage. At this time, most moth caterpillars will spin a silky covering around themselves, called a cocoon. They will then fasten the cocoon to a branch or other object. Inside of the cocoon the caterpillar forms an additional inner protective shell from a substance called chitin. It is inside this shell that all moths complete their final transformations into mature adults, after which they will break out of their protective shells, pump blood into their wings and soon fly off to find a mate. The cocoon or chitin shell phase, called pupation, can take a few days or several months, depending on the species. Most adult moths live just a few days to a few weeks. Moths that do not make cocoons burrow into the ground or under loose bark before forming the chitin shell. Some moths live only a few days and never eat. Most feed on the nectar of flowers and in the process help pollinate plants. There are more than 100,000 species of moths. They have short, unknobbed antennae, hairy bodies, and are more stout than butterflies. When they rest they spread their wings out flat or hold them rooflike over their backs. Moth predators include spiders, birds, and bats. Silk is produced from the cocoon of some moths.
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