Moths, also known as moths, eat different foods at all stages of their lives.
At the larval stage, they do not have the same mobility as adults, which is why they live in the crowns of trees so that they can eat leaves.
Depending on the type of moth, the type of leaves their larvae will eat depends on the type of leaves, for example, the common oak moth feeds on oak leaves, and the Cherry Dagger species prefers to raise its larvae in the crowns of cherry trees.
Moth larvae have a peculiarity: they need to constantly chew something, so when there are no plant leaves, they begin to eat those things that are nearby, these are hair, wool, fur, etc.
The food preferences of adult butterflies, like those of larvae, depend on the specific species. To summarize, they feed on nectar and fruit juice. Adult butterflies cannot chew; they can only process liquid food.
Some species of moths in the butterfly state may not eat at all; they use the energy accumulated during their stay in the larval state.
Let's take a closer look at what some types of moths eat.
African moon moth (Argema mimosae)
What do caterpillars eat?
Most caterpillars are phytophagous - they feed on leaves, flowers and fruits of various, mainly flowering, and less often coniferous, plants.
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What to feed in summer?
What do moths living in captivity eat during the warm season? Oddly enough, slightly rotten fruits are a delicacy for these beautiful insects. Just remember that this product must be served washed and peeled. Otherwise, it can cause harm to pets due to the content of chemicals on the surface of the fruit, used by humans for the purpose of better preservation and transportability.
Butterflies will enjoy the blackened pulp from which they suck the juice, which is an important supplier of sugar, water and other nutrients.
The most suitable gifts for winged pets are:
- bananas;
- oranges;
- apples;
- melons;
- mango;
- watermelons.
Bananas
Important! For each feeding, butterflies need to prepare a fresh portion of fruit.
Amazing metamorphoses
Many people remember from school that the life of a butterfly is divided into four stages: egg, larva, caterpillar and moth. Moreover, this amazing creature consumes the largest amount of food in the form of a caterpillar. What do we know about this immature butterfly metamorphosis? What do young caterpillars eat?
To be honest, these creatures can eat almost all types of plant foods. For example, the same tree leaves, fruits or berries. In general, there are no restrictions, although each butterfly species has its own preferences. They depend on the habitat, as well as on the abundance of flora that reigns there.
What does a meadow moth look like?
The meadow moth is a moth. This is a small insect of gray-brown color, with a wingspan of 18 to 26 mm. The wings have a pattern of yellow stripes. The insect is a dangerous pest, affecting a large number of agricultural plants.
Reproduction nuances
After mating, the female lays eggs. During its life, a butterfly can lay up to 600 eggs. The laying is done on the underside of the leaves of the food plant. After 2–15 days, caterpillars emerge from the eggs. They immediately start eating and grow quickly. The caterpillar stage lasts from 10 to 30 days, after which the larva burrows into the ground and pupates. The insect spends from 7 to 35 days in the cocoon, and then the meadow moth is born.
Maliciousness
Meadow moth caterpillars feed on both cultivated and wild plants and weeds. Voracious pests cause damage to crops such as:
- sugar beet;
- buckwheat;
- alfalfa;
- perennial legumes;
- corn;
- peas;
- sunflower;
- potato;
- barley;
- wheat, etc.
Meadow moth caterpillar
With extensive infestation, the larvae can destroy the entire crop.
How to fight a moth?
Measures to combat the meadow moth differ little from methods of getting rid of other pests and include:
- agrotechnical measures (digging soil in autumn and early spring, removing weeds, hilling);
- biological methods (use of trichograms and biological products);
- chemical methods (use of insecticides).
You can add to the main control measures the manual collection of caterpillars and the use of folk remedies.
What do they eat in winter?
In the cold season, the basis of the diet of moths is honey nectar, which is easy to prepare yourself. It is enough to take boiled water without impurities and natural honey or granulated sugar in a ratio of 1x10. An overly concentrated solution has a detrimental effect on the butterfly’s digestive system due to sugar crystallization.
Such food should not be left for more than a day, as it tends to sour. If necessary, honey can be replaced with pear, apricot or peach puree for baby food.
Description and appearance
The family of moths is very numerous and includes many species. In essence, a moth is the same butterfly, but nocturnal individuals differ from daytime ones in the time they are awake and slightly in their appearance.
Night butterflies have a massive, dense body, which is abundantly covered with villi, while day butterflies have a more slender, elongated body, and there are noticeably fewer villi. The moth's head is round, containing eyes, a proboscis (sometimes atrophied), and antennae (usually feathery or filamentous). There are three pairs of legs on the chest. Two pairs of wings, with the upper ones noticeably better developed. You can distinguish a night moth by the color of its wings - it is duller, inconspicuous, and dark shades predominate.
Butterfly
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Eating at home
Keeping butterflies at home is quite common, especially in Western countries. However, it is important to know the basic rules for caring for these exotic creatures. It is necessary to pay attention to such an aspect as proper feeding of colorful beauties.
What to feed
The diet of butterflies at home is virtually no different from food in the wild. However, in order to avoid diseases, the insect should not be fed with what was brought from the forest or garden. The most favorite food of these creatures is pre-prepared nectar based on honey. Butterflies eat it willingly, so it is better to give preference to food based on honey. They do not disdain rotten fruits, such as mangoes or bananas.
How often
After the final metamorphosis, feeding is done on the second day. The frequency of feeding depends on the type of insect. Daytime ones eat frequently and are fed every 3 hours. Night people have a different schedule; once a day is enough for them.
Butterfly activity also plays a small role. If the butterfly is at rest, disturb it for the purpose of feeding, in this case it should be once every 1-1.5 days.
Artificial feeding
Above, it was discussed what and how to feed a butterfly at home, but it is important to know what to do in emergency situations. Artificial feeding is necessary if the insect deliberately refuses to eat.
You must follow this algorithm:
- carefully remove the butterfly from the terrarium using a thin needle;
- using extreme caution, try to unwind the proboscis;
- Immerse the end of the proboscis in honey nectar.
These procedures should be carried out over several days, after which the butterfly begins to feed on its own as soon as it is near the container.
Butterfly conservation
The cutting down of poplars and their replacement with other trees has led to a decline in the population of Laothoepopuli in some regions of Russia. In the Belgorod region, the butterfly is classified as a species that is declining in numbers. It is listed in the regional Red Book. Catching butterflies and disturbing their habitats is prohibited.
Beautiful, weightless, bewitching - these epithets are addressed to butterflies. But how much can amazing creatures delight with their charm and grace? It is generally accepted that their lifespan is short. However, this opinion cannot be called fair.
Factors influencing life expectancy
Monarch butterflies are unique representatives of their species. They live in the adult stage from nine to a year, setting an unspoken record in the world of lepidopteran data.
The life cycle of the Brixton butterfly lasts for ten months. True, unlike the above-mentioned relatives, this applies mainly to its presence in the form of a caterpillar and pupa.
The shortest lifespan is given to pigeons - only a few days. The cabbage white, a typical Russian representative, has the opportunity to flutter around natural spaces for about twenty days. By the way, it earned its name due to the fact that cabbage is one of the components of feeding the caterpillar of this insect.
butterflies in the tropics
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northern butterfly
northern butterfly
Main differences between moths and butterflies
In general, all representatives of the order Lepidoptera are very similar in body structure, appearance and lifestyle. But there are still a number of main differences between butterflies and moths:
- thickness and structure of the antennae;
- body shape and the presence of villi on it;
- activity at different times of the day;
- brightness of wing color;
- appearance of pupae and caterpillars;
- a way to fold the wings while resting.
All of the above differences are typical for most species of moths and butterflies, but, as you know, there are exceptions to any rule.
For example, the Saturnia luna moth boasts a bright light green or lavender color, and members of the moth family fold their wings vertically.
Anyone who wants to get to know butterflies better should come here.
What does a gypsy moth eat?
The gypsy moth (Gypsy moth Lymantria dispar) eats young leaves of a wide variety of trees. These are mainly apple trees, aspen, willow, birch, pine, spruce, maple and oak. As they grow older, they begin to eat all the leaves in a row.
They are a garden pest because they interfere with the normal development of garden trees, which is why gardeners fight them regularly. But due to the fact that they can lay their eggs in huge numbers, measures to combat them are usually useless.
Clothes moth, photo mhking/iNaturallist
Features of color
Adults and caterpillars of night moths have two color options:
- patronizing;
- warning.
The protective coloration allows insects to camouflage themselves perfectly in the surrounding space, becoming invisible. Some species have become fantastically adept at blending into the background. For example, a moth can get lost among the foliage or become almost invisible against the background of tree bark. Caterpillars take the form of twigs, twigs, flowers, and merge with bark, pine needles or stones.
Caterpillar
Warning coloring is brighter. It either scares away potential enemies, or, on the contrary, attracts their attention. In the second case, the insect demonstrates that it has some kind of protective means. This may be a caustic secretion secreted by the glands or burning hairs covering the body.
What do butterflies like to eat?
Butterflies feed on sugar syrup, juicy citrus fruits or crushed bananas. You need to feed the butterfly once a day. The easiest way to feed a butterfly is to prepare sugar syrup for it or buy special food for butterflies in our store.
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