Rocklin Moth Control

Serving Roseville, Folsom, Citrus Heights, & the Surrounding Areas

What Are Moths? Why Are They Considered Pests?

There are about 160,000 species of moths around the world, with nearly 11,000 of them found in the United States. Moths, together with the butterflies and skippers, constitute the order Lepidoptera. These insects have wings made up of thousands of overlapping tiny scales, much like a roof. However, compared to butterflies and skippers that are diurnal, moths are mostly active at night.

Just like butterflies, moths feed on nectar and are responsible for pollinating many types of plants. As nocturnal insects, moths use their heightened olfactory senses to locate flowers that bloom at night.

You can tell that it is a moth by the way its wings are placed while at rest. Butterflies hold their wings vertically, whereas moths fold their wings tent-like over the body, wrap them around, or extend them on their sides.

Appearance

Moths come in all shapes and sizes. Their colors and patterns vary greatly, with some even rivaling the butterflies. While many moths are drab in appearance, some moths like hawk moths, tiger moths, and giant silk moths are natural beauties. Some moths don’t look like moths at all, like the clearwing moths that appear like wasps to avoid predators from attacking them. Others have excellent camouflage that makes them difficult to be seen, like hook-tip moths that look just like dry leaves. As for their sizes, moths’ wingspans range from less than 1-inch wide to an astounding 10 inches!

Life Cycle

All Lepidopterans have four stages in their life cycles: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult (imago).

• Egg – Female moths lay hundreds of eggs on plants so their larva can feed on them. Some species can eat a wide variety of plants, but most only feed on specific types.
• Larva (Caterpillar) – After the caterpillar eats away its egg, it will start feeding nearby plants. Its only job is to eat and grow. This stage is the only one in its entire life cycle where growth is possible. The caterpillar sheds its skin several times as it grows, and its pattern and color may change each time.
• Pupa (Cocoon) – When the caterpillar reaches a certain maturity, it searches for a secure site to form its cocoon. The cocoon looks like a sleeping bag with a hard outer case that stays still. Inside it, the caterpillar dissolves into a liquid, soupy substance, then reforms itself to become an adult moth after 5 to 21 days.
• Adult (Moth) – When the cocoon finally splits open, the adult moth crawls out. It now has wings and can fly and search for a mate to start the life cycle all over again. Most adult moths only live for a few days or weeks, so they have to find a mate quickly. Although, some species can survive for months and even hibernate during the winter.