The vast majority of the insect order that also includes butterflies, with about 160,000 species. Most fly at night, and only the caterpillars of a few species eat clothes.
This entry covers a whole group, so the answers describe a typical member. For a specific one, see Silkworm.
Quick answers
What is it?Insect
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Some caterpillars, the larvae of moths and butterflies, are eaten by people.
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatForest, Grassland, Towns
ColoursBrown, Grey, White
SizeTiny
Legs6
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for1–6 months
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Every continent except Antarctica, across a huge range of land habitats.
- What it eats
- Caterpillars mostly eat plants. Some adults don’t eat at all.
Did you know
Why it circles lights is still unsolved; the moon may be involved.
Nobody knows for sure why moths circle lights. One idea is that they steer by the moon, and a lamp confuses them.
Often confused with
- Butterfly
Butterflies fly by day, have clubbed antennae and rest with wings held upright. Most moths fly at night, have feathery or tapering antennae, and rest with wings flat.
Sources
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Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
