Moth Metamorphosis

by CHARLOTTE LUKES ROY LUKES

Butterflies are of interest to many people because of their beautiful colors and daytime flight. Moths are not as popular, since they are associated with darkness and damage to some of our possessions and plants.

They all belong to the order called Lepidoptera. It may surprise you that moths make up 95% of this group. The tropical areas of the world are home to most of these delicate creatures.

There are a number of moths that fly during the day and a few are rather unusual. Some species that fascinate people who have flower gardens are in the clear-wing group. One is named the hummingbird clear-wing moth. It hovers at flowers as it sips nectar and has transparent areas in its wings. At first glance people think it is a hummingbird. Another in this group has a body that looks like a bumblebee. ultrasonic bats. egg, caterpillar,

The enormous variations in shapes and color patterns in moths, as well as their caterpillars and cocoons, are startling. Caterpillars can have bodies that are camouflaged to make them look like a leaf, a flower part, tree twig, conifer needles or bird droppings.

Many moths will rest on a tree and blend in with the bark to make them invisible. Others will have large eye spots on hind wings to scare off a predator. Some moths can even emit a toxic substance or produce squeaking noises to distract a foe.

Some caterpillars have tufts of hairs which cause a painful sensation when touched, like the stinging nettle plant. A fat green caterpillar can cling to the underside of a twig to resemble a leaf. A few may create sounds that have ultrasonic frequencies to repel flying bats.

Moths undergo a complete metamorphosis which includes four stages: cocoon and adult moth. Some species can fly in near-freezing weather in the far northern parts of the Midwest. Males usually fly, some up to 20 miles, to find mates via the female’s pheromone scents she sends into the air.

A few moths have startling colors that may indicate they are not really an edible creature. A sphinx moth can be quite large and have a rapid flight to evade predators. They get their name from the caterpillars which have large, stout bodies that can be held erect, like the Egyptian Sphinx statue. The tomato hornworm is in this category.

Once the weather warms and moths are flying, try leaving a porch light on overnight and see what may be there at dawn. A neighbor unknowingly did that about 10 years ago in June and discovered a luna moth and a polyphemus moth nearby. They called Roy, my late husband, to tell him and husband, he rushed over with his camera.

These large and impressive moths are in the family, also called silkworm moths. They are among the largest in our area and have very short lifespans.

These beautiful moths never eat and are in flight from about mid-May to the end of June. Their short lives are only to mate so the larger female can lay eggs.

The caterpillars of our silkworm moths feed on a wide variety of plants including maple, birch, oak, pine, cherry, ash and willow. Most of these larvae have colorful warts and some have stinging spines.

True silkworm moths are not native to this country. They are found in China, where people first learned how to unravel the silk from cocoons over 5,000 years ago. Commercial production has been very successful. It was found that a single strand of silk that forms a cocoon can be from 500 to 1,300 yards long.

Perhaps you have heard of an inchworm. These are the larvae of small moths in the Geometridae family. The very slender caterpillars mimic tree twigs and move about in a looping fashion. Roy photographed three species – the spear-marked black, cherry scallop shell and the pale beauty moth – on our land. Their caterpillars feed on alders, birch, cherry and white spruce trees.

The antennae of moths are either feather-like or hair-like. None have the knobby end seen on butterflies. The wider feathery male antennae help detect the pheromones released into the air by females. The alluring scent can be detected by the males as much as five miles away.

I remember a project by a student researcher who worked for two summers at The Ridges Sanctuary in the 1980s. John Wilterding was studying entomology and eventually earned his Ph.D. in the field. He made a mixture of rotten bananas, dark molasses and stale beer and let it age for a few days. Then he spread it with a big paintbrush onto the large maple trees in the yard just before dark.

It was amazing to see the moths that were attracted to this concoction over several hours. He carefully collected some of the moths and even found a black witch, a rare moth normally seen in the South. His mounted collection is in The Ridges Sanctuary’s possession.

Try to be more aware of the moths and caterpillars that may live in your area. Get a good field guide, like Moths & Caterpillars of the North Woods by Jim Sogaard, and be amazed at the beauty of these flowers of the night!