Most common moth in north america. It is a member of the family saturniidae or giant silk mothsfemales have been documented with a wingspan of five to seven inches 160 mm or more. We depend on donations to keep butterflies and moths of north america online and freely available. Most moths operate in night time hours attracted to light sources and are generally viewed as pests of the night sky. These moths can be found all across north america as far west as washington and north into the majority of canadian provinces.
Moths are flying insects in the order of lepidoptera which is also the same order to which butterflies belong. It is one of the largest moths in north america. Its caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plants including mustards and of course cabbage. We need your help.
In recent years some have likened it to donald trumps hairstyle. The hind wings of luna moth have long curving tails and each of its wings consists of eyespots that have arcs of red yellow black green or blue. Butterflies of north america fewer than 800 of the known 12000 lepidopterans found across the united states and canada are actually butterflies the rest being recognized as moths. These butterflies are colorful with silver blue green orange and brown coloring and form the second largest family of butterflies in the world with over 6000 species around the globe.
Among the small number of megalopygid species found in north america is the notorious puss moth caterpillar megalopyge opercularis also known as the southern flannel moth and appropriately named asp. Our small white butterflies are almost all cabbage whites an abundant and widespread species. It is very hairy almost cuddly yet packs quite a sting. There are over 160000 recorded species of moths across the globe with around 11000 of these being found in the united states and around 2500 being found in the united kingdom.
The gypsy moth is known to feed on the foliage of hundreds of species of plants in north america but its most common hosts are oaks and aspen. The hairstreaks are the most common type in north america most often found in warmer tropical and subtropical climates. Reduce the number of. Knitters and others relying on fabrics and fibers abhor moths for their inherently destructive capabilities.
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