The Modern English word "moth" comes from Old English "moððe" (cf. Northumbrian "mohðe") from Common Germanic (compare Old Norse "motti", Dutch "Mot" and German "Motte" all meaning "moth"). Perhaps its origins are related to the Old English "maða" meaning "maggot" or from the root of "midge" which until the 16th century was used mostly to indicate the larva, usually in reference to devouring clothes.
The study of butterflies and moths is known as lepidoptery, and biologists that specialize in either are called lepidopterists. As a pastime, watching butterflies and moths is known as butterflying and mothing. The latter has given rise to the term "mother" for someone who engages in this activity - sometimes written with a hyphen (moth-er) to distinguish it from the more common word of the same spelling. This confusion does not arise in speech as it is pronounced differently (, not ).
Several moths in the family Tineidae are commonly regarded as pests because their larvae eat fabric such as clothes and blankets made from natural proteinaceous fibers such as wool or silk. They are less likely to eat mixed materials containing artificial fibers. There are some reports that they can be repelled by the scent of wood from juniper and cedar, by lavender, or by other natural oils. However, many consider this unlikely to prevent infestation. Naphthalene (the chemical used in mothballs) is considered more effective, but there are concerns over its effects on human health. Moth larvae may be killed by freezing the items which they infest for several days at a temperature below .
Some moths are farmed. The most notable of these is the silkworm, the larva of the domesticated moth Bombyx mori. It is farmed for the silk with which it builds its cocoon. , the silk industry produces over 130 million kilograms of raw silk, worth about 250 million U.S. dollars, each year. Not all silk is produced by Bombyx mori. There are several species of Saturniidae that are also farmed for their silk, such as the Ailanthus moth (Samia cynthia group of species), the Chinese Oak Silkmoth (Antheraea pernyi), the Assam Silkmoth (Antheraea assamensis), and the Japanese Silk Moth (Antheraea yamamai).
The mopane worm, the caterpillar of Gonimbrasia belina, from the family Saturniidae, is a significant food resource in southern Africa.
Despite being notorious for eating clothing, most moth adults do not eat at all. Most like the Luna, Polyphemus, Atlas, Prometheus, Cercropia, and other large moths do not have mouths. When they do eat, moths will drink nectar.
It has been suggested that the reason for moths circling lights may have to do with a visual distortion called a Mach band. The theory says that in the pursuit of cover and safety, moths fly towards the dark areas of the sky and are thus inclined to circle ambient objects in the Mach band region. The celestial navigation theory should cause moths to circle lights, not to head directly toward them, as many are seen to do. Mach conjectures that moths, which are nocturnal creatures, must find a place to hide from predators when daylight comes, but cannot do so in darkness. Their instinct when morning comes is to fly toward the light (presumably up) and then down again, with some probability of landing on a surface which matches their camouflage.
A theory which has been advanced in an attempt to explain the attraction male moths have for candles specifically is based on olfaction. There is evidence that olfaction might be, in some cases, mediated by detection of the infra-red spectra of substances. The spiky infrared spectra of a candle flame happens to contain a number of emission lines which coincide with the vibrational frequencies of the female moth's pheromone. The male moth is thereby powerfully attracted to the flame. Other sources with different spike patterns, e.g. hurricane lamps, are less powerful attractants.
Baculoviruses are parasite double-stranded DNA insect viruses that are used mostly as biological control agents. They are members of the Baculoviridae, a family that is restricted to insects. Most baculovirus isolates have been obtained from insects, in particular from Lepidoptera.
There is evidence that ultrasound in the range emitted by bats causes flying moths to make evasive maneuvers because bats eat moths. Ultrasonic frequencies trigger a reflex action in the noctuid moth that cause it to drop a few inches in its flight to evade attack. Tiger moths also emit clicks which foil bats' echolocation.
Moths of economic significance:
Category:Lepidoptera Category:Pollinators Category:Agricultural pest insects Category:Household pest insects
ar:عثة ay:Pharayli bjn:Gagat cy:Gwyfyn de:Nachtfalter nv:Iichʼąhii el:Νυχτοπεταλούδα es:Heterocera eo:Noktopapilio eu:Sits fr:Hétérocères ga:Leamhan gl:Avelaíña ko:곡식좀나방과 hr:Moljci io:Tineo id:Ngengat is:Mölflugur it:Falena he:עשים pam:Kambubulag kv:Воз lbe:Нувца lt:Kandys mk:Молец ml:നിശാശലഭം ms:Rama-rama nl:Nachtvlinder (dier) new:मोथ ja:ガ nn:Nattsvermar mhr:Когарш nds:Motten pl:Ćmy pt:Mariposa ru:Моли sco:Moch simple:Moth sl:Nočni metulji fi:Yöperhoset sv:Nattfjärilar tl:Gamugamo tr:Güve uk:Міль vi:Bướm đêm war:Marongparong zh:蛾This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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