What do moths eat?
Quick Answer
When moths do eat, most of them sip nectar from flowers. Other moths feed from the damp or muddy areas around streams and puddles, which scientists believe are good sources of minerals. Others sip the liquids from fermenting or rotting fruit or are drawn to the wounds in trees that dribble sap. Some moths are also attracted to dung, feces or puddles of urine.
Continue Reading
Full Answer
Some moths of the sphingidae family have heavy, hairy but colorful bodies and resemble hummingbirds. This is why some are called hummingbird moths. They even feed like hummingbirds and take nectar from the same types of flowers with long, flexible tongues. Other members of this family are called hawkmoths because they are powerful fliers. One, the death's head hawkmoth, has such a strong proboscis that it can pierce the wax cells of beehives and steal the honey. Some types of these sphingidae moths fly during the day.
Some moths don't eat in a traditional sense at all. Members of the drepanidae family, which are also called hook-tips, have reduced or absent tongues and can't feed. Most silkworm moths also can't feed. One of the most famous of these is the luna moth. This moth only lives about a week and doesn't have a mouth.
Learn more about Butterflies & MothsRelated Questions
-
Q:
Do woolly worms turn into butterflies?
A: Woolly worms turn into moths, not butterflies. The woolly worm is the larva of the Isabella tiger moth, a moth of medium size that has yellow-orange and cr... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How long do moths live?
A: Most moths live for 2 to 11 months. This period of time consists of the entire life span from the larval stage to the adult state. Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Are moths harmful?
A: A few species of moths ingest plants that contain cardenolides, a group of poisons that affect the heart muscle and are dangerous to humans when eaten. Oth... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What is the spiritual meaning of Luna moths?
A: Luna moths represent rebirth, renewal of body and spirit, regeneration and may even symbolize the soul itself. Luna moths, like many types of moths and but... Full Answer >Filed Under:
