Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Order Lepidoptera Butterflies & Moths Butterflies & Moths Butterflies & Moths Order Lepidoptera More than 11,000 species in the U.S. and Canada Adults of many species are very attractive, some very drab Wings, bodies and legs are covered with fine dust-like scales Wings and Antennae Lepidoptera are capable fliers They possess two pair of wings – both flight wings The antennae vary between moths and butterflies Butterfly antennae are often knobbed at the tip Moth antenna are often feather-like or straight Wings Lepidoptera Antennae Butterfly Collection Butterflies & Moths Many species are important economical pests Many species attack cultivated plants Some species feed on stored grains and meals A few species feed on various fabrics Corn Earworm Damage Moth Damage Silk Natural silk is a product of one species Lepidoptera Mouthparts Most adults have a long, tubular proboscis designed for sucking up nectar from flowers Some adults only have vestigial mouthparts Larvae have chewing mouthparts Definition: Vestigial – small, poorly developed, non-functioning Lepidoptera Mouthparts Life Cycles Lepidoptera undergo a complete metamorphosis Most larvae undergo as many as five molts Yellow Admiral Butterfly Life Cycle Lepidoptera Larvae Larvae typically referred to as caterpillars – occasionally cutworms The appearances can be almost frightening – probably an evolved defense mechanism to discourage predators Lepidoptera often mimic something to discourage predators Lepidoptera Larvae Tomato Horned Worm Larvae Hickory Horned Devil Larvae Lepidoptera Larvae Swallowtail Larvae Lepidoptera Larvae Monarch Larvae Lepidoptera Larvae Snake Mimic Lepidoptera Larvae Mimicking Bird Droppings True Legs Lepidoptera have 3 pair of legs arising from the thorax at the anterior end Prolegs And up to 5 pairs of prolegs along the abdomen True Legs & Prolegs Prolegs Mouthparts Lepidoptera larvae all have chewing mouthparts Feeding Habits The larvae of most species are phytophagous Many species attack cultivated plants Larger larvae feed on the edges of leaves often leaving only the larger veins Smaller larvae tend to eat small holes in the leaves often skeletonizing leaf blades Feeding Habits Some larvae are leaf miners Some larvae attack fruit, flowers, stems and twigs, wood, and other plant parts Some are serious turf pests Some are gall forming A few are predaceous against other insects Feeding Habits Corn Earworms Leaf Miners Silk Lepidoptera larvae possess well-developed silk glands Many larvae use the silk for making cocoons Some larvae use the silk to fold or roll leaves binding them to create hiding and feeding places Some form large silk “tents” covering large areas of plants and in large numbers feed on the plant Silk Pupation Many larvae form elaborate cocoons transforming into a pupa inside Some species make very simple cocoons and some none at all Larvae typically pupate in protected locations Moth Pupae Moth pupae are usually smooth and brownish Some moth larvae pupate underground or in leaf litter Sphinx Moth Larvae Butterfly Pupae Butterflies usually pupate in a “chrysalis” Chrysalids can have various color patterns and may even be sculpted in various forms Butterfly Pupae Larvae attach the chrysalis by the posterior end and hang head-down suspended by the cremaster Butterfly Pupae Or head-up resting on the cremaster and supported by a silk thread Butterfly Pupae Monarch Chrysalids Crow Butterfly Chrysalis Generations Most lepidoptera have one generation per year and usually overwinter as larvae or pupae A few species have 2 or more generations per year And a few require 2 to 3 years to complete a generation Many species overwinter in the egg stage Relatively few species overwinter as adults Webbing Cloths Moth Tineola bisselliella Family Tineidae About 135 species in North America The larvae cause considerable damage to various animal product fabrics, including: woolens, silk, mohair, fur, hair, feathers, felt, etc. Webbing Cloths Moth The adults are straw colored The larvae are white with brown heads Females lay between 100 and 300 eggs on fabrics, etc. The eggs hatch out within 5 days Webbing Cloths Moth Tineola bisselliella Case-Making Clothes Moth Tineola pelloinella Forms cases of silk and fragments of materials it has been feeding on The larvae lives feeds and pupates with the confines of the case Case-Making Clothes Moth Tineola pellionella Sod Webworms Adult Moth Larvae Lawn Moths Cutworms Prolegs Tomato Horn Worms