How Are Moths Hatched?

There are roughly 200,000 different known moth species in the world.

Moths, much like butterflies, spin a protective cocoon when they become full-grown caterpillars. This transformative stage, between larva and imago (adult insect), is known as pupa. Inside the cocoon, the larva changes its body shape through a process known as metamorphosis. When the transformation is complete, the moth splits the pupal case open and crawls out.

Egg

The process of life begins for a moth as an egg. Adult females lay up to 200 tiny eggs at once, leaving them on plants that their caterpillar infants can eat. This ensures they will have plenty of food after hatching.

Caterpillar

When a caterpillar hatches from its egg, it usually eats its eggshell first. It will then frequently feed on the leaves of surrounding plants for a few weeks. During this time, the caterpillar grows rapidly in size. In fact, moth caterpillars eat at such a rapid pace that they are considered to be a major agricultural pest in many countries. After growing in size, the original skin of the caterpillar gets stretched to the point where it splits open. The old skin is then shed and replaced by a new and larger skin.

Pupa

When a caterpillar reaches its maximum size, it is ready to undergo transformation. The spinning of the cocoon begins the caterpillar's pupa life stage. The cocoon is a hard protective covering that usually hangs from a leaf or twig, allowing the larva to transform into a moth. Pupation varies from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on whether or not the pupa enters dormancy. Some pupa enter dormancy until the appropriate season arrives for them to hatch. Because cocoons are immobile, they are relatively defenseless to predation. To overcome this problem, a caterpillar will commonly select a concealed location to spin its cocoon.

Cocoon Emergence

When the larva has completed its transformation into an adult, it is ready to emerge from its protective casing as a moth. The entire process is controlled by the insect's hormones. An emerging moth will usually crack the cocoon at one of the ends and work its way out by squeezing through the small space. Once the moth has wiggled its way out of the cocoon, it has successfully hatched.

References

• Life of a Butterfly: Butterfly and Moth Life Cycle
• Animal Corner: Moths

Resources

• YouTube: Luna Moth Hatching