World's Weirdest Moths - Neatorama Neatorama Image: t_buchtele Butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera, which is derived from the Greek words for "scaled wing." There are over 180,000 species in this order, only about 10 percent, however, are butterflies - the rest are moths. The first primitive moths evolved over 140 million years ago (butterflies, the belles of the ball, came fashionably late about 40 million years ago). Moths are usually glossed over for butterflies, their "prettier, more attractive" cousins. But no more! Neatorama is setting the record straight: moths are truly awesome bugs! Here are some of the strangest and most beautiful moths of the world: Brahmin Moth Indonesian owl moth (Brahmaea hearsyi). Photo: Rittner Oz Those who say moths aren't as beautiful obviously haven't seen the Owl or Brahmin moth family with lots of large, brown moths with intricately patterned wings. Luna Moth Luna Moth.

Image: Paphio [Flickr] True, most moths have drab colors, but this isn't the case with the gorgeous Luna Moth (Actias luna), which has large, shimmery lime-green wings with undulating "tails." Like some other moths (see below), the adult Luna moth does not have mouth and does not eat - it lives for only about one week, with the singular purpose of mating! Hummingbird Hawkmoth Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Image: janerc [Flickr] The Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) looks like a hummingbird. It hums when it flies, hovers and feeds on flowers just like one, too - so it's easy to mistake one for a tiny bird! Vampire Moth Calyptra thalictri or vampire moth sucking blood. Image: Helsingin Sanomat - via Treehugger The Calyptra thalictri moth isn't all that peculiar looking - but its look is not why it's in this list: this "vampire moth" can pierce the skin and suck blood!

If that's not strange enough, other species of Calyptra are known to suck tears from the eyelids of cattles. Atlas Moth and White Witch Atlas moth (Attacus atlas). Image: Gregory Phillips [ wikipedia ] The Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) is considered the world's largest moth by total wing surface area. The moth's cocoon is so large that it's used as a lucky charm in in Africa, pocket purses in Taiwan and ankle rattles in Mexico. Large as it is, like the Luna moth, the adult Atlas moth has no mouth and cannot eat throughout its one to two weeks life (it does all its eating in the larva stage). White witch moth (Thysania agrippina). Image: Stephane Larroque In terms of wingspan, however, the white witch moth (Thysania agrippina or Giant aggrippina) is larger: fully stretched, its wingspan can be as wide as 12 inches (30.5 cm). When flying, this moth is usually mistaken as a bat! Hornet Moth Hornet moth (Sesia apiformis).

Image: gorpie [Flickr] Like its name implies, the Hornet Moth or Hornet Clearwing (Sesia apiformis) looks just like a hornet, but is completely harmless. It is as large as a real hornet and even has the same jerky flight-pattern when disturbed - a great example of mimicry! Io Moth Io moth. Image: Aliaaaaa [Flickr] When threatened, the Io moths (Automeris io) will spread their wings to reveal a startling eyespot pattern, used to deter predators! Io moth larva. Image: sarowen [Flickr] The beautiful io moth larva is actually considered a pest - it eats the leaves of hundreds of plant species, and has venomous spikes that can be quite painful when handled. In a twist of fate, the ravenous larva grows up to be a beautiful adult moth that, like the Atlas moth, has no mouth so it cannot eat! Leopard Moth Giant Leopard moth. Image: normanack [Flickr] The Giant Leopard Moth or Eyed Tiger Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) has a distinct pattern of black rings, reminiscent to those found in its namesake the leopard.

The moth's unmistakeable colorings is aposematic, meaning that they are actually "advertising" the bug's unpalatability to potential predators. White Plume Moth White Plume Moth. Image: n_ila [Flickr] Is that a large white mosquito? No, that's Pterophorus pentadactyla or the White Plume Moth. This moth is completely white and has a wing with the appearance of fine feathers. Unlike other moths that fold its wings when perched, the White Plume Moth holds its wings open in a T-shape. Poplar Hawk Moth Poplar Hawk Moth. Image: Michael Menzlaff [ wikipedia ] The Poplar Hawk Moth (Laothoe populi) is one odd-looking moth. Its irregularly shaped wings enable it to camouflage itself in a cluster of dead leaves on its main host tree, the poplar. If you disturb this moth, however, it will suddenly reveal a bright orange-red patch on the underside of its wings - as a distraction or startle display - before it flies away. Death's Head Hawkmoth Acherontia lachesis, a species of Death's Head Hawkmoth.

Image: Trevor H [Flickr] With a name like Death's Head Hawkmoths (Acherontia), they better be exceptional moths! Indeed, in addition to the unmistakeable skull pattern on the back, these moths can also produce a loud squeak when irritated! A species of the Death's Head Hawkmoth, A. atropos, is probably the most popular moth in the world. It is displayed in the poster for the movie The Silence of the Lamb. Other Moths With some 160,000 species of moths in the world, I readily admit that this list is far from complete - If you think we've overlooked a particularly cool, strange, or beautiful moth, please leave a note (and link) in the comment section below. Varieties of Large Moths | Animals - mom.me Varieties of Large Moths With a wingspan reaching past 5 inches, North America's largest is the cecropia moth. Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images Large moths are not as commonly seen as their butterfly cousins, largely due in part to their nocturnal nature.

Several species of large moth occur in North America and occasionally travel to the screens of doors and windows under a porch light. Three families of moths are known for large species, with the world's two largest moths being in Saturniidae or Noctuidae. Saturniidae The Saturniid moths include the royal moths and giant silk moths. The polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) has light brownish-gray wings with lighter-brown margins. The hind wings sport large black and yellow "eyes," while the forewings sport smaller eyes. Polyphemus moths have wingspans of 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches. The luna moth (Actias luna) is readily collected by amateur and professional collectors alike. The wings vary between yellowish- and bluish-green and have a swallowtail appearance with sweeping hindwing tails. The wingspan of this treasured moth is up to 4 1/2 inches. Other large Saturniid moths include the Io moth and imperial moth. Sphinx Moths The sphinx moth (Sphingidae) family includes moths commonly known as hawkmoths or hummingbird moths.

Sphinx moths may be better known in their larval state, however. The caterpillars of these moths include the large, colorful tobacco and tomato hornworms. These moths closely resemble hummingbirds when they fly. They have large, bullet-shaped bodies and long, thin wings. Many are active during the day and fly from flower to flower, much like a twitting hummingbird does. Owlet Moths In North America, many of the owlet moths (Noctuidae sp.) are of economic importance. The caterpillars feed on a variety of crops. The common family name "owlet" comes from the reflective properties of their eyes. While they aren't particularly large in North America, one of the two largest species in the world belong to this family. Largest Moths The title for largest moth in the world is split between two different species: the atlas moth (Attacus atlas) and Thysania agrippina, which is commonly known as the great owlet or white witch moth. The Asian and Australian native, the atlas moth, has a wingspan reaching up to 1 foot and has the greatest wing surface area.

The wingspan of the great owlet is typically reported to be just over 11 inches, although some reports state the wingspan extends more than 12 inches. The largest moths in North America are cecropia moths (Hyalophora cecropia), which belong to family Saturniidae. These moths have an impressive wingspans of between 5 and 7 inches. Moths | Psychology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Lepidoptera For other uses, see Moths A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly . Both are of the order Lepidoptera . The differences between butterflies and moths is more than just taxonomy. Sometimes the names " Rhopalocera " (butterflies) and " Heterocera " (moths) are used to formalize the popular distinction. Many attempts have been made to subdivide the Lepidoptera into groups such as the Microlepidoptera and Macrolepidoptera, Frenatae and Jugatae, or Monotrysia and Ditrysia.

Failure of these names to persist in modern classifications is due to the fact none of them represents a pair of " monophyletic groups ". The reality is that butterflies are a small group that arose from within the "moths"[ How to reference and link to summary or text ] and there is thus no way to group all of the remaining taxa in a monophyletic group, as it will always exclude that one descendant lineage. Most species of moth are nocturnal (which means they are active at night), but there are crepuscular and diurnal species. They can be distinguished from butterflies in several ways . Contents Edit 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 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 specialise in either are called lepidopterists. As a pastime, watching butterflies and moths is known as butterflying and mothing . Moths are albino butterflys. 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 its usual meaning . This confusion does not arise in speech as it is pronounced differently ( IPA : /ˈmɒθɚ/, not /ˈmʌðɚ/). Economic significance of moths File:Poplar hawk-moth.jpg Moths, and particularly their caterpillars , are a major agricultural pest in many parts of the world. The caterpillar of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) causes severe damage to forests in the northeast United States, where it is an invasive species . In temperate climates, the codling moth causes extensive damage, especially to fruit farms. In tropical and subtropical climates, the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is perhaps the most serious pest of brassicaceous crops.

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 −8 °C (18 °F). [1] Moths are sturdy and usually are more resistant to pesticides than are mosquitoes and flies. 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 framed for eating clothing, most moth adults do not eat at all. Most like the Luna, Polyphemus, Atlas, Prometheus, Cercropia, and other large moths don't have mouths. When they do eat, moths will drink nectar. Only one species of moth eat wool [ How to reference and link to summary or text ]. The adults do not eat but the larvae will eat through wool clothing. Attraction to light File:Moths attracted by floodlight.jpg Moths frequently appear to circle artificial lights. One hypothesis advanced to explain this behavior is that moths use a technique of celestial navigation called transverse orientation .

By maintaining a constant angular relationship to a bright celestial light, such as the Moon , they can fly in a straight line. Celestial objects are so far away, that even after travelling great distances, the change in angle between the moth and the light source is negligible; further, the moon will always be in the upper part of the visual field or on the horizon. Human light sources have not existed long enough to affect the evolution of moth navigation systems. When a moth encounters a much closer artificial light and uses it for navigation, the angle changes noticeably after only a short distance, in addition to being often below the horizon. The moth instinctively attempts to correct by turning toward the light, causing airborne moths to come plummeting downwards, and - at close range - which results in a spiral flight path that gets closer and closer to the light source. [1] In 1972, Henry Hsiao, now a professor of biomedical engineering , suggested that the reason for moths circling lights may have to do with a visual distortion called a Mach band [2] . He says that they fly towards the darkest part of the sky in pursuit of safety and are thus inclined to circle ambient objects in the Mach band region.

This hypothesis is not scientifically accepted and has never been confirmed.[ How to reference and link to summary or text ] Hsaio says that the celestial navigation theory should cause moths to circle lights, not to head directly toward them, as many are seen to do. He 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 landing on a surface which matches their camouflage. [1] 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 [3] . 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 [4] . The male moth is thereby powerfully attracted to the flame. Sources, eg. hurricane lamps, with different spike patterns are less powerful attractants. Notable moths Edit Allison, J.

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Perception of change in depth in the hummingbird hawkmoth Manduca sexta (Sphingidae, Lepidoptera): Neurocomputing: An International Journal Vol 38-40 Jun 2001, 1595-1602. Zaspel, J. M., Kononenko, V. S., & Goldstein, P. Z. (2007). Another blood feeder? Experimental feeding of a fruit-piercing moth species on human blood in the primorye territory of Far Eastern Russia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Calpinae): Journal of Insect Behavior Vol 20(5) Sep 2007, 437-451. External links Interesting Facts about Butterflies and Moths Facts about Butterflies and Moths This list is far from being comprehensive. If you have suggestions, please let me know. Butterflies can see red, green, and yellow. The study of butterflies and moths is known as lepidoptery, and biologists that specialize in either are called lepidopterists. Watching butterflies and moths is known as butterflying and mothing.

Moths, and especially their caterpillars, are a major agricultural pest in many parts of the world. If you do any science investigations about raising moths, do set the adult moth free. Allow it to die naturally in captivity, or kill the moth to prevent it from being destructive. The top butterfly flight speed is 12 miles per hour. Some moths can fly 25 miles per hour! Each year, monarch butterflies travel from the Great Lakes to Mexico, a distance of about 2,000 miles, and return to the north again in the spring. Butterflies need a body temperature of at least 86 degrees Fahrenheit in order to fly. If you see a butterfly that is trembling, it is shaking to warm its body. Representations of butterflies are seen in Egyptian frescoes at Thebes, which are 3,500 years old. Antarctica is the only continent on which no Lepidoptera, butterflies and moths have been found. There are about 24,000 species of butterflies. There are about 160,000 species of moths. Some moth caterpillars eat natural fibers, thus eat some clothing.

But most adult moths do not eat at all. Most like the Luna, Polyphemus, Atlas, Prometheus, Cercropia, and other large moths do not have mouths. Those that do eat, use a proboscis to drink nectar from flowers. The butterfly with the longest lifespan is the Brimstone butterfly (Gonepterix rhamni) that lives 9-10 months. One type of caterpillar builds a case around its body made of silk (from its body) and pieces of plants and/or soil. An appropriate name for this moth is Case Moth (Psychidae). The caterpillars of some Snout Moths (Pyralididae) live in or on water-plants. The females of some moth species have no wings. They must crawl to get around. Mottephobia is the fear of moths. The origin of the word motte is German (meaning moth) and phobia is Greek (meaning fear). The Morgan’s Sphinx Moth from Madagascar has a proboscis (tube mouth) that is 12 to 14 inches long. This long mouth part is needed to reach the sweet nectar in orchard that is 12 inches deep.

Some moths never eat anything as adults because they don’t have mouths. They must live on the energy they stored as caterpillars. Many butterflies can taste with their feet to find out whether the leaf they sit on is good to lay eggs on to be their caterpillars’ food or not. There are more types of insects in one tropical rain forest tree than there are in the entire state of Vermont. In 1958 Entomologist W.G. Bruce published a list of Arthropod references in the Bible. The most frequently named bugs from the Bible are: Locust: 24, Moth: 11, Grasshopper: 10, Scorpion: 10, Caterpillar: 9, and Bee: 4. People eat insects – called “Entomophagy”(people eating bugs) – it has been practiced for centuries throughout Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and North, Central and South America. Why? Because many bugs are both protein-rich and good sources of vitamins, minerals and fats. YOU can eat bugs! Try the “Eat-A-Bug Cookbook” by David George Gordon , 10 Speed Press. Don’t want to cook them yourself?

Go to HotLix for all sorts of insect goodies! My favorites are “Cricket-lickit’s” – a flavored sucker with a real edible cricket inside. Many insects can carry 50 times their own body weight . This would be like an adult person lifting two heavy cars full of people. There are over a million described species of insects. Some people estimate there are actually between 15 and 30 million species. Most insects are beneficial to people because they eat other insects, pollinate crops, are food for other animals, make products we use (like honey and silk) or have medical uses. Butterflies and insects have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, called the exoskeleton. This protects the insect and keeps water inside their bodies so they don’t dry out. There are more than 700 species of butterflies in North America, but only a handful feed on agricultural crops. Millions of shingle-like, overlapping scales give butterfly and moths wings their colors. The smallest Lepidoptera are moths of the family Nepticulidae, with a wingspan of less than 2 mm (their caterpillars are very tiny also).

During the time from hatching to pupation, a caterpillar increases its body size more than 30,000 times. The largest Lepidoptera is the South American owlet moth Thysania agrippina, which has a wingspan of 32 mm (slightly over one foot). The chrysalises (pupae) of some gossamer-winged (lycaenid) butterflies are capable of producing weak sounds to scare off potetial enemies. They do this by flexing and rubbing together body segment membranes. In some moths the wings are mostly transparent (scales only along the wing veins) and they are mimics of wasps. The fastest Lepidoptera are the sphinx moths. Some species have been clocked at 60 kmph (37 mph). Many of these same moths are also capable of hovering in the air like a helicopter. The organs a butterfly uses to taste food are not located on the butterfly’s head, instead they are located on the terminal (end) segments of the leg (tarsi). The silkworm, Bombix mori, is the only truly domesticated insect.

The adult moths are so tame they can barely fly and they must be hand fed. The irridescent colors found on the wings of many Lepidoptera are produced by bending (refracting ) light, not by pigmentation. The vampire moth of Asia has a stiff proboscis that enables them to suck juices from thick-skinned fruits, but occasionally they can be found sucking the blood from a water buffalo or deer. Many caterpillars are covered with stinging (urticating) hairs which carry a toxin that can be quite painful to humans if touched. I can confirm this and it really hurts. It takes about ten pounds of mulberry leaves for silkworms to be able to manufacture 1 pound of cocoons, which can be spun into a silk thread over 100 miles long. The wings of some butterflies and moths are marked with patterns that look very much like letters of the alphabet, as well as numerals. Adult butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers, but may also be seen feeding on rotting fruit, tree sap, fluids from animal carcasses, and mud puddles.

The yucca plant and the yucca moth are totally dependent upon one another for their existence – a relationship known as mutualism. Monarch butterflies regularly migrate beween southern Canada and central Mexico, a total distance in excess of 2500 miles. They only weigh 1/50 of an ounce yet travel at 20 mph and reach altitudes of 10,000 feet. Members of the silkworm moth family have been raised in China since 2697 BC, where the methods are silk production had been a closely guarded secret. Anyone caught removing these insects from China was executed! However, in 55 AD two monks managed to hide some silkworm moths in their walking canes and smuggle them to Constantinople. “Puddle clubs” refers to any group of butterflies (usually males) that gather around mud puddles and other moist areas of soil to suck up salts and other minerals dissolved in water. Notable Moths–Wikepedia Fascinating and Wonderfully Colorful Moths Fascinating and Wonderfully Colorful Moths Posted in: Animals , Nature A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera.

Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth (about ten times the number of species of butterfly), with thousands of species yet to be described. The colorful and beautiful Madagascan Sunset Moth was first described by the British entomologist Dru Drury in 1773, and is one of the few day-flying moths. It is found year round all over the island, with the populations reaching a peak between March and August, there being far fewer at other times of year. This spectacular moth is considered to be one of the most impressive and beautiful in the world. The colorful Royal Walnut Moth is native to North America. This majestic moth , with a wingspan of up to 7in, is the world’s largest moth in terms of mass. The Atlas moth, considered the largest in the world, with total wing surface area of around 62 sq in., and wingspan of up to 12in, is found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southern Asia and Malaya. Females are normally much bigger and heavier than males.

In India Atlas moths are cultivated for their silk, which is secreted as broken strands. This brown, wool-like silk is thought to have greater durability and is known as ‘fagara’. Bee Robber Moth The Hercules is one of the largest moth species in the world, with a wingspan of roughly one foot. The wonderfully subtle brown wings of both males and females have triangular transparent ‘windows’ The unique and intricately designed Oleander Hawk-moth is a large hawk-moth that inhabits wide areas of Asia and Africa. This migratory species flies to eastern and southern Europe during summer. Its caterpillar is pale blue and change to green as it grows. These types of moth have been much studied for their flying ability, especially their ability to move rapidly from side to side while hovering, called ‘swing-hovering. One of the giant silk moths, the Polyphemus It is a tan colored moth, with an average six inch wingspan Native to the whole of the North American continent; it is even found as far south as Mexico.One of the most striking features its large, purplish eye-spots on the hind wings.

This very plain colored but uniquely patterned moth commonly known as White Witch is considered to be that with the biggest wingspan in the moth world, which can be up to 12in, though the Atlas Moth has a much larger wing area. The large moth with a wingspan of up to 13 cm can be found in the Philippines, Japan, and India and in many parts of the Oriental region Related Articles: Gypsy Moth in North America Gypsy Moth In North America We welcome your comments on our service and your suggestions for improvement. Fifth instar gypsy moth larva. The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is one of North America's most devastating forest pests. The species originally evolved in Europe and Asia and has existed there for thousands of years. In either 1868 or 1869, the gypsy moth was accidentally introduced near Boston, MA by E. Leopold Trouvelot . About 10 years after this introduction, the first outbreaks began in Trouvelot's neighborhood and in 1890 the State and Federal Government began their attempts to eradicate the gypsy moth.

These attempts ultimately failed and since that time, the range of gypsy moth has continued to spread . Every year, isolated populations are discovered beyond the contiguous range of the gypsy moth but these populations are eradicated or they disappear without intervention. It is inevitable that gypsy moth will continue to expand its range in the future . The gypsy moth is known to feed on on the foliage of hundreds of species of plants in North America but its most common hosts are oaks and aspen. Gypsy moth hosts are located through most of the coterminous US but the highest concentrations of host trees are in the southern Appalachian Mtns., the Ozark Mtns., and in the northern Lake States. Gypsy moth populations are typically eruptive in North America; in any forest stand densities may fluctuate from near 1 egg mass per ha to over 1,000 per ha. When densities reach very high levels, trees may become completely defoliated. Several successive years of defoliation , along with contributions by other biotic and abiotic stress factors, may ultimately result in tree mortality . In most northeastern forests, less than 20% of the trees in a forest will die but occasionally tree mortality may be very heavy.

Forest Effects Despite over 100 years of presence in North America, researchers are still at a loss to explain and predict the extent of the changes in forest vegetation likely to take place through gypsy moth disturbance. A major concern is the potential loss of economically critical and ecologically dominant oak species (Quercus, spp.). Most studies of forest compositional changes with gypsy moth defoliation indicate that less susceptible species will dominate the forest, so in effect, forests may have fewer gypsy moth problems in the future. Natural Enemies A variety of natural agents are known to kill gypsy moths in nature. These agents include over 20 insect parasitoids and predators that were introduced over the last 100 years from Asia and Europe. Small mammals are perhaps the most important gypsy moth predator, especially at low population densities. Birds are also known to prey on gypsy moths but at least in North America this does not substantially affect populations. A nucleopolyhedrosis virus usually causes the collapse of outbreak populations and recently an entomopathogenic fungus species has caused considerable mortality of populations in North America.

Management: Over the last 20 years, several millions of acres of forest land have been aerially sprayed with pesticides in order to suppress outbreak gypsy moth populations. Though some areas are treated by private companies under contract with land owners, most areas are sprayed under joint programs of state governments and the USDA Forest Service. Your local extension service can provide more detailed information about programs in your area. The USDA, State and local governments also jointly participate in programs to locate and eradicate new gypsy moth populations in currently uninfested areas . Most of these projects focus on populations of European origin, but recently several Asian populations have been discovered and eradicated in the US and Canada. In 1992, the USDA Forest Service began a pilot program to test the feasibility of slowing the spread (STS) of the gypsy moth in North America. STS pilot programs currently exist in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Michigan. Research: The gypsy moth has been intensively studied over the last 100 years in North America. Currently there are numerous groups around the country investigating various aspects of the biology, ecology, and management of the gypsy moth.

This work is funded by the USDA Forest Service, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, the USDA Cooperative State Research Service, the USDA Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service, and numerous state and private Universities. This material was prepared by Sandy Liebhold , USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station (Forestry Sciences Laboratory) Last modified 10-29-03

Question: The White Witch, Madagascan Sunset, Luna and Gypsy are varieties of what?
Answer: Moth