34-561: The dun-bar ( Cosmia trapezina ) is a moth of the family Noctuidae . It is a common Palearctic species. The species occurs throughout almost the whole of Europe. In the north, the range extends to Middle Fennoscandia , in the east to the Urals . The species occurs in North Africa , Asia minor , Syria , Iraq , Iran , Caucasus , Central Asia to China , Korea and Japan ( subspecies C. t. exigua (Butler, 1881)). It rises in
68-690: A grub when all trace of limbs has disappeared" and "Applied to the footless larvae of Diptera". Additionally, in Flies: The Natural History and Diversity of Diptera , the author claims maggots "are larvae of higher Brachycera ( Cyclorrhapha )." Maggot-like fly larvae are of significance in ecology and medicine ; among other roles, various species are prominent in recycling carrion and garbage, attacking crops and foodstuffs , spreading microbial infections, and causing myiasis . Maggots are also particularly important in forensic entomology because their development can help determine
102-510: A maggot infestation and a high risk of myiasis (a maggot infestation of living tissue) in sheep and other animals. Humans are not immune to the feeding habits of maggots and can also contract myiasis. Interaction between humans and maggots usually occurs near garbage cans , dead animals, rotten food and other breeding grounds for maggots. When maggots turn into adult flies and start the life cycle over, numbers will grow exponentially if unchecked, but disease, natural predators and parasites keep
136-410: A supplier of maggots said in 2022 that she had noticed significantly more acceptance over the four years she had worked in the field. Acceptance among patients is high. The presence and development of maggots on a corpse are useful in the estimation of time elapsed since death. Depending on the species and the conditions, maggots may be observed on a body within 24 hours. The eggs are laid directly on
170-769: Is a significant food resource in southern Africa . Another saturniid used as food is the cavorting emperor ( Usta terpsichore ). In one country alone, Congo , more than 30 species of moth larvae are harvested. Some are sold not only in the local village markets, but are shipped by the ton from one country to another. Nocturnal insectivores often feed on moths; these include some bats , some species of owls and other species of birds . Moths also are eaten by some species of lizards , amphibians , cats , dogs , rodents , and some bears . Moth larvae are vulnerable to being parasitized by Ichneumonidae . Baculoviruses are parasite double-stranded DNA insect viruses that are used mostly as biological control agents. They are members of
204-429: Is attracted to light and sugar and sometimes to nectar -rich flowers . The larva is green with yellow lines and black and white spots. It feeds on a variety of plants, chiefly trees and shrubs (see list below) and also on the larvae of other Lepidoptera species, even occasionally its own species. The species overwinters as an egg . See. Moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of
238-540: Is considered more effective, but there are concerns over its effects on human health. Despite being commonly thought to be undertaken by all moths, only the larvae of several moth species eat animal fibres, creating holes in articles of clothing, in particular those made of wool. Most species do not eat fabrics, and some moth adults do not even eat at all. Some, like the Luna , Polyphemus , Atlas , Promethea , cecropia , and other large moths do not have mouth parts. This
272-400: Is currently unknown. One hypothesis is called celestial or 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
306-494: Is extremely widespread across the US and often the earliest species to oviposit on a corpse, making it especially important to forensic science. Maggots are useful as well in entomotoxicology , in determining the presence of drugs in a corpse's system. Maggots bioaccumulate xenobiotics (substances, drugs, metals, etc.) from tissue and bone, therefore allowing entomologists to determine if xenobiotics, most commonly drugs, were present in
340-470: Is possible because they live off the food stores from when they were a caterpillar, and only live a short time as an adult (roughly a week for some species). Many species of adult moths do however eat: for instance, many will drink nectar . Items of fabric infested by clothes moth larvae may be treated by freezing them for several days at a temperature below −8 °C (18 °F). Some moths are farmed for their economic value. The most notable of these
374-413: Is the silkworm , the larva of the domesticated moth Bombyx mori . It is farmed for the silk with which it builds its cocoon . As of 2002 , the silk industry produces more than 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 also are farmed for their silk, such as
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#1732776180404408-567: The Alps up to 1600 m. This is a very variable species, both in size ( wingspan 28–38 mm) and colour. The ground colour of the forewings varies from pale buff to dark or reddish brown with three narrow fascia. The area between the inner two fascia is sometimes much darker than the surrounding ground colour and is marked with stigmata , often quite indistinct. Melanic forms occasionally occur. The hindwings vary from pale cream to dingy brown. This moth flies at night from July to September and
442-592: 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. Ultrasonic frequencies trigger a reflex action in the noctuid moth that causes it to drop a few centimeters or inches in its flight to evade attack, and tiger moths can emit clicks to foil bats' echolocation. The fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis infects
476-522: The Carboniferous period, but only evolved their characteristic proboscis alongside the rise of angiosperms in the Cretaceous period. 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'). Its origins are possibly related to
510-470: The butterflies form a monophyletic group, the moths, comprising the rest of the Lepidoptera, do not. Many attempts have been made to group the superfamilies of the Lepidoptera into natural groups, most of which fail because one of the two groups is not monophyletic: Microlepidoptera and Macrolepidoptera , Heterocera and Rhopalocera , Jugatae and Frenatae, Monotrysia , and Ditrysia . Although
544-754: 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. Moth larvae, or caterpillars , make cocoons from which they emerge as fully grown moths with wings. Some moth caterpillars dig holes in the ground, where they live until they are ready to turn into adult moths. Moths evolved long before butterflies; moth fossils have been found that may be 190 million years old. Both types of Lepidoptera are thought to have co-evolved with flowering plants , mainly because most modern species, both as adults and larvae, feed on flowering plants. One of
578-631: 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 larvae of many species are used as food , particularly in Africa, where they are an important source of nutrition. The mopane worm, the caterpillar of Gonimbrasia belina , from the family Saturniidae,
612-436: The body before death. This is useful in concluding a cause of death in many different cases including overdoses and poisonings. It also helps in determining manner of death including suicide or homicides. Maggots are able to bioaccumulate substances from fresh corpses, as well as fully decomposed skeletonized bodies. Data and resources on entomotoxicology are sparse as it is a relatively new field of study. The knowledge of how
646-429: The drug or substance effects the development of maggots is necessary as some drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine are proven to accelerate the development of larvae, whereas opiates are shown to decelerate said rate. As with fleas and ticks , maggots can be a threat to household pets and livestock , especially sheep . Flies reproduce rapidly in the summer months, and maggots can come in large numbers, creating
680-440: The earliest known species that is thought to be an ancestor of moths is Archaeolepis mane . Its fossil fragments show scaled wings that are similar to caddisflies in their veining. Some moths, particularly their caterpillars , can be major agricultural pests in many parts of the world. Examples include corn borers and bollworms . The caterpillar of the spongy moth ( Lymantria dispar ) causes severe damage to forests in
714-733: The families Erebidae and Sphingidae , may be the key pollinators for some flowering plants in the Himalayan ecosystem. The roles of moths as pollinators have been studied less frequently than those of diurnal pollinators, but recent studies have established that moths are important, but often overlooked, nocturnal pollinators of a wide range of plants. Some researchers say it is likely that many plants thought to be dependent on bees for pollination also rely on moths, which have historically been less observed because they pollinate mainly at night. Moths frequently appear to circle artificial lights. The reason for this behavior (positive phototaxis )
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#1732776180404748-515: 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 some artificial fibers. There are some reports that they may 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 )
782-457: The fish. Commercial maggot breeders from the UK sell their maggots to tackle dealers throughout the E.U. and North America . Artificial maggots for fishing, either in natural or fluorescent colors, have been developed and are used for trout, panfish, or salmon species. Live maggots of certain species of flies have been used since antiquity for wound debridement . Larvae of calliphorid flies of
816-586: The food source, and when the eggs hatch, the maggots move towards their preferred conditions and begin to feed. By studying the insects present at a crime scene, forensic entomologists can determine the approximate time of death. Insects are usually useful after a post-mortem interval (PMI) of approximately 25–80 hours, depending on ambient conditions. After this interval, this method becomes less reliable. Blow flies are often used in forensic entomology to determine PMI because of their oviposition on carrion and corpses. The black blowfly, Phormia regina (P. regina),
850-542: The larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies , cheese flies , and blowflies , rather than larvae of the Nematocera , such as mosquitoes and crane flies . "Maggot" is not a technical term and should not be taken as such; in many standard textbooks of entomology , it does not appear in the index at all. In many non-technical texts, the term is used for insect larvae in general. Other sources have coined their own definitions; for example: "The term applies to
884-644: The larvae of many different species of moths. Moths, like butterflies, bees and other more popularly recognized pollinating insects, serve an essential role as pollinators for many flowering plants, including species that bees do not visit. Nocturnal moths fly from flower to flower to feed on nectar during the night much as their diurnal relatives do during the day. A study conducted in the UK found moths dusted with pollen from 47 different plant species, including seven species largely ignored by bees. Some studies indicate that certain species of moths, such as those belonging to
918-410: The light source. Studies have found that light pollution caused by increasing use of artificial lights has either led to a severe decline in moth population in some parts of the world or has severely disrupted nocturnal pollination. [REDACTED] Quotations related to Moths at Wikiquote Maggot A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera ); it is applied in particular to
952-473: The majority of gram-positive bacteria were destroyed in vivo within the particular section of the L. sericata midgut where lysozymes are produced. During the passage through the intestine of the maggots, the ability of bacteria to survive drastically decreased, implying the antibacterial action of the three midgut lysozymes. In 2005 maggot therapy was being used in about 1,300 medical centers. Acceptance by healthcare workers has inhibited acceptance, but
986-492: The northeastern 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. Also in sub-Saharan Africa , the African sugarcane borer is a major pest of sugarcane, maize , and sorghum . Several moths in
1020-501: The order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies . They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (suborder Rhopalocera) and neither subordinate taxon is used in modern classifications. Moths make up the vast majority of the order. There are approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal , although there are also crepuscular and diurnal species. While
1054-458: The rules for distinguishing moths from butterflies are not well established, one very good guiding principle is that butterflies have thin antennae and (with the exception of the family Hedylidae ) have small balls or clubs at the end of their antennae. Moth antennae are usually feathery with no ball on the end. The divisions are named by this principle: "club-antennae" (Rhopalocera) or "varied-antennae" (Heterocera). Lepidoptera first evolved during
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1088-610: The species Lucilia sericata are widely used. Not all species are safe and effective; use of the wrong species would invite pathological myiasis . In controlled and sterile settings overseen by medical practitioners , maggot therapy introduces live, disinfected maggots into non-healing skin or soft wounds of a human or animal. They feed on the dead or necrotic tissue, leaving sound tissue largely unharmed. Studies have also shown that maggots kill bacteria. Three midgut lysozymes of L. sericata have antibacterial effects in maggot debridement therapy. The study demonstrated that
1122-524: The time of death, particularly maggots in the Calliphoridae family. Anglers use maggots usually commercially supplied to catch non-predatory fish. Maggots are the most popular bait for anglers in Europe . Anglers throw handfuls into the "swim" they are targeting, attracting the fish to the area. The anglers then use the largest or most attractive maggots on the hook, hoping to be irresistible to
1156-441: The upper part of the visual field, or on the horizon. 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, thereby causing airborne moths to come plummeting downward, and resulting in a spiral flight path that gets closer and closer to
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