A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
This is a large brownish coloured moth with an eye on its wings. A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moth larvae, or caterpillars, make cocoons. When it comes out of the cocoon, it is a fully grown moth with wings. Some moth caterpillars dig holes in the ground, and they will live in the hole until they are ready to turn into a fully grown moth.
For an ecosystem to sustain a moth species, it must provide the exact requirements for all stages of its life history (egg, larva, pupa and adult). Moths live and breed in diverse habitats, including salt marshes, mangroves, sand dunes, lowland forest, wetlands, grasslands and mountain zones. Rock surfaces and bare ground offer adults places to bask in the sun and the larvae to feed.
Despite being notorious for eating clothing, most moth adults do not eat at all. Most like the Luna, Polyphemus, Atlas, Prometheus, Cercropia, and other large moths do not have mouths. When they do eat, moths will drink nectar.