Fast Facts for Kids
Moth Facts for Kids

Moth Facts for Kids

  • Common Name: Moth
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Lepidoptera
  • Total Species: ~160,000
  • Distribution: Worldwide (Except Antarctic)
  • First Appeared: ~190 million years ago

18 Moth Facts For Kids

  1. Moths are a large group of flying insects that are members of the Lepidoptera order.
  2. Moths share the Lepidoptera order with all known butterfly species.
  3. There are many more moth species than butterfly specie with a 9 to 1 ratio.
  4. Moths and their ancestors started to appear around 190 million years ago.
  5. Moths can be found in many different terrestrial habitats on all the continents, except Antarctica.
  6. Moths are herbivorous and feed on the nectar in plants, in their larva stage they feed on leaves and sometimes fruit.
  7. There are around 160,000 known moth species living around the world.
  8. The smallest living moth species is the Stigmella maya with a wingspan of 0.09 inches.
  9. The largest living moth species is the Hercules moth (Coscinocera Hercules) with a wingspan of 11 inches.
  10. The lifespan of a moth varies by species, but across all moth species their lifespan is between 1 and 6 months.
  11. All moth species have four stages in their lifecycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
  12. Moth larvae are called caterpillars and when they get big enough, they turn into a pupa and an adult will emerge.
  13. The process of a moth caterpillar turning into an adult is called metamorphosis.
  14. Nocturnal moth species are attracted to light due to positive phototaxis, but some species are negative phototaxis and will avoid light.
  15. The common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) is known to damage cloths because their larva can obtain nourishment from them.
  16. You can protect your clothes from the common clothes moth by putting moth balls in your closet.
  17. The hummingbird hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) can easily be confused with a true avian hummingbird due to their strikingly similar appearances.
  18. The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is known to cause serious crop damage or destroy an entire harvest.

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Moth Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on moths. Below are three pictures of various moth species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of moths found around the world.

The Luna Moth (Actias Luna)

A picture of the luna moth (actias luna).

The Atlas Moth (Attacus Atlas)

A picture of the atlas moth (attacus atlas).

The Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila Elpenor)

A picture of the elephant hawk moth (deilephila elpenor).

Moth Resources

We hope you found the above moth facts, information, data, and pictures both fun and educational. You can continue to research moths using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to moths. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.