Moth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Moth - Essay Example The family Noctuidae, or the owlet moths, are not only numerous in species but also robust – and they are the largest family. They have hind wings of bright colors. They are usually flying at night. They also invade flowers as many are attracted to sugar and nectar. Moreover, their larvae are crop pests (Cutworm Moth, 2012). In Australia, the Philobota species of moth, or the pasture tunnel moths, are grass feeders (Moate et al., 2012). The so-called tunnel moths make a silk lined tunnel and that during night time or winter, the caterpillar of the tunnel moth gathers grass foliage and drags them back into their tunnels. The caterpillars are very small and may be quote difficult to notice for they measure around 35 mm long only and 3 mm across (New pasture pest, 2010). Pasture tunnel moths usually live in areas with higher rainfall, and they can cause significant damage to clovers, as well as annual and perennial grasses. The larvae are usually grey-colored in their bodies with black heads. The adult moth, on the other hand, is long and has a creamy-white color. The pasture tunnel moth usually cause the greatest damage during the months of July and August, during the rainy months, for rain has a great factors in stimulating this species of moth to feed more (Pasture tunnel moth, 2009). Moreover, the past ure tunnel moth affects cereal crops (Perry et al., 2011). The first time that Philobota species were identified in New Zealand was in February 2010 at the Ruakura Research Center in Hamilton, New Zealand. The migrant species are actually native to Australia, of which there are around 400 species, and where a number of these species are regarded as â€Å"minor pests of pasture† because it merely feeds on grass such as tall fescue trials and perennial ryegrass (Popay & Gunawardana, 2011). The aim for the project is to determine the emergence patterns of the Philobota moth, as well