Wildlife Guide · Worldwide except Antarctica & From Arctic tundra to tropical rainforest and deserts

Moth

Order Lepidoptera excluding butterflies — roughly 160,000 described species

Ten moths for every butterfly, most of the night-shift pollination, and the main food that feeds young birds.

Group page — status varies by species; steep declines documented in several regions

Luna moth with pale green wings resting on forest bark

Image: AI-generated educational wildlife portrait — World Animal Rescue Network · AI visualisation, not a photograph

In brief

Moths are the roughly 160,000 lepidopteran species that are not butterflies; most fly at night, they carry out substantial unrecorded pollination, and their caterpillars are the primary food for nestling birds.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated July 2026

Moths are, numerically, what Lepidoptera actually is: roughly 160,000 described species against about 19,000 butterflies, and probably several times that number still undescribed. They are not a natural group — 'moth' simply means every lepidopteran branch that is not a butterfly — which is why no clean rule separates the two. Most fly at night, navigating by scent and celestial cues, and carry out a large share of pollination that goes unrecorded because nobody is watching after dark. Their caterpillars are the single most important food source for insectivorous birds raising chicks. Where moth numbers fall, bird breeding success follows.

~160,000

Described moth species — about 9 for every butterfly

Up to 11 km

Distance a male moth can track a female's pheromone

~30 cm

Wingspan of the largest species (Thysania agrippina)

6,000–9,000

Caterpillars a single pair of tits may feed one brood

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List, GBIF — Lepidoptera .

Moth: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Moth
Described species	~160,000
Ratio to butterflies	About 9 moths per butterfly species
Mate detection	Pheromone plumes tracked over kilometres
Largest wingspan	~30 cm (white witch, Thysania agrippina)
Ecological role	Night pollination; caterpillars feed nestling birds
Key pressure	Artificial light at night, habitat loss, pesticides

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Moth
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Order	Lepidoptera
Note	'Moth' = all Lepidoptera outside the butterfly superfamily Papilionoidea
Major families	Noctuidae, Geometridae, Erebidae, Sphingidae, Saturniidae

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Varies by species — group page
Population: Not applicable at group level
Trend: Substantial declines in biomass and species abundance in monitored regions
Assessed: Assessed species-by-species; the vast majority are unassessed
CITES: Not listed at group level

Long-running light-trap datasets, mostly European, provide some of the strongest evidence available for insect decline.

Did you know?

A male emperor moth can track a single female's scent from several kilometres downwind, using antennae carrying tens of thousands of pheromone receptors.

Key Facts: Moth

Moths outnumber butterflies roughly nine to one and do not form a single taxonomic group.
Male moths locate females by pheromone, in some species from many kilometres away.
Night-flying moths are significant pollinators, particularly of pale, strongly scented flowers.
Moth caterpillars are the primary protein source for most nestling songbirds.
Artificial light at night disrupts moth navigation, feeding and breeding — a well-evidenced driver of decline.
Only a handful of species damage clothing, and it is the larvae, not the adults, that feed on fibres.

Why 'moth' is not a real group

Lepidoptera splits into many lineages. Butterflies (Papilionoidea) form one of them; everything else gets called a moth. That means moths are a paraphyletic grab-bag, and the familiar distinguishing rules — night flight, feathery antennae, wings held flat, drab colour — all have abundant exceptions. Day-flying moths are common and often brilliantly coloured. Some moths have clubbed antennae. Plenty of butterflies are dull brown. The only reliable approach is family-level identification, which is why moth recording is a specialist skill and why so many species remain unrecorded.

Navigating and finding a mate in the dark

Male moths of many species detect female pheromones with enormous feathery antennae carrying tens of thousands of receptors, tracking a scent plume upwind over distances that can exceed several kilometres. It is among the most sensitive chemical detection systems known in animals. Flight orientation uses celestial cues, and this is where artificial light causes damage. A moth holding a constant angle to a distant light source flies straight; the same behaviour around a nearby lamp produces the spiral that ends at the bulb. Light pollution keeps moths circling instead of feeding, mating and dispersing, and concentrates them for predators — one of the better-evidenced mechanisms behind documented moth declines.

The night shift, and the bird-food question

Moths pollinate a substantial number of plants, favouring pale, tubular, night-scented flowers — honeysuckle, evening primrose, jasmine, tobacco plant. Because pollination studies have historically run in daylight, this contribution has been consistently underestimated; pollen-load studies on moths have shown far wider plant networks than expected. The bigger ecological role is as food. Nestling songbirds are fed almost entirely on caterpillars, and moth larvae make up the bulk. A single pair of blue tits may deliver several thousand caterpillars to one brood. Declines in moth abundance propagate straight into bird breeding success, which is why farmland bird trends and moth trends track one another.

Clothes moths, and moths in the garden

Of roughly 160,000 species, a very small number damage textiles — principally the common clothes moth and the case-bearing clothes moth. The adults do not eat fabric at all; the larvae do, feeding on keratin in wool, silk, fur and feathers. Control is physical: cleaning, freezing, sealed storage and disruption, since larvae favour undisturbed, soiled material. For everything else, moths are worth encouraging. Night-scented flowers, a long unmown season, native trees and shrubs for larvae, leaf litter left in place for pupae, and — the cheapest single intervention — turning off or shielding outdoor lighting and using warm-toned, downward-directed lamps.

What WARN Does

WARN publishes free, sourced species education across the whole of animal life, including the groups that carry ecosystems without ever attracting attention. Moth decline is a quiet driver of visible bird decline, and light pollution is one of the very few conservation problems an individual household can meaningfully reduce overnight.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

Support Habitat Protection Donate to WARN

How does the moth compare?

Moth vs Butterfly →

Moth: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a moth and a butterfly?

There is no strict biological line. Butterflies are one branch of the order Lepidoptera; 'moths' are all the other branches, so moths are not a single group. The usual rules — moths fly at night, have feathery antennae and rest with wings flat — have many exceptions in both directions.

Why are moths attracted to light?

Moths navigate by holding a constant angle to distant celestial light. A nearby artificial lamp is not distant, so maintaining that angle produces an inward spiral. The behaviour is a navigation system being exploited by a light source it did not evolve to handle.

Are moths important pollinators?

Yes, and more so than long assumed. Night-flying moths pollinate many pale, strongly scented flowers, and studies of pollen carried on moths reveal far broader plant networks than daytime observation suggests. Their contribution has been systematically underestimated because pollination surveys mostly run in daylight.

Do moths eat clothes?

Only a handful of species, and it is the larvae that feed, not the adults. Clothes moth caterpillars digest keratin in wool, silk, fur and feathers. The great majority of moth species have no interest in textiles whatsoever.

Where do moths live?

Moths live in Worldwide except Antarctica, From Arctic tundra to tropical rainforest and deserts. Moths are the roughly 160,000 lepidopteran species that are not butterflies; most fly at night, they carry out substantial unrecorded pollination, and their caterpillars are the primary food for nestling birds.

Are moths dangerous?

Moths are not generally dangerous to people. Moths are the roughly 160,000 lepidopteran species that are not butterflies; most fly at night, they carry out substantial unrecorded pollination, and their caterpillars are the primary food for nestling birds. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

How long do moths live?

A precise wild lifespan for moths is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Moths are the roughly 160,000 lepidopteran species that are not butterflies; most fly at night, they carry out substantial unrecorded pollination, and their caterpillars are the primary food for nestling birds. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

How big is a moth?

A Moth is about ~30 cm (white witch, Thysania agrippina). Moths are the roughly 160,000 lepidopteran species that are not butterflies; most fly at night, they carry out substantial unrecorded pollination, and their caterpillars are the primary food for nestling birds.

What do moths eat?

The adults do not eat fabric at all; the larvae do, feeding on keratin in wool, silk, fur and feathers. Moths are the roughly 160,000 lepidopteran species that are not butterflies; most fly at night, they carry out substantial unrecorded pollination, and their caterpillars are the primary food for nestling birds.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Explore More Species

Every animal in our network faces a crisis. Learn about the others.

View all wildlife guides

Donate