Moths
Moths are a paraphyletic (consisting of all the descendants of the last common ancestor) group of insects closely related the butterflies. The differences between moths and butterflies aren't very noticeable, but you can usually tell by looking at their antennae. While butterflies have thin antennas with small balls or clubs on the end, a moth's is thicker and lacks the club-end.
Nocturnal animals such as bats, owls, and some species of birds often eat moths. Lizards, cats, dogs, rodents and bears eat moths as well. There are at least 160,000 different species of moths, many of them not yet described.
Moths and their larvae are a common pest around the world, causing significant damage to forests, farms and fruit. Some kinds of moth larvae eat fabric such as clothes and blankets made of silk or wool.
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| Venezuelan Poodle Moth |
One example is the Venezuelan Poodle Moth. It is a
recent species discovered in 2009 in the Gran Sabana
regions of Venezuela. There is very little known about it,
but it's very interesting-looking.
Another strange moth is the vampire moth. It can pierce skin and suck blood, and it has also been known to suck the tears from the eyelids of cattle.
Wow - such beautiful animals.
ReplyDeleteA moth walks into a podiatrist's office.
ReplyDeleteThe podiatrist says, "Moth, what's the problem?" And the moth says, "What's the problem. Well, doc, where do I begin? Every day I get up to another cruel sky. It's like the sun is mocking me as I begin the gruelling preparations for another 8-hours of slogging in meaningless toil for my boss, Gregor McIvanichisky. A grey self, captive in a grey cubicle in a grey office with no windows that I might see the grey clouds beyond... I just sit in my cubicle as I feel the throbbing ache of the best days of my life being raped away into a monotonous, forgettable slurry of irrelevant corporate drudgery. I don't know what I'm doing, I don't think my boss even knows. All he knows is that he has power over me. And my children...my daughter is always on her cellphone, texting and emailing. I haven't spoken real words to her in weeks. My oldest son is never home and when he is, he's locked in his room listening to angry music. My youngest son, he's only 4, I look at him and he asks me to play... and I feel nothing. No love, no tenderness... just a void. And when I look in the mirror...I don't recognize the face staring back at me. It's aged so much from the boyish looks I remember. The years have carved deep lines of despair, worry and anguish. Dark, hollow eyes where once gleamed hope and excitement. Thin lips unable to find the smile of the happy, old days. If only I could find the courage to reach over to the side table and remove the loaded gun. And then find the strength to pull back that hammer as the chamber rotates, clicking solidly into place...Raising it to my temple for the final squeeze that will erase the last shreds of my existence from this cold grave of a life wasted away."
And the podiatrist says, "Well, Moth, you're in pretty rough shape. You need to get some help. But why did you come to me? You need a psychiatrist!!"
And the moth says... "Because the light was on."
I can't say I know how I feel about this
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