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Differences Between Moths & Caterpillars

A moth is quite different than a caterpillar but essentially, it is the same species simply at a different point of its life cycle. There are additional differences such as its natural environment, lifespan, diet and appearance. Learning about these factors will help you understand more about the insect world.

Appearance
- The most obvious distinction between a moth and a caterpillar is its appearance. A moth resembles a butterfly, having two patterned wings. However, butterflies and moths can be told apart by their antennae. While a butterfly has thin antennae with bulbs at the end, a moth has feathery or saw-edged antennae. A caterpillar is a thin, sausage-shape, with many small legs. It can be camouflaged with brown, green or grey colorings or have a colorful pattern across its body. They can be up to 3-inches in length.
Life Cycle
- A primary difference between the moth and caterpillar is its life stage. While a caterpillar is preparing to turn into a chrysalis, to pupate into a moth or butterfly, a moth has already emerged from its chrysalis. It is in the final stage of its life cycle. A caterpillar eats constantly and sheds its skin several times in preparation. Conversely, a moth is active at night, feasting on small insects and flies. Moths can be seen around lights or searching for food at twilight.
Envirnoment
- A moth's environment is different to a caterpillar's. A moth uses moonlight to guide it to food sources. However, it is often distracted by artificial light and led to unnatural food sources such as restaurants, kitchens and cafes. Therefore, it is often seen indoors close to human activity. This causes a problem since it leaves waste behind and contaminates food. Conversely, a caterpillar forages in a natural environment anywhere from a beach, meadow or field. It cannot move great distances so remains in trees or on plants for long periods of time until it is ready to pupate.
Life Span
- Typically, a caterpillar lives for three and four weeks after it has grown beyond being a larvae. This gives it time to eat, mature and cocoon itself. However, a moth can live much longer. On average, a moth lives between two and three months so it can mature, mate, and lay eggs. This life span range does change somewhat depending on the species. For example, the Indiana Moth can live between two and six months.

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