Editing Lepidoptera (section)

== Ecology ==

Moths and butterflies are important in the natural ecosystem. They are integral participants in the food chain; having co-evolved with flowering plants and predators, lepidopteran species have formed a network of [[Trophic level|trophic]] relationships between [[autotroph]]s and [[heterotroph]]s, which are included in the stages of Lepidoptera larvae, pupae, and adults. Larvae and pupae are links in the diets of birds and parasitic [[entomophagous]] insects. The adults are included in food webs in a much broader range of consumers (including birds, small mammals, reptiles, etc.).<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|567}}

=== Defense and predation ===
{{Main|Defense in insects}}
[[File:01 chenille machaon (detail).jpg|thumb|upright=0.87|''[[Papilio machaon]]'' caterpillar showing the [[osmeterium]], which emits unpleasant smells to ward off predators]]
[[File:Throw frass.webm|thumb|thumbtime=87|This Lepidoptera larvae disposes of its [[frass]] that might attract predators or parasites.]]

Lepidopteran species are soft bodied, fragile, and almost defenseless, while the immature stages move slowly or are immobile, hence all stages are exposed to [[predation]]. Adult butterflies and moths are preyed upon by [[bird]]s, [[bat]]s, [[lizard]]s, [[amphibian]]s, [[dragonflies]], and [[spider]]s. One spider species, ''[[Argiope argentata]]'', eats butterflies and moths and exhibits a long bite when preying on them rather than wrapping them in silk first. This is theorized to serve as an immobilization tactic.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Robinson|first=Michael H.|date=1969|title=Predatory Behavior of ''Argiope argentata'' (Fabricius)|journal=American Zoologist|volume=9|issue=1|pages=161–173|doi=10.1093/icb/9.1.161|jstor=3881502|issn=0003-1569|doi-access=free}}</ref> Caterpillars and pupae fall prey not only to birds, but also to invertebrate predators and small mammals, as well as fungi and bacteria. [[Parasitoid]] and [[parasitic]] wasps and [[flies]] may lay eggs in the caterpillar, which eventually kill it as they hatch inside its body and eat its tissues. Insect-eating birds are probably the largest predators. Lepidoptera, especially the immature stages, are an ecologically important food to many insectivorous birds, such as the [[great tit]] in Europe.

An "[[evolutionary arms race]]" can be seen between predator and prey species. The Lepidoptera have developed a number of strategies for defense and protection, including evolution of morphological characters and changes in ecological lifestyles and behaviors. These include [[aposematism]], [[mimicry]], [[camouflage]], and development of threat patterns and displays.<ref name="Enchanted">{{cite web |url=http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/allabout/Defense.shtml |title=Caterpillar and Butterfly Defense Mechanisms |publisher=EnchantedLearning.com |access-date=7 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328122619/http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/allabout/Defense.shtml |archive-date=28 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Only a few birds, such as the [[nightjar]]s, hunt nocturnal lepidopterans. Their main predators are [[bat]]s. Again, an "evolutionary race" exists, which has led to numerous evolutionary adaptations of moths to escape from their main predators, such as the ability to hear ultrasonic sounds, or even to emit sounds in some cases. Lepidopteran eggs are also preyed upon. Some caterpillars, such as the [[zebra swallowtail butterfly]] larvae, are cannibalistic.

Some species of Lepidoptera are poisonous to predators, such as the monarch butterfly in the Americas, ''[[Atrophaneura]]'' species (roses, windmills, etc.) in Asia, as well as ''[[Papilio antimachus]]'', and the [[birdwing]]s, the largest butterflies in Africa and Asia, respectively. They obtain their toxicity by sequestering the chemicals from the plants they eat into their own tissues. Some Lepidoptera manufacture their own toxins. Predators that eat poisonous butterflies and moths may become sick and vomit violently, learning not to eat those species. A predator which has previously eaten a poisonous lepidopteran may avoid other species with similar markings in the future, thus saving many other species, as well.<ref name=Enchanted/><ref name="ANC">{{Cite book |last=Kricher |first=John |title=A Neotropical Companion |pages=157–158 |chapter=6 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3pgdvrSmG8C&q=defense+protection+butterflies&pg=PA158 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |isbn=978-0-691-00974-2 |date=16 August 1999 |access-date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=31 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531114847/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3pgdvrSmG8C&q=defense+protection+butterflies&pg=PA158 |url-status=live }}</ref> Toxic butterflies and larvae tend to develop bright colors and striking patterns as an indicator to predators about their toxicity. This phenomenon is known as [[aposematism]].<ref name="Santos & Cannatella (2003)">{{cite journal |last1=Santos |first1=J. C. |last2=Cannatella |first2=D. C. |year=2003 |title=Multiple, recurring origins of aposematism and diet specialization in poison frogs |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=100 |issue=22 |pages=12792–12797  |doi=10.1073/pnas.2133521100 |pmid=14555763 |last3=Cannatella |first3=DC |pmc=240697|bibcode = 2003PNAS..10012792S |doi-access=free }} (Abstract).</ref> Some caterpillars, especially members of [[Papilionidae]], contain an [[osmeterium]], a Y-shaped protrusible [[gland]] found in the [[prothoracic]] segment of the larvae.<ref name=Enchanted/> When threatened, the caterpillar emits unpleasant smells from the organ to ward off the predators.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/osmeterium |title=osmeterium |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Incorporated |access-date=9 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220065342/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/osmeterium |archive-date=20 February 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="About">{{cite web |url=http://insects.about.com/od/entomologyglossary/g/def_osmeterium.htm |title=Osmeterium |last=Hadley |first=Debbie |publisher=About.com Guide |access-date=9 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723145419/http://insects.about.com/od/entomologyglossary/g/def_osmeterium.htm |archive-date=23 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Camouflage is also an important defense strategy, which involves the use of coloration or shape to blend into the surrounding environment. Some lepidopteran species blend with their surroundings, making them difficult to spot by predators. Caterpillars can exhibit shades of green that match its host plant. Caterpillars have been demonstrated to be able to detect the color of their surroundings and substrate using organs on their feet.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Eacock |first1=Amy |last2=Rowland |first2=Hannah M. |last3=van’t Hof |first3=Arjen E. |last4=Yung |first4=Carl J. |last5=Edmonds |first5=Nicola |last6=Saccheri |first6=Ilik J. |date=2019 |title=Adaptive colour change and background choice behaviour in peppered moth caterpillars is mediated by extraocular photoreception |journal=Communications Biology |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |page=286 |doi=10.1038/s42003-019-0502-7 |issn=2399-3642 |pmc=6677728 |pmid=31396566}}</ref> Some caterpillars look like inedible objects, such as twigs or leaves. For instance, the [[mourning cloak]] fades into the backdrop of trees when it folds its wings back. The larvae of some species, such as the common Mormon (''[[Papilio polytes]]'') and the [[western tiger swallowtail]] look like bird droppings.<ref name=Enchanted/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Latimer |first=Jonathan P. |author2=Karen Stray Nolting  |title=Butterflies |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publishers |date=30 May 2000 |page=[https://archive.org/details/butterflies0000lati/page/12 12]|isbn=978-0-395-97944-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/butterflies0000lati|url-access=registration |quote=Tiger swallowtail. }}</ref> For example, adult [[Sesiidae]] species (also known as clearwing moths) have a general appearance sufficiently similar to a [[wasp]] or [[hornet]] to make it likely the moths gain a reduction in predation by [[mimicry|Batesian mimicry]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Insects and Spiders of the World |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |date=January 2003 |volume=10 |pages=292–293 |isbn=978-0-7614-7344-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uvdpiSQUuesC&q=clearwing+moths+mimicry&pg=PA592 |access-date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=31 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531113954/https://books.google.com/books?id=uvdpiSQUuesC&q=clearwing+moths+mimicry&pg=PA592 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Eyespot (mimicry)|Eyespot]]s are a type of [[automimicry]] used by some butterflies and moths. In butterflies, the spots are composed of concentric rings of scales in different colors. The proposed role of the eyespots is to deflect attention of predators. Their resemblance to eyes provokes the predator's instinct to attack these wing patterns.<ref name="Caroll">{{Cite book |last=Carroll |first=Sean |title=Endless forms most beautiful: the new science of evo devo and the making of the animal kingdom |pages=[https://archive.org/details/endlessformsmost00carr_0/page/205 205]–210|isbn=978-0-393-06016-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/endlessformsmost00carr_0 |url-access=registration |quote=Butterfly eyespots defense. |publisher=W. W. Norton & Co |year=2005}}</ref>

[[Batesian]] and [[Müllerian mimicry|Müllerian]] mimicry complexes are commonly found in Lepidoptera. Genetic polymorphism and natural selection give rise to otherwise edible species (the mimic) gaining a survival advantage by resembling inedible species (the model). Such a mimicry complex is referred to as Batesian and is most commonly known in the example between the [[Limenitidinae|limenitidine]] [[viceroy butterfly]] in relation to the inedible [[Danainae|danaine]] monarch. The viceroy is, in fact, more toxic than the monarch and this resemblance should be considered as a case of Müllerian mimicry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ritland |first=D. B.|author2=L. P. Brower |author-link2=Lincoln Brower |year=1991 |title=The viceroy butterfly is not a Batesian mimic |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=350 |issue=6318 |pages=497–498 |doi=10.1038/350497a0 |bibcode=1991Natur.350..497R |s2cid=28667520|quote=Viceroys are as unpalatable as monarchs, and significantly more unpalatable than queens from representative Florida populations. }}</ref> In Müllerian mimicry, inedible species, usually within a taxonomic order, find it advantageous to resemble each other so as to reduce the sampling rate by predators that need to learn about the insects' inedibility. Taxa from the toxic genus ''[[Heliconius]]'' form one of the most well-known Müllerian complexes.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Meyer, A. |year=2006 |title=Repeating patterns of mimicry |journal=[[PLOS Biology]] |volume=4 |issue=10 |page=e341 |doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040341 |pmid=17048984 |pmc=1617347 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The adults of the various species now resemble each other so well, the species cannot be distinguished without close morphological observation and, in some cases, dissection or genetic analysis.

Moths are able to hear the range emitted by bats, which in effect causes flying moths to make evasive maneuvers because bats are a main predator of moths. Ultrasonic frequencies trigger a reflex action in the [[noctuid]] moth that cause it to drop a few inches in its flight to evade attack.<ref>{{cite journal| last = Jones| first = G|author2=D A Waters | title = Moth hearing in response to bat echolocation calls manipulated independently in time and frequency| doi = 10.1098/rspb.2000.1188| year = 2000| journal = Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences| volume = 267| pages = 1627–32| pmid = 11467425| issue = 1453| pmc = 1690724}}</ref> [[Arctiidae|Tiger moth]]s in a defense emit clicks within the same range of the bats, which interfere with the bats and foil their attempts to echolocate it.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ratcliffe |first=John M. |author2=Fullard, James H. |author3=Arthur, Benjamin J. |author4=Hoy, Ronald R. |url=http://hoylab.cornell.edu/arthur/ratcliffe_fullard_arthur_hoy2009.pdf |title=Tiger moths and the threat of bats: decision-making based on the activity of a single sensory neuron |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2009.0079 |access-date=11 February 2011 |year=2009 |journal=Biology Letters |volume=5 |pages=368–371 |issue=3 |pmid=19324625 |pmc=2679932 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719175800/http://hoylab.cornell.edu/arthur/ratcliffe_fullard_arthur_hoy2009.pdf |archive-date=19 July 2011 }}</ref>

=== Pollination ===
{{Further|Entomophily|Pollination syndrome}}
[[File:Hummingbird hawkmoth a.jpg|thumb|left|A day-flying [[hummingbird hawk-moth]] drinking nectar from a species of ''[[Dianthus]]'']]

Most species of Lepidoptera engage in some form of [[entomophily]] (more specifically psychophily and phalaenophily for butterflies and moths, respectively), or the [[pollination]] of flowers.<ref name="Gilbert">{{Cite journal|last=Gilbert |first=L. E. |year=1972 |title= Pollen feeding and reproductive biology of ''Heliconius'' butterflies |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] |volume=69 |pages=1402–1407 |doi=10.1073/pnas.69.6.1403|pmid=16591992 |issue=6|bibcode = 1972PNAS...69.1403G |pmc=426712 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Most adult butterflies and moths feed on the [[nectar]] inside flowers, using their probosces to reach the nectar hidden at the base of the petals. In the process, the adults brush against the flowers' [[stamen]]s, on which the reproductive [[pollen]] is made and stored. The pollen is transferred on appendages on the adults, which fly to the next flower to feed and unwittingly deposit the pollen on the [[stigma (botany)|stigma]] of the next flower, where the pollen [[germinates]] and fertilizes the seeds.<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|813–814}}

Flowers pollinated by butterflies tend to be large and flamboyant, pink or lavender in color, frequently having a landing area, and usually scented, as butterflies are typically day-flying. Since butterflies do not [[digestion|digest]] pollen (except for [[Heliconius|heliconid species]],<ref name="Gilbert"/>) more nectar is offered than pollen. The flowers have simple nectar guides, with the nectaries usually hidden in narrow tubes or spurs, reached by the long "tongue" of the butterflies. Butterflies such as ''[[Thymelicus|Thymelicus flavus]]'' have been observed to engage in [[flower constancy]], which means they are more likely to transfer pollen to other conspecific plants. This can be beneficial for the plants being pollinated, as flower constancy prevents the loss of pollen during different flights and the pollinators from clogging stigmas with pollen of other flower species.<ref>{{Cite journal|year=1997 |title= Foraging strategies in the small skipper butterfly, ''Thymelicus flavus'': when to switch?|journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=53 |pages=1009–1016|last1=Goulson |first1=D. |first2=J. |last2=Ollerton |first3=C.  |last3=Sluman|doi=10.1006/anbe.1996.0390|issue=5|s2cid= 620334}}</ref>

Among the more important moth pollinator groups are the [[hawk moth]]s of the [[family (biology)|family]] Sphingidae. Their behavior is similar to [[hummingbird]]s, i.e., using rapid wing beats to hover in front of flowers. Most hawk moths are [[nocturnal]] or [[crepuscular]], so moth-pollinated flowers (e.g., ''[[Silene latifolia]]'' ) tend to be white, night-opening, large, and showy with tubular [[Corollaceous|corollae]] and a strong, sweet scent produced in the evening, night, or early morning. A lot of nectar is produced to fuel the high [[metabolic rate]]s needed to power their flight.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Helen J. Young |author2=Lauren Gravitz |year=2002 |title=The effects of stigma age on receptivity in ''Silene alba'' (Caryophyllaceae) |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=89 |pages=1237–1241|doi=10.3732/ajb.89.8.1237 |issue=8 |pmid=21665724|doi-access= }}</ref> Other moths (e.g., [[noctuids]], [[Geometer moth|geometrids]], [[Pyraloidea|pyralids]]) fly slowly and settle on the flower. They do not require as much nectar as the fast-flying hawk moths, and the flowers tend to be small (though they may be aggregated in heads).<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Oliveira PE |author2=PE Gibbs |author3=AA Barbosa |year=2004 |title=Moth pollination of woody species in the Cerrados of Central Brazil: a case of so much owed to so few? |journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution |volume=245 |issue=1–2 |pages=41–54 |doi=10.1007/s00606-003-0120-0|bibcode=2004PSyEv.245...41O |s2cid=21936259 }}</ref>

=== Mutualism ===

[[File:Tomato Hornworm Parasitized by Braconid Wasp.jpg|thumb|right|Tobacco hornworm caterpillar (''[[Manduca sexta]]'') parasitized by [[Braconidae]] wasp larvae]]

[[Mutualism (biology)|Mutualism]] is a form of [[biological interaction]] wherein each individual involved benefits in some way. An example of a mutualistic relationship would be that shared by [[Tegeticula|yucca moths]] (Tegeculidae) and their host, [[yucca|yucca flowers]] (Asparagaceae). Female yucca moths enter the host flowers, collect the pollen into a ball using specialized maxillary palps, then move to the apex of the pistil, where pollen is deposited on the stigma, and lay eggs into the base of the pistil where seeds will develop. The larvae develop in the fruit pod and feed on a portion of the seeds. Thus, both insect and plant benefit, forming a highly mutualistic relationship.<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|814}} Another form of mutualism occurs between some larvae of butterflies and certain species of [[ant]]s (e.g. [[Lycaenidae]]). The larvae communicate with the ants using vibrations transmitted through a substrate, such as the wood of a tree or stems, as well as using chemical signals.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1988.tb01201.x |title=The larval ant-organs of ''Thisbe irenea'' (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) and their effects upon attending ants |year=1988 |author=Devries, P. J. |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=94 |pages=379–393 |issue=4}}</ref> The ants provide some degree of protection to these larvae and they in turn gather [[Honeydew (secretion)|honeydew secretions]].<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=17733373 |date=Jun 1990 |author=Devries, Pj |title=Enhancement of Symbioses Between Butterfly Caterpillars and Ants by Vibrational Communication |volume=248 |issue=4959 |pages=1104–1106 |doi=10.1126/science.248.4959.1104 |journal=Science|bibcode = 1990Sci...248.1104D |s2cid=35812411 }}</ref>

=== Parasitism ===
[[File:Macrothylacia rubi caterpillar with parasitoid larvae - Niitvälja bog.jpg|thumbnail|Parasitoid larva exits from the fox moth caterpillar]]
Only 42 species of [[parasitoid]] lepidopterans are known (1 [[Pyralidae]]; 40 [[Epipyropidae]]).<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|748}} The larvae of the [[Galleria mellonella|greater]] and [[lesser wax moth]]s feed on the [[honeycomb]] inside [[bee]] nests and may become [[pest (organism)|pest]]s; they are also found in [[bumblebee]] and [[wasp]] nests, albeit to a lesser extent. In northern Europe, the wax moth is regarded as the most serious parasitoid of the bumblebee and is found only in bumblebee nests. In some areas in southern England, as much as 80% of nests can be destroyed.<ref>{{cite book|last= Benton|first= Frank|title= The honey bee: a manual of instruction in apiculture|trans-title= Europe's best known butterflies. Description of the most important species and instructions for recognizing and collecting butterflies and caterpillars|publisher= Oestergaard Verlag|volume= 1–6, 33|pages= 113–114|year= 1895|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=VqZbAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA113|access-date= 11 September 2020|archive-date= 31 May 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210531114818/https://books.google.com/books?id=VqZbAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA113|url-status= live}}</ref> Other parasitic larvae are known to prey upon [[cicada]]s and [[leaf hopper]]s.<ref name="Rubinoff">{{cite journal|last1=Rubinoff|first1= Daniel|last2= Haines|first2= William P.|year= 2005|title=Web-spinning caterpillar stalks snails|volume= 309|issue= 5734|page= 575|journal= Science|doi= 10.1126/science.1110397|pmid= 16040699|s2cid= 42604851}}</ref>

<!--something VERY wrong with imagemap, only gives Compsilura concinnata wherever cursor points; file size nominally 796 × 671 pixels. The common name for this species is also outdated and they are now known as Spongy Moths. -->
<imagemap> 
File: Parasitism_in_Gypsy_moths.svg|thumb|center|500px| The different parasitoids affecting the spongy moth (''Lymantaria dispar''): The stage they affect and eventually kill and its duration are denoted by arrows.
rect 11 106 222 135 [[Brachymeria intermedia]]
rect 11 146 222 176 [[Coccygomimus instigator]] 
rect 3 515 222 535 [[Compsilura concinnata]]
rect 3 540 222 560[[Parasetigena|Parasetigena silvestris]]
rect 185 600 385 650 [[Blepharipa|Blepharipa pratensis]]
rect 370 560 650 610 [[Aphantorhaphopsis samerensis]]
rect 370 612 650 630 [[Glyptapanteles liparidis]]
rect 370 632 650 650 [[Meteorus pulchricornis]]
rect 600 100 770 150 [[Anastatus disparis]]
rect 450 400 780 440 [[Cotesia melanoscelus]]
rect 450 442 780 465 [[Glyptapanteles porthetriae]]
rect 450 467 780 490 [[Hyposoter tricoloripes]]
rect 450 492 780 520 [[Phobocampe disparis]]
desc bottom-left
</imagemap>

In reverse, moths and butterflies may be subject to [[parasitic wasp]]s and [[flies]], which may lay eggs on the caterpillars, which hatch and feed inside its body, resulting in death. Although, in a form of parasitism called idiobiont, the adult paralyzes the host, so as not to kill it but for it to live as long as possible, for the parasitic larvae to benefit the most. In another form of parasitism, koinobiont, the species live off their hosts while inside (endoparasitic). These parasites live inside the host caterpillar throughout its life cycle or may affect it later on as an adult. In other orders, koinobionts include flies, a majority of [[coleopteran]], and many [[hymenoptera]]n parasitoids.<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|748–749}} Some species may be subject to a variety of parasites, such as the [[spongy moth]] (''Lymantaria dispar''), which is attacked by a series of 13 species, in six different taxa throughout its life cycle.<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|750}}

In response to a parasitoid egg or larva in the caterpillar's body, the [[Hemocyte|plasmatocyte]]s, or simply the host's cells can form a multilayered capsule that eventually causes the endoparasite to [[asphyxiate]]. The process, called encapsulation, is one of the caterpillar's only means of defense against parasitoids.<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|748}}

=== Other biological interactions ===

A few species of Lepidoptera are secondary consumers, or [[predator]]s. These species typically prey upon the eggs of other insects, aphids, scale insects, or ant larvae.<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|567}} Some caterpillars are cannibals, and others prey on caterpillars of other species (e.g. Hawaiian ''[[Eupithecia]]'' ). Those of the 15 species in ''Eupithecia'' that mirror inchworms, are the only known species of butterflies and moths that are ambush predators.<ref name="pierce">{{cite journal|author=Pierce, N. E.|year=1995|title=Predatory and parasitic Lepidoptera: Carnivores living on plants|journal=Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society|volume= 49|issue=4|pages= 412–453}}</ref> Four species are known to eat snails. For example, the Hawaiian caterpillar (''[[Hyposmocoma molluscivora]]'') uses silk traps, in a manner similar to that of spiders, to capture certain species of snails (typically [[Tornatellides]]).<ref name="Rubinoff"/>

Larvae of some species of moths in the [[Tineidae]], [[Gelechiidae]], and [[Noctuidae]], besides others, feed on [[detritus]], or dead organic material, such as fallen leaves and fruit, fungi, and animal products, and turn it into [[humus]].<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|567}} Well-known species include the [[Tineidae|cloth moth]]s (''[[Tineola bisselliella]]'', ''[[Tinea pellionella]]'', and ''[[Trichophaga tapetzella]]''), which feed on detritus containing [[keratin]], including [[hair]], [[feather]]s, [[cobweb]]s, [[bird nest]]s (particularly of [[domestic pigeon]]s, ''Columba livia domestica'') and fruits or vegetables. These species are important to ecosystems as they remove substances that would otherwise take a long time to decompose.<ref name="Garbe (1994)">{{cite book| last= Grabe| first=Albert| title=Eigenartige Geschmacksrichtungen bei Kleinschmetterlingsraupen ("Strange tastes among micromoth caterpillars")| url=http://www.biologiezentrum.at/pdf_frei_remote/ZOEV_27_0105-0109.pdf| series=27| year= 1942| language=de| pages=105–109}}</ref>

In 2015 it was reported that wasp [[bracovirus]] DNA was present in Lepidoptera such as monarch butterflies, silkworms and moths.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Gasmi|first1=Laila|last2=Boulain|first2=Helene|last3=Gauthier|first3=Jeremy|last4=Hua-Van|first4=Aurelie|last5=Musset|first5=Karine|last6=Jakubowska|first6=Agata K.|last7=Aury|first7=Jean-Marc|last8=Volkoff|first8=Anne-Nathalie|last9=Huguet|first9=Elisabeth|date=17 September 2015|title=Recurrent Domestication by Lepidoptera of Genes from Their Parasites Mediated by Bracoviruses|journal=PLOS Genet|volume=11|issue=9|pages=e1005470|doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.1005470|pmc=4574769|pmid=26379286 |doi-access=free }}</ref> These were described in some newspaper articles as examples of a naturally occurring [[genetically engineered]] insects.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/44016/title/Parasite-s-Genes-Persist-in-Host-Genomes/|title=Parasite's Genes Persist in Host Genomes {{!}} The Scientist Magazine®|last=Shaikh-Lesko|first=Rina|date=17 September 2015|website=The Scientist|access-date=13 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221235759/http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view%2FarticleNo%2F44016%2Ftitle%2FParasite-s-Genes-Persist-in-Host-Genomes%2F|archive-date=21 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>