Transformers Aſt er several weeks of eating, a caterpillar molts for the last time. Now it becomes a pupa. It does not crawl or eat. Inside the pupa, something amazing starts to happen. T e bug’s body turns to mush. T en it


takes on new shapes. When the pupa cracks, a winged creature slips out. T e moth’s metamorphosis, or change, is complete. Blood pumps through its crumpled


wings. T ey stiff en. Now the moth can fl y.


On the Wing Unfortunately for moths, fl ying doesn’t change everything. T ey remain near the bottom of the food web. Now a new threat comes from the night sky. Many bats chase and eat moths. Like caterpillars, though, moths aren’t


helpless. A tiger moth, for instance, has ears. It can hear a bat coming. It zigzags through the air, trying to escape. T en, as the bat closes in, the moth stops fl uttering its wings. It plays dead and tumbles out of the sky. It lands on the ground and lies still. One kind of moth takes this


defense farther. It oozes a bad-tasting fl uid as it plays dead. Predators spit out the moth.


Hide Outs Like their larvae, moths use camoufl age and disguises to stay safe. Some have gray or brown wings. As they rest, their open wings blend into tree bark, fallen leaves, or rocks. I usually don’t see these moths until they fl y away. One brown and white moth even looks like gooey bird droppings. It can safely sit on a leaf in plain view. Some moths that fl y in the day can really


fool you. A few don’t even look like moths. One with yellow and black stripes on its furry body looks just like a stinging bee. T at’s a great way to keep predators away. A sunset moth doesn’t bother hiding at


all. It fl ies during the day. Its wings glitter gold, blue, red, and violet. T e colors warn predators. T ey mean the moth tastes bad.


Short Lives


Despite all their defenses, moths don’t live long. Predators aren’t always to blame, though. When a comet moth bursts out of its pupa, it doesn’t have mouthparts. So it can’t eat anything. It lives for about a week. Many other moths survive a few weeks on liquids. Instead of strong caterpillar jaws, now they have a tube called a proboscis. T ey use it like a straw. Many drink fl ower nectar. Some sip animal tears or even blood. T ey live just long enough to lay eggs. T at night on the mountain gave me a look into this wild world of moths. I got my proof. Moths are amazing. If you don’t believe me, go on your own caterpillar and moth hunt. You’ll see.


A crimson speckled moth sips nectar from a fl ower.


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