Detritus moth
The detritus moth is a small moth whose caterpillars are nature's little recyclers. They munch on rotting wood, compost and other old plant bits. It has travelled the world and now lives on many continents.
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Fun facts
It has even been found on Île Amsterdam, a tiny island far out in the southern Indian Ocean.
People carried it by accident to the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom.
Its caterpillars have been found eating pineapple roots, cork and gladiolus bulbs.
With its wings spread out it is only about 2 centimetres wide.
Most asked questions about Detritus moth
?What does the detritus moth eat?
Its caterpillars eat rotting wood, compost and other decaying plant bits.
?Where does the detritus moth live?
In Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa, and now in North America and Europe too.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Opogona omoscopa
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Tineidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Tineidae
- Lives on
- Australia and Oceania, Asia, Africa, North America, Europe
Where the facts come from
- Opogona omoscopa (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by dhobern. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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