The Micromoth (Microlepidoptera) is an insect in the Lepidoptera order of butterflies and moths. The order includes many different species of moths in superfamilies, such as Andesianoidea, Cossoidea, Sesioidea, and Zygaenoidea, which includes mainly leaf miners, rollers, and root borers. 

Its wingspan is about 20 millimetres (less than an inch). 

The Micromoth can be found in a wide variety of habitats worldwide, including terrestrial (land-living) and aquatic (water-living) moths.

The Micromoth is nocturnal, mostly active at night, but there are also day-flying groups of moths. 

The life cycle is egg, larva, cocoon, and adult. The caterpillar feeds on plants. It burrows into the space between the top layer and the bottom layer of a leaf. The adult moth feeds on dew and flower nectar, using its proboscis.  

The Micromoth is often considered to be a pest, because it causes damage ot plants, fabric, and textiles.

Location of photographs: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, America (via live broadcast), Annette Braun Collection

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM