Most of the Caterpillars which we have found are the larvae of moths. Moths far outnumber butterflies both in numbers and species. In Australia, there are over 10,000 named species of moths compared with only about 416 species of butterflies. Added to this, many moths have yet to be collected and named, whereas very few butterfly species remain to be discovered in Australia.

The common names of many moths are derived from the behaviour and appearance of their caterpillars. This situation is unlike that for butterflies, the common names for which are usually derived from the adult forms. The difference stems from the fact that common names are given by ordinary people and are handed down by generations. Butterflies fly mainly by day, whereas moth adults fly mainly at night. Also, moth caterpillars are often made conspicuous by the damage they do to plants, as the caterpillars of many moth species are important agricultural pests. Thus the stage of moth development that is most often encountered by ordinary people by day is the caterpillar.

Very few Australian moths have English common names, as there have been only 200 years or so of English settlement in Australia. Even the moth families are usually referred to by derivatives of their scientific names in Australia. The situation is very different from that in Europe and America where most common moth species have common names. In these pages, we give many of the European and American names out of deference to overseas visitors to our pages.

MOTH FAMILIES WITH SOME MOTH PHOTOS

AGANAIDAE Tropical Tiger Moths	ALUCITIDAE Many-Plumed Moths	ANTHELIDAE Australian Woolly Bears	ARCTIIDAE Footmen, Woolly Bears, Tiger Moths
ARGYRESTHIIDAE Needle Miners	BATRACHEDRIDAE Fringed Moths	BLASTOBASIDAE Dull Moths	BLASTODACNIDAE Detritus Moths
BOMBYCIDAE Silkworms	CARPOSINIDAE Fruitworms	CARTHAEIDAE Australian Silkworms	CASTNIIDAE Sun Moths
CHOREUTIDAE Metalmark Moths	COSMOPTERIGIDAE Seed Borers	COSSIDAE Witchetty Grubs, Borers, Goat Moths	CRAMBIDAE Webworms and Shoot Borers
DEPRESSARIIDAE Flat-Bodied Moths	DREPANIDAE Hook Tip Moths	EPERMENIIDAE Fringe-tufted Moths	ETHMIIDAE Black-spotted Moths
EUPTEROTIDAE Monkey Moths	GELECHIIDAE Twirler Moths	GEOMETRIDAE Inchworms, Loopers, Emeralds, Arches	GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE Sedge Moths
GRACILLARIIDAE Leaf Miners	HELIOCOSMIDAE Heliocosma group	HEPIALIDAE Ghost & Swift Moths	HERMINIIDAE Dead-leaf worms
HYBLAEIDAE Teak Moths	HYPERTROPHIDAE Twig Moths	IMMIDAE Immid Moths	LACTURIDAE Lactura Group
LASIOCAMPIDAE Lappet & Snout Moths	LECITHOCERIDAE Tropical Longhorned Moths	LIMACODIDAE Cup & Slug Moths	LYMANTRIIDAE Tussock Moths
LYONETIIDAE Stem Borers	NOCTUIDAE Cutworms, Underwings	NOTODONTIDAE Prominents, Bag Shelter Moths & Processionary Caterpillars	OECOPHORIDAE Concealer Moths