Insect Life Cycles Looking at the Moth and Bee

A Quick Review… What is an insect? An insect has an exoskeleton and has:  a body with three parts  segmented eyes  a mouth  feelers or antennae  three pairs of segmented legs  some have a pair of (or two) wings.

Bee Facts Bees are related to wasps and ants. Bees live in hives. Bees are know for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are needed for pollinating flowers. Bees feed on nectar and pollen.

Life Cycle of a Bee One egg is laid in the cell of the honey comb. Larva hatch in 3–4 days. Larva are fed by worker bees. This stage lasts about five days. The larva turns into a pupa. This stage lasts about two weeks. The bee emerges.

Life Cycle of a Bee Some interesting facts:  Only one egg is laid per honey comb cell.  The larva does not leave the honey comb to feed. Worker bees bring food to the larva.  When the larva is ready to pupate, the honey comb cell is capped off so the pupa is protected.  21 days after the egg was laid, an adult bee emerges.

Moth Facts When the adult emerges from the cocoon, the wings must become larger. The moth pumps a fluid through them. The moth must wait for the wings to harden before they can fly. Moth antennae look like a feather or hair filament. Moths are usually more active at night. Moth caterpillars can damage agricultural crops.

Life Cycle of a Moth The moth lays eggs on the leaves of the host plant. When the eggs hatch, a caterpillar emerges. The caterpillars will molt several times as they grow. The caterpillar spins a cocoon and pupates inside. The adult emerges from the cocoon.

Life Cycle of a Moth Some interesting facts:  Several eggs are laid on the host plant.  The larva must feed itself to grow. It will molt (or shed) several times before spinning a cocoon.  The cocoon protects the larva until the metamorphosis is complete.  After the moth emerges, it must pump a fluid through its wings and then wait for it to harden before it can fly.

Comparing the Life Cycle of the Bee and Moth Bee  Only one egg is laid per honey comb cell.  The larva does not leave the honey comb to feed. Worker bees bring food to the larva.  When the larva is ready to pupate, the honey comb cell is capped off so the pupa is protected.  21 days after the egg was laid, an adult bee emerges. Moth  Several eggs are laid on the host plant.  The larva must feed itself to grow. It will molt (or shed) several times before spinning a cocoon.  The cocoon protects the larva until the metamorphosis is complete.  After the moth emerges, it must pump a fluid through its wings and then wait for it to harden before it can fly.

Image Credits Slides 1–3: Images courtesy Microsoft Clip Art Slide 4: Shaanxi Decor Imp. & Exp. Co. Ltd. (Designer). (2013). Bee's life cycle. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from Cycle/4c665c47d1551b632b68a401 Slide 7: Hanrahan, S. (Photographer). (2006). Actias luna. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from