Why do moths lay their eggs on leaves?

I am using the word moth to refer to the entire insect order of Lepidoptera. So when I say moth, I am including butterflies. A butterfly is just one clade of moth that has evolved to stay awake during the day. Most moths sleep at night. Most moths lay their eggs on or near the plant whose leaves the caterpillar will eat. read more

Most moths lay their eggs on or near the plant whose leaves the caterpillar will eat. When the moths lay their eggs on or near the plant, it is usually so the caterpillar will have something to eat. Many caterpillars do not eat leaves from plants. read more

Most insects, including butterflies, lay eggs on the food source for their larvae. If you see a butterfly laying eggs on a leaf, you can bet the catarpillar feeds on leaves of that species of plants (some species may feed on a range of plants, while some other may use one plant exclusively). read more

Most moths lay eggs underground , around late summer, or early autumn , and they hatch around late winter or early spring. Moths normally do not eat, as they only live around a couple days to weeks. The caterpillars , though , must eat a lot. read more