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Moth of the Week

Northern Giant Flag Moth

Dysschema howardi

Image Source

The northern giant flag moth is a part of the family Erebidae. It was first described in 1836 by Johann Christoph Friedrich Klug. This moth is known by two scientific names: Dysschema thetis and Dysschema howardi, which are considered to be synonymous. This moth’s scientific name may also be confused with Dysschema mariamne, which is the name of Mariamne’s giant flag moth.

Description Males and females have very similar patterned forewings that are black and white. They also both have red-orange abdomens, black heads, and black thoraxes with two yellow and white spots. However, both males and females have different hindwings, antennae, and sizes:

Females have orange hindwings while males have white ones.

A male’s antennae is fluffier than a female’s

Males are generally smaller than females

Males also tend to be more active.

Wingspan Range (Wikipedia): 85-95mm (≈3.35-3.74in)

Wingspan Range: (BreedingButterflies): 75-105mm (≈2.95-4.13in)

Diet and Habitat The larvae of this species eat on plants from the Asteraceae family such as Brickellia californica, Eupatorium rugosum, and Vernonia patens. Adults do feed, most likely nectar from flowers as when bred in captivity they are fed sugary liquids.

This species is found from south-western United States to north-western Mexico, specifically the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. They prefer habitats that are hot and dry.

Mating These moths can be seen flying from June to August and presumably mate during this time. When bred in captivity, if these moths are not fed Brickellia californica or other plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids they will not want to mate. This is possibly because some species in the Arctiidae subfamily use PAs to create mating pheromones and defend themselves from predators.

Predators Larvae of this species hide under objects during the day and are more active at night. Adults are known to show their hindwings to frighten off predators or play dead.

Fun Fact When the larvae of this moth is ready to pupate, it finds a place and spins a silk “hammock” to pupate in.

(Source: Wikipedia [1][2], BreedingButterflies, Texas Entomology)

Requested by: @rodereicus

[libraryofmoths]

I am in love with your blog. Can I request a very very colorful moth?

Hello! Thank you for the ask and the support!

Of course you can request a colorful moth! I have no problem researching any species of moth. Colorful moths usually have more research recorded on them than more plain ones, so I’m a bit impartial to posting about them. If I have already made a post about your species, I will direct you to it.

So please, request away! :]

[libraryofmoths]

I love love LOVE your blog! Can I request the northern giant flag moth? Also, do you know other blogs or accounts about lepidopters? I would be glad if you shared them ^_^

Hi! Thank you so much for the ask and the compliment! I’ll get to working on your request.

Answer to your second question is under the cut:

At the moment of writing this, I only know of two Lepidoptera blogs: moths-daily (which is currently on hiatus) and identifying-lepidoptera-in-posts (which also covers butterflies).

A good place to start looking for blogs would be under the “moth facts” tag, but you will have to sort through a few silly posts with satirical facts. (I found a couple more blogs, normanologys and factsaboutmoths, using this tag, and they both seem to be totally moth-focused!) Similar tags like “moth” or “Lepidoptera” should work too!

If you’re also looking for butterflies, the tags “butterfly facts,” “butterflies,” and “Lepidoptera” should work like the tags above.

These tags may also show you blogs centered around animals, bugs, and fun facts in general that have the occasional moth/butterfly post.

Sorry for the long reply, hope this helped! :]

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Bird-Cherry Ermine

Yponomeuta evonymella

Image source

The bird-cherry ermine is a part of the family Yponomeutidae, the ermine moths. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. It was originally placed in the genus Phalaena but was later transferred to the genus Yponomeuta, becoming Yponomeuta evonymella. This species’ common name comes from their main food plant: Bird Cherry.

Description This moth has a white thorax, head, and forewings. The forewings have five horizontal lines of small black dots, and a few black dots are also on the back of the thorax. The hindwings are shorter and wider than the forewings and are a beige/light brown color. Both the forewings and hindwings have a fringe on the end however, the forewings’ white fringe is short and only on the outer margin while the hindwings’ brown fringe is all over the hindwings’ edges besides the parts touching the forewings. Additionally the hindwings’ fringe is longer on the bottom of the wing. This moth’s thin and wiry antennae are two thirds the length of the forewing and are usually white.

Wingspan Range: 16 - 25 mm (≈0.63 - 0.98 in)

Diet and Habitat This species’ caterpillars mainly feeds on Bird Cherry (Prunus padus), but they also occasionally feed on cherry (Prunus) or buckthorn (Rhamnus). They are known to sometimes be pests of the bird-cheery because the caterpillars pupate and feed together in web like nests that can cover whole trees. This web keeps them protected and allows them to eat mostly unbothered by other insects and predators. The tree is still likely to survive after this, but may grow less in the following growth season/spring. Adults feed on nectar.

This species can be found in Europe and the northern and eastern parts of Asia. They live in many habitats such as river lowlands, deciduous forests, alluvial forests, stream banks with bushes and trees, gardens, parks, and more. Strangely according to Butterfly Conservation, this moth can be found “often far from the known foodplant.”

Mating This moth is seen in June to September and has only gerarion per year. Females let their eggs on the winter buds of their food plants.

Population sizes fluctuate, but it’s not uncommon for mass outbreaks of caterpillars to happen, which results in defoliated trees.

Predators This species is preyed on by parasitic wasps and seems to have few other predators.

Fun Fact This moth is attracted to light. Additionally when disturbed, this moth can skip away and falls to the ground. Note: this second fact does not currently have a citation on Wikipedia so it may be disproven in the future.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation)

[libraryofmoths]

rosy maple moth pls

Hello! I have covered this moth before, you can find it here! :]

[libraryofmoths]

have you done the luna moth yet?

Hi! Yes I have, you can find that post here. :]

[libraryofmoths]

I have a poplar hawk moth and a elephant hawk moth for you!

Hello! So sorry for the late reply, these are such great photos!

Fun fact: the poplar hawk moth is known for how it pushes its hindwing up so that the hindwing is seen in front of the forewing. This hides the red patch on the hindwing which this species will display if disturbed. (Source)

Another fun fact: elephant hawk moths have very sensitive eyes that allow them to have colour vision even at nighttime. (Source)

I’m sure you probably know a lot about these species if they are in your area, but let me know if you’d like to see a post on these moths! :]

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Angle Shades

Phlogophora meticulosa

Image source

The angle shades is a part of the family Noctuidae. This species was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. According to Wikipedia, this moth gets its common name from the colors and marking on its wings.

Description The forewings of this moth are shaped with a sharp point. Most of the forewing is buffish as well as the head, legs, body, and antennae. The middle of the forewing is split by a triangle. The bottom of the triangle lays on the termen of the forewing or “the edge of the wing most distant from the body.” The triangle is made of layers of brown and pink. The hindwings are whitish with darker veins.

ab. roseobrunnea ab. nov [Warren], the central triangle is a rich red brown tinged with fulvous (tawny/orange), the whole wing reddish tinged, and the green shades all strongly mixed with red, the metathorax and dorsal tufts also being deep fulvous instead of green; found in São Jorge Island in the Azores

Wingspan Range: 45 - 52 mm (≈1.77 - 2.05 in)

Diet and Habitat This species eats a wide range of herbaceous plants such as Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Hop (Humulus lupulus), Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber), Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius), Bramble (Rubus fruiticosus), Hazel (Corylus avellana), birches, oak, basil, and broccoli.

They are distributed throughout Europe. Their reach spans eastto the Urals, southeast to Syria, Armenia, and Asia Minor, west to Azores, and south to Algeria. They are a strongly migratory species. It is found in a variety of habitats such as gardens, hedgerows, fens, woodland, grasslands, farmland, wetlands, heathland, and moorland.

Mating This moth is generally seen from May to October and has two generations per year. The larva overwinter in soil as pupa.

Predators This species flies mainly at night. They are presumably preyed on by nighttime predators such as bats. This moth uses its coloration to disguise itself as a wilted leaf when at rest. They can be seen during the day resting on walls, vegetation, and feces.

Fun Fact The angle shades is attracted to light and sugar.

(Source: Wikipedia [1][2], Butterfly Conservation, The Wildlife Trusts)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Dew Moth

Setina irrorella

Photo credit

The dew moth is a part of the family Erebidae. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. It is thought to have gotten its common name from how the moth hangs from a blade of grass or a leaf when resting during the day. This gives it a transparent look.

Description This species’s wings can vary in colour from cream to yellow. The forewing has 3 lines of black dots across it with the hindwing usually having only one black dot. The underside of the forewing is gray with a yellow margin. The body is black with yellow or black legs.

There are many found variations of this moth:

signata Borkh. - the middle rows of spots are connected by streaks

ab. fumosa Sandb. - has brownish ground colour; found in the north, but also found in Germany.

flavicans Bdv. - has brighter deep yellow wings and the apex of the abdomen is yellow; found in the Mediterranean and Anterior Asia.

nickerli Rebel - paler yellow, the forewing slightly dulled with the exception of the clearer yellow inner margin; found in the Alps and Northern Europe.

andereggi H.-Schiff. - has dark veins on the forewings, appearing like rays; found in the high Alps, and in the higher North.

riffelensis Fall. - considerably smaller, the ground colour is slightly dulled, the black vein-streaks are more numerous, especially the costa and median veins strongly sooty black; found in the high Alps, especially abundant above Zermatt.

lata Christ. - larger with broader wings and paler with very few markings, the hindwing often quite without markings; found in Russia over North Siberia to Kamtschatka.

insignata Stgr., - quite similar to the preceding, but with narrower wings. The forewing also with very few dots, and hindwing without any; found in East Siberia.

Wingspan Range: 27 �� 33 mm (≈1.06 - 1.30 in)

Forewing Range: 11 – 18 mm (≈0.43 - 0.71 in)

Diet and Habitat The larva of this moth eat only lichen.

This moth is found in the Palearctic region. Its range starts from Ireland, then spreads south through Europe and east to northern and Central Asia. It can be found in countries such as Siberia, Kamchatka, Chukotka, and northern Mongolia. This species can even live in the limestone Alps up to 2,000 meters above sea level. However, it can not be found in the high north and parts of the Mediterranean region.

It prefers to live in mossy and lichen-covered rock corridors, on chalky and sandy areas and steep, rocky sparse grasslands, rocky coasts, shingle beaches, and calcareous grassland inland. It can also be found in bogs, forest meadows, and on heaths.

Mating Depending on location, this moth can be seen from May to July. It presumably mates during this time. Generations per year not listed.

Predators Not listed. However, the adult males fly in the afternoon, at dusk, after dark, and at dawn. The females are largely nocturnal. These moths are presumably preyed on by nighttime predators such as bats.

Fun Fact The dew moth has four subspecies:

Setina irrorella irrorella

Setina irrorella freyeri (Nickerl, 1845)

Setina irrorella insignata (Staudinger, 1881)

Setina irrorella mediterranea (Daniel, 1964)

Additionally, dew moth caterpillars do not cocoon in trees or foliage but rather in between stones or rocks.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Drinker

Euthrix potatoria

The drinker moth is of the family Lasiocampidae. It was described and named in 1758 by Carl Linneaus. Linneaus chose the species name potatoria as it means ‘drinker-like.’ Dutch entomologist Johannes Goedaert had previously called the moth dronckaerdt, meaning ‘drunkard,’ “because it is very much inclined to drinking” or because this moth repeatedly puts its head into water. The common name ‘drinker’ comes from the same reason.

Description This moth is distinguishable from other eggar moths by a diagonal line crossing the forewing and two white spots also on the forewing. Males are usually reddish or orangish-brown with yellow patches. Males in East Anglia are often yellowish. Females can be yellow, a pale buff, whitish, or a darker reddish-brown than the males. Male and females also differ in size and antennae shape: females are slight larger than males, and males have fluffier antennae.

Wingspan Range of Fully Grown Drinker: 45–65 mm (≈1.77 - 2.56 in)

Diet and Habitat The caterpillars of this species feed on grasses and reeds in genuses such as Alopecurus, Deschampsia, Dactylis, Elytrigia, Carex, Luzula, and other Gramineae. A few examples are Cat grass (Dactylis glomeratus), Common Reed (Phragmites australis), Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea), and Wood Small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos).

In the spring, they feed mainly at night and can be found resting on low vegetation during the day. The larva also supposedly drink morning dew because it had been observed to repeatedly put its head in water.

This moth can be found in Europe. It is common throughout England and Ireland but tends to favor western Scotland over eastern Scotland. It prefers habitats of marshy places such as fens, riversides, tall and damp grassland, marshes, damp open woodland, scrub, and ditches. However this species does sometimes live in drier habitats such as grassy terrain and urban gardens.

Mating Adults can been seen between July and August and presumably mate during this time. There is only one generation per year. Eggs are laid mainly on the stems of grasses or reeds in small clusters.

Predators Adult moths fly at night and are presumably preyed on by nocturnal predators such as bats.

Fun Fact Both sexes of the drinker moth are attracted to light, but males are especially susceptible.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Antler Moth

Cerapteryx graminis

The antler moth is a part of the family Noctuidae. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. This moth gets its name from the antler shaped mark in its forewings.

Description This moth species has brown forewings, with a “basal streak” of white that branches out. This mark may vary in size per moth. The forewings show a mirrored pattern of the base brown broken up by the branches and a few spots and lines of lighter brown. The forewing also may or may not have black streaks. The hindwing is dark brown with a white fringe.

Males are smaller than females with fluffier antennae.

Male Wingspan: 27 - 32mm (≈1.06 - 1.26in)

Female Wingspan: 35 - 39mm (≈1.38 - 1.53in)

Diet and Habitat The larva of this species feeds on grasses such as Deschampsia, Sheep’s-fescue (Festuca ovina), Mat-grass (Nardus stricta) and Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea). It has also been found on sedges and rushes. When the larva population is concentrated enough, they can damage pastures. Adults feed on flowers such as thistles and ragworts.

This species is common through most of Europe. It’s northernmost reach is Iceland and above the Arctic Circle. It’s easternmost reach is Siberia and North Mongolia. This moth does not occur in the dry southern regions of Europe. It has been introduced to North America. Additionally, this species inhabits the Alps. They prefer habitats of grassland, favouring acid upland pasture, moorland and downland.

Mating Adult moths are seen flying from July to September. They presumably mate in this time frame.

Predators This moth flies during the day, especially in the north, warm weather, and early mornings, and at night. They are presumably preyed on by both daytime and night time predators like birds and bats. They are attracted to light. To protect themselves during the day, this moth hides in the grass.

Fun Fact The antler moth rises to an altitude of 2100 meters in the Alps.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Canary-shouldered Thorn

Ennomos alniaria

The canary-shouldered thorn was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. It is a part of the family Geometridae. This moth gets its name from its bright yellow coloring.

Description This moth has a bright canary yellow head and thorax. The forewings and hindwings are a ochre yellow with gray speckles. Both the forewings and the hindwings are a scalloped shape and both have a single dot on each wing called “discal spots” with the spots being larger on the hindwing. The forewings have two curved lines going across them.

This moth looks very similar to the Dusky Thorn, August Thorn and September Thorn moths.

Wingspan Range: 34 - 42 mm (≈1.34 - 1.65 in)

Forewing Range: 16 - 20 mm (≈0.63 - 0.79 in)

Diet and Habitat The larva of this species feed off of deciduous trees such as downy birch, silver birch, alder, goat willow, elms, and limes.

This moth’s range stretches from Russia and the Caucuses region in the east to Western Europe in the west and from Fennoscandia in the north to the northern Mediterranean in the south. It has also been introduced into British Columbia. The prefer habitats of woodland, scrub, parks and rural gardens.

Mating This moth has one generation per year. They can be seen flying from July and October and presumably mate during this time.

Predators This species is nocturnal and presumably majorly preyed on my nighttime predators such as bats. However it does use a form a camouflage as larva. The caterpillars of this species resemble dead twigs. This may also help against daytime predators.

Fun Fact The canary-shouldered thorn is attracted to light.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation, Moths of Britain)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

African Wild Silk Moth

Gonometa postica

The African wild silk moth is a part of the family Lasiocampidae. It was first described in 1855 by Francis Walker. It is also known as the Brandwurm in its larval stage in Afrikaans, Kweena in its pupal stage in Tshwana, and Molopo moth/mot in English and Afrikaans.

Description The female of this moth is much longer and larger than the male due to having to carry eggs. The male is about half the size of the female and much thinner.

The female has a light brown abdomen with a dark brown thorax and head. The female’s forewings are striped light brown, dark brown, and gray. The hindwings are a yellow-brown with a dark brown edge.

The male has a dark body and wings with a transparent portion of the hindwing.

Female Forewing Range: 35–42 mm (

Male Forewing Range: 21–25 mm (

Diet and Habitat Larva of this species eat Acacia erioloba, A. tortilis, A. melifera, Burkea africana, Brachystegia spp., and Prosopis glandulosa. The larva will feed from the same tree it’s entire life unless there are two many other caterpillars. When there is a large number of caterpillars, they may defoliate the whole tree and the larva must move in order to not starve.

This moth mainly inhabits savannas with many Acacia trees, especially in drier areas. These moths contribute to the Acacia environment by providing food to predators and nutrients to plants through feces. Cocoons are usually found on Acacia tees.

Mating Males detect females’ mating pheromones with their antennae. Males fly to the females because the females are weighed down by the eggs. The female contains about 200 eggs which are laid on the food plant after fertilization. Eggs hatch in about two weeks. Eggs are laid in clumps and the newly hatched caterpillars grow as a group and become more solitary with time.

Predators This moth is preyed on by parasitic wasps and flies. These insects lay their eggs on the caterpillar and feed off of its resources until the moth larva cocoons. The parasites live off the cocoon and grow to adulthood while killing the pupa. Specifically, these larva are subject to parasitism by Diptera and Hymenoptera, the most common parasitoids being Palexorista species from the Tachinidae and Goryphus species from the Ichneumonidae.[6]

To combat external predators and weather, the caterpillars build a tough cocoon. Caterpillars and their cocoons are also covered in stinging hairs to deter predators from touching them. Female cocoons are larger than male cocoons.

Fun Fact In Madagascar, wild silk has been harvested for centuries, and this knowledge has been introduced to southern Africa. The cocoons are harvested commercially in Namibia, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa, and the species also occurs in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. They are difficult to harvest due to the cocoons being covered in calcium oxalate. Oxford University discovered and patented a method known as demineralizing using a warm solution of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) that soften the cocoons by dissolving the sericin. This lets the silk unravel without weakening it.

- Wild African silk moth cocoons are also used as ankle rattles in southern Africa by San and Bantu tribes. They are filled with materials such as fine gravel, seeds, glass beads, broken sea shells, or pieces of ostrich eggshell.

- Furthermore, the cocoons have long been known to cause the death of cattle, antelope and other ruminants in the Kalahari. During drought periods, the cocoons are eaten, probably because they resemble acacia pods. The silk is indigestible and blocks the rumen of multiple-stomach animals, causing starvation.

- Finally, the protein found in this species’s slik contains many basic amino acids making it a potentially useful biomaterial in cell and tissue culture.

(Source: Wikipedia, SANBI)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Chimney Sweeper

Odezia atrata

The chimney sweeper is a part of the family Geometridae. It belongs to a monotypic genus, meaning it’s the only moth species in the genus Odezia, which was created in 1840 by Jean Baptiste Boisduval. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus.

Description This moth is mostly black with white on the tips of the forewing (called the “apex”) and on the fringe of the forewing.

There have been a few variations in color:

- Odezia atrata pyrenaica, which is found in Pyrenees and central Italy, the wings are “dusted” in a brownish yellow with a stronger color on the forewing.

- Ab. Odezia atrata nigerrima, described by Paul Thierry-Mieg, was a female with no white apex or fringe.

- This moth’s wings may become brown from wear over time.

Wingspan Range: 23–27 mm (≈0.91 - 1.06 in)

Forewing Range: 12–15 mm (≈0.47 - 0.59 in)

Diet and Habitat The caterpillars of this species mainly eats the flowers and seeds of pignut (Conopodium majus).

This moth is distributed in the Palearctic region. In the west, it’s range reaches the Iberian Peninsula through western and central Europe and the British Isles. In the east, they can be found in Sakhalin and the Amur-Ussuri region. I’m the north, this moth reaches central Fennoscandia. Finally, in the south they are found in Italy to the Balkans.

These moths were once very common in Austria, but now the species is a rare occurrence.

They inhabit ditch edges, meadows, bogs, moors, lake sides, chalk downland, limestone grassland, woodland edges and hedgerows in southern Britain

Mating In Belgium and the Netherlands this moth can be seen flying from June to August. It presumably Nate’s during this timeframe.

Predators This moth flies during the day, especially in sunshine. They are presumably preyed on by birds and other daytime predators.

Fun Fact The chimney sweeper can be confused for the Small Blue butterfly (Cupido minimus), which also lives in the Palearctic region, as its wings may become brown from wear.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Peppered Moth

Biston betularia

The peppered moth is a part of the family geometridae. It was first described in 1758 by Charles Linnaeus. This moth gains its name from its speckled coloration, which has been studied as an example of natural selection and population evolution.

Description This species has a short body with narrow forewings. The body and wings are the same white base peppered with black dots and irregular black lines. This speckled pattern may vary with some moths having very few spots and others having so many that they look as if they are black with white spots as opposed to white with black. In rare cases, the black on the wings and body is replaced with gray or brown and in even rarer cases the spots are a combination of brown and black/gray. These spots help the moth camouflage against lichen on trees.

The evolution of this moth had been studied extensively during the last two hundred years, which created the term “industrial melanism.” During the Industrial Revolution, air pollution killed off lichen and covered trees in soot. This caused moths with a black spots on white base (typica) coloration to lose their camouflage and die off due to predators. This caused a spike in population for moths with a darker coloration (carbonaria) because they had the camouflage advantage. Once environmental conditions improved, the lighter colored moths once again became the dominant coloration.

The male’s antennae are bipectinate, meaning it has two rows of rami going down either side of a singular flagellum.

Wingspan Range: 45 - 62 mm (≈1.77 - 2.44 in)

Diet and Habitat The caterpillar of this moth eats many trees, shrubs, and small plants such as Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Downy (Betula pubescens) and Silver Birch (Betula pendula), limes, sallows, poplars, oaks, Sweet Chestnut (Castanae sativa), Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Bramble (Rubus fruiticosus), Broom (Cytisus scoparius), Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) and Hop (Humulus lupulus).

They have a wide range, being found in China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet), Russia, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Europe and North America. They prefer habitats of woodland, scrub, hedgerows, parks and gardens.

Mating Depending on its location, this moth can have one or two generations per year. In Great Britain and Ireland, the peppered moth has one generation per year, whilst in south-eastern North America it has two generations per year. They emerge from the pupea in late May to August.

The females attract males with pheromones, which are carried by the wind. Males follow the concentration gradient to find the female. The male guards the female from other males until she lays the eggs. The female lays about 2,000 pale-green ovoid eggs about 1 mm in length into crevices in bark with her ovipositor.

Predators This species is a night-flying moth, making the vulnerable to bats. The males in particular fly every night to search for a female while females fly only the first night.

To protect themselves from birds during the day, this species rests on lichen covered trees to camouflage themselves.

The day time resting positions of this moth have been recorded and studied. This study shows that the peppered moth prefers resting spots that are covered such as below where the trunk and a branch meet, the underside of branches, and leafy twigs.

Additionally, the study found peppered moths with a lighter coloration (typica) blend in better against crustose lichens rather than foliose lichens because birds can see ultraviolet light. The peppered moth reflects UV light while crustose lichens don’t, making them easier to pick out.

Fun Fact The caterpillars of the peppered moth resemble things in both color and size. An experiment published in 2019 done on the caterpillars of the peppered moth showed that the larva (even when blindfolded) could sense the color of the tree they live on and change their body color to match and/or would move to a different twig that was closest in color to their own body.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation, Max Planck Institute)

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Salt Marsh Moth

Estigmene acrea

The salt marsh moth is a part of the family Erebidae. This species was first described in 1773 by Dru Drury. It is also known as the acrea moth.

Description Both male and female moths have white heads, thoraxes, and forewings with a varying pattern of black spots on the forewings, with some moths having no pattern at all. They also share an orange-yellow abdomen with a vertical line of back dots. On the male, the hindwings are the same organge yellow while on females the hindwings are white. Both males and females have three or four black dots on each hindwing.

Wingspan Range: 4.5 - 6.8 cm (≈1.77 - 2.68 in)

Diet and Habitat The caterpillar was first thought to be a pest to salt-grass, but in fact it prefers weeds, vegetables, and field crops such as dandelions, cabbage, cotton, walnuts, apple, tobacco, pea, potato, clovers, and maize. Adults do not feed.

This moth is found in North America, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Colombia, and Mexico. It prefers open habitats such as openings in woods, thickets, farm fields, grasslands, and marshes. It is called the “salt marsh moth” because it is common in coastal salt marshes (tidal marshes) along Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts.

Mating This species of moth does not emit pheromones from the tip of its abdomen but instead from its throat or the to of its abdomen. These moths are seen from May to August but can be seen all year in southern Florida and Texas. It is presumably during May and August they mate in most parts of their range while they mate all year round in Florida and Texas.

Yellowish eggs are laid in clusters on the host plant leaves. Females usually produce 400 to 1000 eggs in one or more clusters. It is possible to find a single egg cluster containing 1200 eggs. Eggs hatch in four to five days.

Predators This species is frequently parasitized as larvae, usually by flies in the Tachinidae family. In Arizona, the most common parasites were Exorista mellea and Leschenaultia adusta while two other parasitic flies were also seen: Gymnocarcelia ricinorum and Lespesia archippivora.

Both the larval and egg stages are oararzitized by Hymenopteran parasitoids such as Apanteles diacrisiae; Therion fuscipenne, T. morio, Casinaria genuina, Hyposoter rivalis; Psychophagus omnivorus, Tritneptis hemerocampae Vierick; Anastatus reduvii; and Trichogramma semifumatum.

A cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus is known to harm this species but there are little data on its importance and effect.

General predators such as lady beetles, softwinged flower beetles, and assassin bugs prey on these caterpillars, but are not thought to have a large impact on population.

Fun Fact This species has 4 subspecies: Estigmene acrea acrea, Estigmene acrea arizonensis (Rothschild, (1910)) (Arizona), Estigmene acrea mexicana (Walker, (1865)) (Mexico), Estigmene acrea columbiana (Rothschild, (1910)) (Colombia).

(Source: Wikipedia, University of Florida, Missouri Department of Conservation)

[libraryofmoths]

The quality isn't very good but here's a caseworm moth catterpillar I found in my house

The dark part at the bottom is his head :)

Hi! So sorry for the late reply

Fascinating! I tried to look up the caseworm moth to share some facts, but I only found the household casebearer moth. I’m curious: are they different names for the same moth or different moths? Please let me know if you can :]