Giant leopard moth
The giant leopard moth or eyed tiger moth (Hypercompe scribonia) is a moth of the family Arctiidae. It is distributed throughout southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States from New England to Mexico. The obsolete name Ecpantheria scribonia is still occasionally encountered.
This species has a wingspan of 76 mm (3 in). The wings of this moth are bright white with a pattern of neat black blotches, some solid and some hollow. The abdomen is dark blue with orange markings, the male has a narrow yellow line on the sides. Its legs have black and white bands. Adult moths are strictly nocturnal and do not generally fly before nightfall.
The caterpillar is of the "Woolly Bear" kind, with a thick coat of black bristles (setae) and red or orange colored bands between its segments, which become conspicuous when the caterpillar rolls into a ball for defense. Like the banded wooly bear, its hairs are not urticant, and do not typically cause irritation.
Recorded food plants
Leopard moth
Leopard Moth may refer to:
Zeuzera pyrina
The Leopard Moth or Wood Leopard Moth (Zeuzera pyrina) is a moth of the family Cossidae. It is found primarily in Europe but also in northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco) and Asia (Taiwan, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey). It was introduced into the northeastern United States prior to 1879 and has a range extending from Maine to Pennsylvania.
This is a highly distinctive species with a very furry white thorax marked with six black spots and heavily spotted white wings. The wingspan is 35–60 mm. The moth flies from June to September depending on the location.
The caterpillars feed on various deciduous trees and shrubs (see list below), feeding internally for two or three years in the stems and branches before emerging to pupate under the bark. It can be a pest of fruit production.
Recorded food plants
Subspecies
Zeuzera biebingeri is treated as a subspecies of Z. pyrina by some sources, but is mostly treated as a valid species.
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