Giant Leopard Moth

The giant leopard moth (''Hypercompe scribonia'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. They are distributed through North America from southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States through New England, Mexico, and south to Colombia. The obsolete name, ''Ecpantheria scribonia,'' is still occasionally encountered.

They are known to be attracted to bitter, unripe vegetables and broccoli flowers.

This moth species has a wingspan of . Its wings are bright white with a pattern of neat black blotches, some solid and some hollow. The overside of the abdomen is dark blue with orange markings, while the underside is white with solid black spots, and males have a narrow yellow line on the sides. Their legs have black and white bands. Adult moths are strictly nocturnal and do not generally fly before nightfall.

This species has a notable sexual dimorphism in size, with the adult male reaching about in length, while the adult female grows up to .The leopard moth requires two years to complete its round of life. In Missouri, adults are on the wing from May to September and are multivoltine. During mating sessions, the wings of the male cover most of the female's abdomen, which can sometimes lead to the loss of wing scales in the female and have negative effects on her flight efficiency. Their mating sessions are notably long-lasting, taking more than 24 hours. They stay mostly immobile during the whole process, but move from spot to spot to thermoregulate, walking into shadowy areas if too hot or into sunlight if too cold. The male effectuates the locomotion, while the female folds her legs to make her easier to carry.

The caterpillar is of the " woolly bear" kind, with a thick coat of black bristles (setae) and red or orange bands between its segments, which become conspicuous when the caterpillar rolls into a ball for defense. Like the banded woolly bear, its hairs are not urticant nor venomous and do not typically cause irritation. The moth overwinters as a caterpillar, often under the bark of decaying wood. The caterpillar grows to be long.

Recorded food plants

The caterpillar eats a variety of broadleaf plants, such as broadleaf plantains, dandelions, and violets:

Gallery

File:Giant leopard moth caterpillar.jpg, Larval stage
File:Hypercompe scribonia.jpg, Caterpillar in typical defensive ball
File:Hypercompe scribonia - Caterpillar - Devonian Fossil Gorge - Iowa City - 2014-10-15 - image 1.jpg, Caterpillar with typical red stripes
File:Hypercompe scribonia - Caterpillar - Devonian Fossil Gorge - Iowa City - 2014-10-15 - image 3.jpg, Head of a caterpillar
File:GiantLeopardMoth.jpg, Closeup of head and thorax
File:LeopardMothBlueSpots edit2.jpg, Closeup showing iridescent blue spots
File:GiantLeopardMothHatched.jpg, Closeup of newly eclosed moth
File:GiantLeopardMothHatched2.jpg, Showing the old skin, empty pupal shell, and adult moth
Image:GiantLeopardMothHatched3.jpg, Last image at night before it flew off once wings dried
File:Giant_Leopard_Moth%2C_5-23-2012%2C_IN_-03.jpg, Wings spread, displaying abdomen colors
File:Giant_Leopard_Moth%2C_5-23-2012%2C_IN_-04.jpg, Close-up while wings upswept
File:Giant_Leopard_Moth%2C_5-23-2012%2C_IN_-05.jpg, The moment before take-off
File:Scale-less moth.jpg, A female giant leopard moth after mating
File:Female Giant Leopard Moth taking off.jpg, A female taking off

References

External links

Hilton Pond Center



Species ''Hypercompe scribonia'' – giant leopard moth - Hodges#8146
BugGuide

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Moths of North America
Hypercompe
Moths described in 1790