Snowberry Clearwing

Hemaris diffinis

The Snowberry Clearwing is a species that belongs to a group collectively known as "Hummingbird Moths."

You can identify this particular species by it's furry yellow and black banded body that can be anywhere from 1-2 inches in length. They also have wings that appear to be clear, due to a lack of scales (hence the common name).

Snowberry Clearwings live in most of the United States, and in parts of western Canada. As pupae they feed plants like Snowberry and Honeysuckle. As adults they drink nectar, hovering in place like a Hummingbird. They are most commonly seen during the daytime hours.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 2in (6cm)
Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Sphingidae -- Genus : Hemaris -- Species : H. diffinis
Image : Lonniehuffman

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Dark Sword-grass

Meet the Dark Sword-grass, a moth that can be found in temperate regions all around the world, and which also happens to be quite the pest while in its larval stage.

Many moth species stick to a specific plant-type while in their larval stage. Not so for this insect! They feed on grasses, weeds, fruits, grains, vegetables, and many, many other plants. Understandably, they can be quite the pest in agricultural areas. They like to feed on the crops near ground level, which can very quickly kill the plant!

As adults they are far less damaging-- they consume flower nectar. Their adult stage also has the interesting distinction of being one of the fastest flying insects! They can sustain ground speeds of 70mph!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Worldwide
Size : Wingspan up to 5cm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Noctuidae -- Genus : Agrotis -- Species : A. ipsilon

Image : M. Virtala

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Death's-head Hawkmoth

Acherontia lachesis

The common name of today's animal actually can be applied to all three species within the genus Acherontia. One of the three lives in Europe and Africa, while the other two call Asia their home. All are very similar in size and appearance, and all actually are able to mimic the scent of bees so that they can enter hives unnoticed to steal honey-- interesting!

Death's-head Hawkmoths get their ominous sounding names from the human skull-like patterns that are found on the thorax. Because of their appearance they have long been associated with evil and death. Their genus name even derives from the name of a river that is said to be a branch of the river Styx. The three species names-- atropos, styx, lachesis-- all relate to the underworld.

Another feature that has given these insects a creepy reputation? They shriek. When threatened they expel air from their pharynx, created a very eerie high pitched squeaking noise.

The Death's-head Hawkmoth has appeared in art and literature, including the novel Dracula and in works by Poe and Dali. It is also the iconic moth found on the poster for the film The Silence of the Lambs, though the skull on that image is actually a derivation of a Salvador Dali work.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Africa, Europe, Asia
Size : Wingspan up to 5in (13cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Sphingidae -- Genus : Acherontia

Image : Mosmas

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White Witch

Thysania agrippina

Thysania agrippina is a moth that goes by many different names-- "White Witch" is just one of them. Ghost Moth, Great Grey Witch, and Birdwing Moth are all common titles given to this moth species.

This particular Moth is one of the largest such insects in the entire world. They have wingspans that can reach 12in, which gives them the largest overall spread, though the Atlas Moth has a greater wing area. You may have noticed the relatively slim wings on the White Witch, which are speckled with white and grey.

Though the White Witch is not listed by the IUCN, it does have some local conservation designations. In parts of Brazil, for example, it is considered to be endangered. The species has a range that extends from southern Brazil all the way up to Texas, and they lay their eggs on plants within the Legume family.

Interestingly, this species was drawn several times by Maria Sibylla Merian, one of the famous Naturalists that we covered way back when!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Central and South America
Size : Wingspan up to 12in (31cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Noctuidae -- Genus : Thysania -- Species : T. agrippina

Image : David Bygott

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Emperor Gum Moth

Opodiphthera eucalypti

Emperor Gum Moths are large Moths found in Australia, as well as in New Zealand where they have been introduced. They have a wingspan of around 6in (15cm), and furry, reddish-brown wings with eye spots.

As Caterpillars they are born very dark, and actually turn a striking green color before spinning a cocoon  The Caterpillar stage can last weeks and even months, and during that time they feed on as many leaves as possible, as this stage is the only time that these insects actually eat.

After emerging from their cocoons, the adult moths are unable to feed, and have to rely on all that stored up energy from their Caterpillar meals. They seek out a mate, lay their eggs, and die. This stage lasts only a few weeks, maximum.

The Emperor Gum Moth is a scientifically significant insect, as it is the very first insect that science was able to develop continuous cell cultures from. The process used to do this, back in 1962, is still being used (in a modified form) today.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Australia
Size : Wingspan up to 15cm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Saturniidae -- Genus : Opodiphthera -- Species : O. eucalypti

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Pine Processionary

Thaumetopoea pityocampa

The Pine Processionary is a major pest... well, at least in their larval stage. Those little insects are native to Southern Europe, and they continue to spread to areas that they previously were not found in, causing problems with their dangerous spiky hairs.

The common name for the species comes from their larval form, and their marching behavior. They actually build these strange nests up in the trees, and then come down at night to forage. On their way to food the larvae form long, processional, head-to-tail lines that can numbers into the hundreds.

You would think that long lines of Caterpillars would be easy targets for predators... but it's not that easy. Pine Processionary larvae have those aforementioned long, spine-like hairs that they can eject outward. If you get stung by one of these hairs it causes severe irritation. Despite this, there are still a handful of species that feed upon them in that phase. People (and pets) should stay far, far away!

When the time comes to pupate, the Caterpillars again for their long lines, and search far and wide for soft soil in which to bury themselves. This usually takes place in March, and the adults emerge and fly from May to July. Adults are harmless to humans.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Europe
Size : Length around 1in

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Thaumetopoeidae -- Genus : Thaumetopoea -- Species : T. pityocampa

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Eight-spotted Forester

Meet the Eight-spotted Forester, a small moth found in the eastern United States and in parts of eastern Canada. As adults, they have dark black bodies and eight white or yellow spots across their wings, giving them their common name.

Alypia octomaculata

Larvae

Location has everything to do with the lifespans and generations of the Eight-spotted Forester. Only one generation is produced each year in the north, with adults flying from April to June. Two generations are more common in the south. Adults don't live through the winter months, but the pupa do! They bunker down in the soil or in wood crevasses when it gets cold.

Eight-spotted Forester larvae come from eggs that are often laid upon Grape or Virginia Creeper plants. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on those plants (adults feed on nectar). The young Moths are just as boldly patterned as the adults are, with bright orange bands interspersed with smaller black and white ones.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Eastern United States, Canada
Size : Wingspan up to 1.2in (3.7cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Noctuidae -- Genus : Alypia -- Species : A. octomaculata

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Six-spot Burnet Moth

Zygaena filipendulae

Today's animal is a small, colorful insect with a name that describes it pretty much to the tee. The six-spot Burnet Moth does in fact have six spots on each wing... though sometimes they get a bit merged together, which can result in some spot-count confusion.

Six-spot Burnets live throughout Europe and are incredibly common on the continent. There are over 20 different subspecies! Most of the subspecies have dark bodies with wings of a metallic sheen. The wing spots are red, which warns predators that these Moths are poisonous! Sometimes the spots are yellow or brown, but only rarely.

Six-spot Burnets are active during the day, when they live in colonies and feed on the nectar of large flowers. They prefer sunny days, and fly from June to August. The Moths only reproduce once, and the caterpillars overwinter before pupating and becoming Moths in June. (Sometimes they will even overwinter twice!) Caterpillars are very plump and greenish-yellow, with black spots.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Europe
Size : Wingspan up to 1.6in (4cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Zygaenidae -- Genus : Zygaena -- Species : Z. filipendulae

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Io Moth

I got a suggestion the other day to write about a moth from the Saturniidae family, and boy are there a lot of choices! The family is comprised of over 1,300 species, and the group as a whole is made up of some of the largest moths out there. Selecting just one to talk about was quite a challenge!

Io Moth

But select I did, and I chose today's animal, the Io Moth, for two reasons. The first is that it is a very pretty moth, sporting bright yellow wings and huge dark eyespots. The second reason is that they are one of the northernmost species in the Saturniidae family. many of their cousins are found in tropical and subtropical regions, but Io Moths make regions as far north as Manitoba their home.

The Io Moth lives an interesting life. After hatching from their eggs the Caterpillars are gregarious, flocking from plant to plant with a need to devour and grow. Because so many can be found in one location, the Caterpillars grow toxic spines to keep the predators away. They go through several growth phases (instars), changing color from brown to green as they increase in size.

The Caterpillars eventually build cocoons and pupate, and after hatching in their adult form it takes only about 20 minutes for their wings to fully inflate. The adults are nocturnal, and seek each other out for mating using pheromones. After mating and laying eggs the adults essentially wait to die... the eating their did as Caterpillars will be the only eating they ever know. Adults have no mouth parts, and can not feed.

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IUCN Status :  Not listed

Location : North America

Size : Wingspan up to 3.5in (9cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Saturniidae -- Genus : Automeris -- Species : A. io

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Gypsy Moth

Lymantria dispar

The story of the Gypsy Moth is quite the opposite from most of the conservation stories that I write about. Because, you see, we want to get rid of them rather than protect them.

Around 1868, an amateur entomologist from Boston named E. Leopold Trouvelot imported some Gypsy Moth larvae from France. His goal was to create a silk worm hybrid that was less susceptible to disease, but the insects got out, beginning a nearly 150 year effort to control one of North America's most dangerous invasive species.

So why are Gypsy Moths so bad? Afterall, they lived in Europe and Asia forever and didn't cause problems! Well you see, in their native lands Gypsy Moths live in balanced environments were the tree types and predatory species keep them from causing massive amounts of damage. In North America the Moths go after hard wood trees like oak and aspen, causing extensive defoliation, over a million acres a year! They affect literally hundreds of different plant species, which in turn can destroy the natural ecosystems.

In the past 100 years about 20 different animal species have been introduced that assist in controlling the Gypsy Moth populations, including the Metallic Green Ground Beetle, and the European Starling. Native predators like small mammals and other birds also help to control the Moths, but unfortunately, they are not enough. Insecticides and diseases have also helped, but overall the population continues to spread, though some isolated groups have been successfully eradicated.

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IUCN Status :  Not Listed
Location : Originally found in Europe and Asia, now invasive to North America
Size : Wing length 25-35mm
Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Lymantriidae -- Genus : Lymantria-- Species : L. dispar

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Hercules Moth

Image from Rob & Stephanie Levy

The Hercules Moth is one of the largest moths in the entire world, with a wingspan of up to 27cm! While they Atlas Moth of South East Asia has then just slightly beat in the wingspan category, the Hercules does take the size award in its native tropical habitats in New Guinea and Northern Australia. The largest Hercules Moth ever found was 36cm (14.17in) across! Males are slightly smaller than the females, but their tails tend to be longer and their coloration is more vibrant.

Hercules Moth caterpillars can grow quite large as well, with some measuring 12cm in length. They are bluish green in color, and have false else that are intended to distract and confuse predators. Caterpillars are hearty eaters, with one of their favorite plants being the bleeding heart tree. They only actually consume 6-8 species of plant, despite living in dense and varied rainforest habitats.

Image from Animals Picture Archive

As adults, Hercules moths live short lives. Females emerge from the chrysalis without mouths, so they cannot feed. They only live as long as their food reserves allow, typically 4-5 days. In this time she finds a mate using pheromones, locates a good food source to lay her 80-100 eggs upon, and then dies. Tragic! Males don't do much better. They too are unable to feed, and the goal of their short life is to find a lady moth, mate, and then die.

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