Giant leopard moth

Uncommon card · No. 99044

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 76 mm (3 in). 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 51 mm (2 in) in length, while the adult female grows up to 30 mm (1.2 in). The leopard moth...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Jeremy Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0