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Photo#114883
Mystery moth?  Help to identify, please! - Prionoxystus robiniae

Mystery moth? Help to identify, please! - Prionoxystus robiniae
Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, USA
May 25, 2007
Size: Approx. 2" length
I found this moth on my deck in mid-morning. It was alive, but lethargic. I placed it on a gray paper to photograph, and it kept vibrating its wings... making it difficult ot focus the camera.
Can anyone tell me what kind of moth it is? Thanks!

Carpenterworm Moth
You have a male. Is is Prionxystus robiniae. Great shot! Larva bores into hardwoods. Lifecycle takes 3-4 years.

 
Carpenterworm Moth
Thank you, Scott, for this identification. I live in a development where all the lots are at least 10 acres. Our lot is full of "never been cut before" hardwoods. Early in the 20th Century, this land belonged to the Boise Cascades paper company. I have lived here since 2000, but this is the first of these moths I've encountered. I'm wondering if they are somewhat rare, or if I've just been "blind" to them before this.
A.M.

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