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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Cossoidea » Carpenter and Leopard Moths (Cossidae) » Cossinae » Prionoxystus » Carpenterworm Moth - Hodges#2693 (Prionoxystus robiniae)

Species Prionoxystus robiniae - Carpenterworm Moth - Hodges#2693

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Carpenterworm Moth - Prionoxystus robiniae - male Carpenterworm Moth - Hodges#2693 - Prionoxystus robiniae Carpenterworm Moth - Prionoxystus robiniae Moth ID request - Prionoxystus robiniae Carpenterworm pupal exuvium - Prionoxystus robiniae Prionoxystus robiniae - female Large unusual moth. - Prionoxystus robiniae Carpenderworm Moth - Prionoxystus robiniae
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon (Moths)
Superfamily Cossoidea
Family Cossidae (Carpenter and Leopard Moths)
Subfamily Cossinae
Genus Prionoxystus
Species robiniae (Carpenterworm Moth - Hodges#2693)
Hodges Number
2693
Other Common Names
Carpenter Moth
Locust Borer
Size
Wingspan 43-85 mm; female larger than male. (1)
Identification
Adult: forewing in female mottled gray and blackish, slightly translucent; forewing in male less sharply mottled; hindwing in male yellow with black outer border, no yellow in female (1)

Larva: body variably green to reddish with scattered black dots; head dark brown
Range
Throughout North America (2)
southern Canada and United States [Gerald Fauske]
Season
Adults fly from April to October, but mostly June and July. (1)
as early as March in Florida
Food
Larvae bore in wood of living deciduous trees: locust, oak, chestnut, poplar, willow, maple, and ash. (2)
Life Cycle
Life cycle takes 3 to 4 years. (1)
Remarks
Larvae are considered pests because their tunnels devalue hardwood lumber. (1)
See Also
When I first saw the moth, I mistook it for a sphinx moth.
Print References
Excellent color illustration of male in Peterson's, plate 12 (3).
Black and white photos of male (plate 7, #9) and female (plate 7, #6) in Covell (1).
Black and white photo of male in Arnett, figure 27.72, page 698 (2).
Internet References
pinned adult images of male and female (Canadian Forest Service)
live adult images of males and females plus description, foodplants, flight season (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
live adult image and interesting account (John Himmelman, Connecticut)
pinned adult images of male and female plus common name references, description, distribution, hostplants (Gerald Fauske, North Dakota State U.)
pinned adult images of male and female showing size difference (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)
live larva image showing green body by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State U. (courtesy insectimages.org)
live larva image showing red body inside wood by James Solomon, USDA Forest Service (courtesy forestpests.org)
Works Cited
1.Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America
By Charles V. Covell, Jr.
2.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
By Ross H. Arnett
3.A Field Guide to Insects
By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 3 May, 2004 - 2:46pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Robin McLeod, anitagould
Last updated 8 April, 2007 - 12:33pm

link on carpenterworms
USDA-affiliated site, has several linked images of this species:
http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/subimages.cfm?sub=366
Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina
… Cotinis, 12 June, 2004 - 11:29pm

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