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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Carpenter and Clearwing Moths (Cossoidea) » Carpenter and Leopard Moths (Cossidae) » Zeuzerinae » Zeuzera » Wood Leopard Moth - Hodges#2700 (Zeuzera pyrina)

Species Zeuzera pyrina - Wood Leopard Moth - Hodges#2700

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Leopard Moth - Zeuzera pyrina - male Leopard Moth? - Zeuzera pyrina Zeuzera pyrina Zeuzera pyrina southern Ontario CA - Zeuzera pyrina White moth with black spots - Zeuzera pyrina Unknown Leopard Moth? - Zeuzera pyrina - female Black and White Moth - Zeuzera pyrina
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Cossoidea (Carpenter and Clearwing Moths)
Family Cossidae (Carpenter and Leopard Moths)
Subfamily Zeuzerinae
Genus Zeuzera
Species pyrina (Wood Leopard Moth - Hodges#2700)
Hodges Number
2700
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Zeuzera pyrina (Linnaeus, 1761)
Noctua pyrina Linnaeus, 1761 (1)
Size
wingspan 50-60 mm (female); 35-40 mm (male)
Identification
Adult: white with black spots. Spots more numerous and smaller than those of Giant Leopard Moth, and none of the spots are hollow. Legs all black.
Caterpillar is smooth, orange with black spots. See Forestry Images for pictures.
Range
Native to Europe, northern Africa and Asia.
northeastern United States, mostly along Atlantic coast
introduced into the northeastern United States prior to 1879
Food
Larvae are wood-borers, feeding inside twigs (smaller larvae) and stems of various hardwood trees and shrubs. (2)
Life Cycle
Takes 2-3 years to complete its life cycle. Eggs may be laid from late spring through early September. (2)
Remarks
Unlike the Giant Leopard Moth, this one is not native to the US. Supposedly introduced (from its native Europe?) in mid-1800s; first reported in North America at Hoboken, New Jersey in 1882.
It is considered a pest of some fruit trees.
See Also
Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) forewing has at least some hollow spots, and legs contain much white (not all black)
Print References
Linnaeus, C. 1761. Fauna svecica, (1150): 306. (1)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group
pinned adult image by James Solomon, plus species account in North America (forestpests.org)
Moths of Maryland adult images and info
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)
Works Cited
1.Fauna svecica, sistens animalia Sueciae regni: mammalia, aves, amphibia, pisces, insecta, vermes.
Carl Linnaeus . 1761. Stockholmiae, Sumtu & Literis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Editio Altera Auctior. 1-578.
2.Garden Insects of North America : The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs (Princeton Field Guides)
Whitney Cranshaw. 2004. Princeton University Press.
Contributed by Hannah Nendick-Mason on 4 October, 2005 - 5:08pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, anitagould, Maury Heiman, Deczynski, Randy Hardy
Last updated 7 December, 2022 - 2:12pm

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