Dead-Wood Borer Moth
Identification: Forewings very pale with large black-bordered reniform spot.
Range: Eastern North America.
Habitat: Deciduous forests.
Life Cycle: Larvae feed inside decaying logs of deciduous trees, particularly oak and hickory. They may actually be feeding on the fungi inside the rotting log and not the wood itself.
Hodges: 8514
Comments: With all the dead oak and hickory we have laying around because of a severe ice storm this past January, this species may soon experience a population boom.
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6 comments:
What an interesting moth with its antennae slicked back like some city slicker. That looks like a serious probiscus too.
Very pretty, I've never seen one like it. How big are they?
BugGuide says the typical Dead-wood Borer Moth has a wingspan of around 1.5". I'd says this particular specimen was 5/8" to 3/4" long.
I reckon I need to start including the size in my posts since these "up against the wall" shots give no perspective for judging size.
Thank you for letting me know. I will be on the look out for these, they are very unique looking. Pretty in their plainness. I love that "nose".
Wonderful photo. One of my first thoughts after our ice storm was the explosion of insect and wood peckers that we will probably have in the years to come.
It could pass for dead would itself. I guess if that's what it eats, it is perfectly designed.
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