# Citrus Looper

*Ascotis selenaria*

When startled, the caterpillar stiffens its body at an angle from a branch, perfectly mimicking a dead twig to fool hungry birds.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Geometridae › Ascotis
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Forests, orchards, agricultural fields, and suburban gardens.
- **Diet:** Larvae feed on a wide variety of plants including citrus, tea, and woody shrubs; adults feed on flower nectar.
- **Range:** Southern Europe, Africa, East Asia, Indian Subcontinent
- **Size:** Wingspan of 38 to 48 mm
- **Lifespan:** 30 to 50 days (from egg to adult death)
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Widespread use of chemical pesticides in agricultural settings.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These moths and their caterpillars pose no threat to humans. You can safely observe them at any distance. If a caterpillar is found on agricultural crops, it can be gently relocated to non-crop vegetation.

## About

Ascotis selenaria , the giant looper , is a moth of the family Geometridae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/2cd80511-a9b3-4fdf-9dac-10c2c3d74ada
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/243770
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascotis selenaria
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/158671051/medium.jpeg (Céline, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.