White-dotted Prominent
Nadata gibbosa
The caterpillar of this species has a strikingly large, round green head and a habit of raising its rear end in a defensive posture when alarmed.
- Scientific name
- Nadata gibbosa
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Notodontidae › Nadata
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed forests, woodlands, and suburban areas with abundant host trees.
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed on leaves of oaks, birches, maples, and alders; adult moths have vestigial mouthparts and do not feed.
- Range
- North America, United States, Canada
- Size
- Wingspan of 4.0 to 5.5 cm.
- Lifespan
- Approximately 1 year (with the adult flying stage lasting only 1 to 2 weeks).
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Light pollution disrupting mating cycles, habitat fragmentation, and broad-spectrum pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This moth is completely safe to handle and cannot bite or sting. If you find one resting near an outdoor light, you can gently nudge it onto a leaf and move it to a dark, sheltered tree trunk to keep it safe from nocturnal predators.
The rough prominent ( Nadata gibbosa ) is a moth of the family Notodontidae, possibly in the subfamily Notodontidae. It is also known as the white-dotted prominent and the tawny prominent . This common moth is found across North America from the northern boreal forests to as far south as Florida. It is most common in deciduous forests at some elevation. It is nocturnal but attracted to lights. The moths start to fly soon after dusk and return to...
Photo: christine123, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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