Viper's Bugloss Moth
Ethmia bipunctella
The caterpillars live together in a silken web on their host plant, protecting them from predators while they feast.
- Scientific name
- Ethmia bipunctella
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Ethmiidae › Ethmia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry grasslands, chalk downs, coastal dunes, and waste ground where Viper's Bugloss grows.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on leaves and flowers of Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare); adults drink nectar from various wildflowers.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, North America, Western Asia
- Size
- Wingspan of 19–28 mm.
- Lifespan
- Approximately 1 year (including egg, larval, and pupal stages; adults live 2-4 weeks).
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation and the removal of 'weed' species like Echium vulgare from gardens and roadsides.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless to humans. If found, observe its striking black-and-white patterns from a distance. If it enters a home, gently relocate it outside using a container and paper.
Ethmia bipunctella is a diurnal moth from the family Depressariidae. It can be found in Central and Southern Europe, North Africa, Asia and the northeastern part of North America. E. iranella was formerly included here as a subspecies.
Photo: SteveM4560, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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