# Vetch Looper Moth

*Caenurgia chloropha*

The caterpillar of this species loops its body like an inchworm because it lacks several pairs of mid-body prolegs.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Erebidae › Caenurgia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Meadows, agricultural fields, roadsides, and open grasslands.
- **Diet:** Larvae feed on legumes such as clover and vetch; adults feed on wildflower nectar.
- **Range:** North America, United States, Canada
- **Size:** Wingspan of 2.5 to 3.5 cm
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 months
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide application in agricultural fields, habitat loss, and light pollution which disrupts nocturnal navigation.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This moth is entirely safe to observe. If one enters your home, gently capture it in a cup and release it outside near grassy areas. No special precautions or medical treatments are necessary.

## About

The Vetch Looper Moth ( Caenurgia chloropha ) is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found in the south-eastern United States, northern Mexico and Cuba. Strays may be found as far north as southern Ontario.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/a51d3229-cb1f-4e47-b6ae-84dcc166a540
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/69669
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caenurgia chloropha
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/346556254/medium.jpg (Alex Stach, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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