# Wavy-lined Heterocampa Moth

*Cecrita biundata*

While adult moths rely on exquisite bark-like camouflage, their caterpillars are masters of disguise, often mimicking damaged leaf edges to hide from hungry birds.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Notodontidae › Cecrita
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous and mixed forests, woodlots, and suburban areas near host trees.
- **Diet:** Caterpillars feed on the foliage of deciduous trees (especially maples, oaks, birches, and elms). Adults have vestigial mouthparts and do not feed.
- **Range:** Eastern North America, Southern Canada, Great Lakes Region, Gulf Coast United States
- **Size:** Wingspan of 3.2 to 4.5 cm (1.25 to 1.75 inches)
- **Lifespan:** 1 year (with adults living only 5 to 10 days)
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Light pollution disrupting mating cycles, widespread pesticide application, and loss of deciduous forest habitats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. You can safely observe this moth at close range. If it lands on you, enjoy the moment and let it fly away naturally; avoid grasping its wings, as rubbing off their delicate scales can impair its flight.

## About

Cecrita biundata , the wavy-lined heterocampa , is a species of moth in the family Notodontidae (the prominents). It was first described by Francis Walker in 1855 and it is found in North America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/b76604ca-900a-48a3-817c-85e5f51aeeb1
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1372880
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecrita_biundata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/4683437/medium.jpeg (John P Friel, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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