Black-dotted Glyph
Maliattha synochitis
When resting, its marbled green, white, and black wing patterns mimic bird droppings or lichen, rendering it virtually invisible to predators.
- Scientific name
- Maliattha synochitis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Noctuidae › Maliattha
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodlands, forest edges, and grassy clearings.
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed on various wild grasses (Poaceae family); adults feed on floral nectar.
- Range
- Eastern North America, United States, Southern Canada
- Size
- Wingspan of 18 to 21 mm.
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 months as an active adult; up to 1 year including overwintering pupal stage.
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Light pollution disrupting mating and navigation, habitat fragmentation, and broad-spectrum pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These tiny moths are entirely safe to observe up close. They are frequently attracted to artificial outdoor lights at night; if one enters your home, gently cup it and release it back into the wild. They do not bite, sting, or possess any harmful toxins.
Maliattha synochitis , known generally as the black-dotted maliattha or black-dotted lithacodium , is a species of owlet moth in the family Noctuidae. It is found in North America.
Photo: brendanboyd, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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