White-tipped Ctenucha
Ctenucha rubroscapus
This moth mimics wasps with its bright warning colors to deter predators, and it can emit ultrasonic clicks to jam the sonar of echolocating bats.
- Scientific name
- Ctenucha rubroscapus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Erebidae › Ctenucha
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Damp meadows, coastal grasslands, forest edges, and riparian zones.
- Diet
- Adults feed on flower nectar (such as goldenrod and thistles); caterpillars feed on native grasses and sedges.
- Range
- Pacific Northwest, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia
- Size
- Wingspan of 40 to 50 mm (1.5 to 2 inches)
- Lifespan
- 1 year (with adults living only 2 to 4 weeks)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss from urbanization, widespread pesticide use, and displacement of native host grasses by invasive plant species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to observe at any distance. Avoid handling the adult moth to prevent damaging its delicate wings. The caterpillars have hairs that may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals; if contact occurs, wash the area with soap and water.
Ctenucha rubroscapus , the red-shouldered ctenucha moth , is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by Ménétriés in 1857. It is found in western North America, where it is limited to low elevations west of the Cascade Mountains, south of Chehalis in Washington. The habitat consists of coastal grasslands adjacent to the ocean, as well as wet boggy meadows and wet prairie.
Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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