Erebus ephesperis
Erebus ephesperis
The 'eyes' on its wings are a form of mimicry designed to startle predators into thinking they have stumbled upon a much larger animal.
- Scientific name
- Erebus ephesperis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Erebidae › Erebus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Subtropical and temperate broadleaf forests and woodland edges.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on Smilax (greenbrier) leaves; adults consume fermenting fruit juices and tree sap.
- Range
- Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, India, Southeast Asia
- Size
- 70-90mm wingspan
- Lifespan
- 1-2 weeks as an adult moth
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation and light pollution which disrupts mating and navigation.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. If encountered, maintain a respectful distance to observe its camouflage. If it enters a home, gently capture it in a container and release it after dark. Do not touch the wings, as this can remove the delicate scales necessary for flight.
Erebus ephesperis is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is found in Asia, including India, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China, Singapore and Borneo.
Photo: Takaaki Hattori, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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