Orange-headed Callima Moth
Callima argenticinctella
Despite its bright orange head, the metallic silver bands on its wings act as disruptive camouflage, breaking up its silhouette against bark.
- Scientific name
- Callima argenticinctella
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Oecophoridae › Callima
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests and mixed woodlands, particularly near dead or decaying hardwood trees.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on decaying wood and sub-bark fungi; adults may feed on nectar or tree sap.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada
- Size
- Wingspan of 12 to 15 mm
- Lifespan
- Approximately 1 year (mostly as larva; adults live 2-3 weeks)
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Deforestation, forest fragmentation, and the tidy removal of dead standing trees (snags) which larvae rely on for food.
- Safe to approach?
- This species is completely harmless. You can safely observe it from any distance. If it lands on you, gently blow on it or let it crawl onto a leaf to relocate it. It does not bite, sting, or secrete toxins.
Epicallima argenticinctella , the Orange-headed Epicallima Moth , is a moth of the Oecophoridae family. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Nova Scotia to South Carolina, west to Kansas and Texas. The habitat consists of deciduous forests.
Photo: David George, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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