Invertebrates
Giant Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia · also called giant leopard moths, eyed tiger moth
Disturbed while resting on a garden leaf, a giant leopard moth curls tightly into a ball, suddenly revealing bands of bright red-orange normally hidden beneath its bold black-and-white wings, a startling defensive display meant to make a would-be predator think twice.
Overview
The giant leopard moth, Hypercompe scribonia, is a large, boldly patterned moth native to forest and garden habitat across a broad range of the eastern and southern United States. Its striking black-and-white wing pattern, hidden red-orange defensive colouration, and additional foul-tasting chemical deterrent make it one of the more visually dramatic and well-defended moths found in North America.
A calm exterior hiding a startling defence
At rest, the giant leopard moth’s bold black-and-white pattern is striking enough on its own, but disturb it and an entirely different, hidden layer of colour and chemical defence suddenly comes into play.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable forest and garden habitat throughout the eastern and southern United States.
Giant Leopard Moth: common questions
What does the giant leopard moth do when threatened?
This species curls into a tight ball when disturbed, exposing bright red-orange bands on its abdomen normally hidden beneath its wings, a startling visual display meant to deter a predator, and it can also release a drop of foul-tasting yellow fluid from behind its head as an additional chemical defence.
Why is it called the giant leopard moth?
This species displays striking black rings and blotches across bright white wings, a high-contrast pattern reminiscent of a leopard's spots, and combined with its comparatively large size for a tiger moth, this pattern gives the species its descriptive common name.
Does the giant leopard moth eat as an adult?
No, like several other large moth species, this species does not feed at all once it reaches adulthood, relying entirely on energy reserves built up during the caterpillar stage to survive long enough to mate and reproduce.
What does a giant leopard moth caterpillar look like?
This species' caterpillar is covered in dense black bristles and curls into a tight defensive ball when disturbed, a caterpillar commonly encountered crossing open ground in search of food plants such as dandelion, plantain, and violets before eventually transforming into the adult moth's black-and-white patterned form.