Giant Leopard Moth

Hypercompe scribonia — the giant leopard moth — is one of the most spectacular tiger moths (family Erebidae, formerly Arctiidae) in North America. Adults reach 7-9 cm wingspan with pure white forewings carrying bold round black hollow ring spots that resemble leopard markings (or the spots of a Dalmatian dog), giving the species its common name. The body is striking: when at rest with the wings folded, the visible parts of the abdomen and thorax appear plain black-and-white; but the upper surface of the abdomen (typically hidden by the wings) is brilliant iridescent metallic royal-blue and orange — a dramatic warning coloration revealed only when the moth opens her wings or 'plays dead.' The species exhibits classical thanatosis (death-feigning) when threatened: she falls motionless to the ground, exposes the warning-colored abdomen, and remains immobile for several minutes — a defensive strategy combining startle (with the bright color reveal) and confusion (most predators reject motionless prey). Caterpillars are the 'banded woolly bears' (different from but visually similar to the Pyrrharctia isabella woolly bear) — bristly, dark with red intersegmental bands, and similarly cold-tolerant (overwinter exposed in leaf litter, surviving below-zero temperatures). Caterpillars feed on a remarkably wide range of host plants — over 100 documented species including dandelion, plantain, cherry, willow, sunflower, and most herbaceous garden plants. The species is widespread across the eastern and central US, southern Ontario and Quebec, and into Central America.