Genista broom moth
Uresiphita reversalis
The genista broom moth is a small moth. Both the moth and its caterpillar wear bright warning colours that tell hungry animals they taste bad. Its caterpillars feed on broom, lupine and other plants.
Lives in
First from Mexico, now across the United States and on Caribbean islands
Wingspan
2.7 to 3.4 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It cannot bite or sting.
What does it eat?
The caterpillar eats the leaves of plants like broom, lupine, acacia and honeysuckle.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🍚wings as wide as 6 grains of rice in a row⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 29 seconds
How big is Genista broom moth compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
Genista broom moth about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It probably came from Mexico and reached Los Angeles by 1930.
2
By 1980 it had reached the San Francisco Bay Area, and now it lives all across the United States.
3
In the warm south the moths fly all year round.
you asked
Most asked questions about Genista broom moth
?What does the genista broom moth caterpillar eat?
Broom, lupine, acacia, honeysuckle and several other plants.
?Why is the genista broom moth so brightly coloured?
Its bright colours warn other animals that it is not good to eat.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Uresiphita reversalis
- Named by
- Guenée, 1854
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Crambidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Crambidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Sophora worm
Where the facts come from
- Uresiphita reversalis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by xpda. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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