Spotted oleander moth
Empyreuma pugione
The spotted oleander moth is a moth that flies in the daytime, not at night. It comes from the islands of the West Indies and now also lives in Florida. Its caterpillars are light orange and hairy.
Lives in
The West Indies and Florida
Wingspan
4.3 to 4.8 cm (1.7 to 1.9 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It cannot bite or sting people, so you can watch it up close.
What does it eat?
Its caterpillars eat oleander leaves.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🧱wings as wide as 1.5 toy building bricks⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 25 seconds
How big is Spotted oleander 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)
Spotted oleander moth about 15 km/h (9.3 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
Unlike most moths, it flies during the day.
2
Oleander was brought to the Caribbean by people. Before that, its caterpillars probably ate native relatives like frangipani.
3
On the islands it has been found up to 733 metres high.
you asked
Most asked questions about Spotted oleander moth
?What does the spotted oleander caterpillar eat?
Oleander leaves.
?Where does the spotted oleander moth live?
On the islands of the West Indies, and it was brought to Florida.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Empyreuma pugione
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Erebidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Erebidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Spotted oleander caterpillar moth
Where the facts come from
- Empyreuma pugione (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 Tarragons. CC0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip
Atlas moth
Luna moth
Hummingbird hawk-moth
Domestic silk moth
Isabella tiger moth
Polyphemus moth
Restless bush cricket
Red saddlebags
Arctic fritillary
Tailed forest spider
Phaon crescent
Umber skipper.jpg){kind=link}