Poison hemlock moth
The poison hemlock moth is a small, pale brown moth with a reddish spot in the middle of each wing. Its caterpillars live on poison hemlock, a very poisonous plant, and nibble it without getting sick. People even use this moth to help control the dangerous plant.
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Fun facts
The caterpillar rolls a hemlock leaf into a tube with its silk and hides inside.
If something attacks it, the caterpillar wriggles out of its tube and drops to the ground to escape.
The poison from the plant may help protect the caterpillars from hungry animals.
The grown-up moth can live from June until the next March, which is very long for a moth.
In winter it sometimes hides under the bark of firewood and flies out when the wood is brought into a warm house.
Most asked questions about Poison hemlock moth
?What does the poison hemlock moth eat?
Its caterpillars eat poison hemlock, a very poisonous plant.
?How big is the poison hemlock moth?
Its wingspan is about 17 to 19 millimetres, and the caterpillar grows to about 10 millimetres.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Agonopterix alstroemeriana
- Named by
- Clerck, 1759
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Depressariidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Depressariidae
- Lives on
- Europe, North America, Australia and Oceania
- Also known as
- Hemlock moth, Defoliating hemlock moth
Where the facts come from
- Agonopterix alstroemeriana (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 dhobern. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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