Delicate cycnia moth
The delicate cycnia is a white moth with a buttery yellow edge on its front wings and a yellow body with black dots. It tastes bad because its caterpillar eats poisonous plants. When a bat comes near, it clicks to say: do not eat me.
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Fun facts
Bats learn from its clicks that it tastes bad, and then leave it alone.
Its clicks might also confuse a bat's sonar.
Its caterpillars are covered in soft grey to white hairs and eat in small groups.
The cocoon is grey and covered in the caterpillar's own hairs.
Most asked questions about Delicate cycnia moth
?Why does the delicate cycnia click?
To warn bats that it tastes bad. It may also confuse their hunting sounds.
?How big is the delicate cycnia?
Its wings are about 3 to 4 centimetres across.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Cycnia tenera
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Erebidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Erebidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Dogbane tiger moth, Delicate cycnia
Where the facts come from
- Cycnia tenera (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 Patrick Coin ( Patrick Coin ). CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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