Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFErebidae Members:
Hypercompe Members:
213 NC Records

Hypercompe scribonia (Stoll, [1790]) - Giant Leopard Moth


view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: ArctiiniP3 Number: 930323.00 MONA Number: 8146.00 MONA Synonym: Ecpantheria scribonia
Comments: One of six species in this genus that occurs in North America and the only one found in our area
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Ecpantheria scribonia); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The large white adults with black or blue ringed-shaped spots on the forewings and thorax and blue and orange colored abdomens are unmistakable.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Late instar larvae are large, and bristly black, with red spiracles and prominent red or brown inter-segmental rings (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005); earlier instars may be colored dark brown and orange (Wagner, 2005). The bristles are stiffer than in Spilosoma species, some forms of which may be blackish and have red markings (e.g., S. congrua -- see Wagner, 2005). Grammia virgo also have large, black, bristly larvae with reddish spiracles but have tan setal warts rather than the dark brown warts found in Hypercompe (Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably occurs statewide
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge