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Project Noah Nature School
Pennisetia marginata
Black with yellow bands, these moths are excellent wasp mimics. They can easily be confused with a yellow jacket until you get a closer look and see their fuzzy body and long, curved antennae. The male is the smaller of the two, with a wingspan of 18-25 mm and pectinate antennae. The female has a wingspan of 25-37 mm and simple antennae.
This couple was honeymooning in my blackberry patch.
The larvae bore into the stems of blackberry and raspberry plants where they can do a lot of damage. In most areas, their entire life cycle takes two years to complete. Adults are diurnal.
Spotted on Sep 12, 2016
Submitted on Sep 13, 2016
4 Comments
Amazing mimics!
Thanks!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Gorgeous!