Wasp moths look like wasps, and that’s enough to send most people running. But are wasp moths dangerous, or is it all just a show, and they are nothing to be worried about? Let’s find out
Have you ever heard of the words ‘wasp’ and ‘moth’ together? With the millions of insect species out there, a cross between the two creatures may not come as a surprise.
A wasp moth is a species of moth that mimics a wasp to avoid predators. Here are some things you should know about the creature and what its presence can mean around you.
What is a Wasp Moth?
Scientifically known as the Amata hubneri, the Wasp Moth is a member of the superfamily Actiinae.
This is the same family that includes tiger moths and woolly bears. They are the smallest of their type in the Erebidae family.
In spite of their name, these are not wasps in any way, they are a species of moths. Discovered in 1829, Wasp moths were first found in the Indo-Australian tropics of northern Australia.
Their most common American sub-species are found across many states, including Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
These insects can also be found in South America and parts of Southeast Asia.
Adult moths are black in color with yellow bands at their abdomen. They also have a pair of transparent wings, and the entire ensemble comes together to give them the look of a common yellow wasp.
These are one of those insects in nature that have learned to mimic others, even though they are actually just harmless moths.
What Do These Moths Feed On?
Adult moths have a proboscis that they use to feed on flowers and fruits of different kinds.
They have been recorded to feed on coat button flowers. As for the larvae, they are known to feed largely on flowers, decomposing materials, and substances with protein.
The larvae of wasp moths can feed on rice crops like Oryza sativa and sweet potato and tropical plants like Mikania micrantha.
Certain species, like the oleander caterpillars, have a specific diet. These white polka-dot wasp moth larvae feed on the leaves of plants that belong to the oleander family.
Wasp Mimicry
Among the many wonders of nature, mimicry certainly makes the cut for the top 10. And the wasp moth is part of this phenomenon.
This insect is known as a Batesian mimic – a form of natural mimicry where a harmless creature evolves to imitate the appearance and behavior of a harmful creature.
Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry that allows vulnerable creatures to have their own signals of protection from their predators.
It was first noted by naturalist H.W. Bates when he observed this phenomenon among butterflies in the Brazilian rainforests.
Wasp moths are largely harmless creatures. So they resort to mimicking wasps that can help them to protect themselves from their natural enemies.
In most cases, predators will notice these moths from a distance, mistake them for moths and leave them alone.
Are They Dangerous?
Moths do not have any mandibles or jaws, so there is no chance of getting bit or stung by them.
Since they look like wasps, you might get confused that they stingers like wasps. But in reality, they don’t have stingers.
However, there are some things to look out for if you are planning to eat them!
Certain species of wasp moths feed on poisonous plants, and these poisons are stored in their bodies. Hence, they are not at all safe to be consumed as they can create serious health hazards for humans.
Polka-Dotted Wasp Moth
As we mentioned earlier, the polka-dotted moth wasp is another creature that mimics wasps. These have a distinct design that helps them hide among flowers to escape predators.
The larvae also feed on oleander leaves, which cause them to ingest a poisonous substance in their body. If consumed by predators, this poison can cause a painful death.
How They Repel Predators?
The tiny polka-dot moths are known for their incredible skills in avoiding a predator. They have an uncanny resemblance to powerful stinging wasps such as the bald-faced hornets.
This helps them automatically repel predators. Most hungry birds – if they can find these colorful creatures among flowers – will avoid them.
Another defense of the moths is in the food they consume. They feed on the leaves of plants belonging to the oleander family.
The diet lets them save a high amount of toxic compounds called cardiac glycosides. Most predators will get poisoned if they eat these chemicals. Hence, many predators make sure to avoid these little creatures as snacks.
How They Attract Mates?
A unique feature of polka-dot moths is the way they attract their mates. Female moths are very beautiful, but they also use pheromones to lure the males.
These females have special abdominal glands that help them to release the chemicals when they see a suitable mate around.
If the chemical attraction does not work, the moths rely on sound signals. The females can create a clicking sound by vibrating the plates they have on either side of their thorax.
The males, when attracted, will mimic the sound in response. This communication brings the two moths together, allowing them to carry on the circle of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are polka dot wasp moths dangerous?
Polka dot moths can be dangerous, considering that they feed on oleander caterpillars which enables them to store a poisonous compound in their body.
This can cause predators of the wasps to die of poisoning or have other adverse health effects.
What does wasp moth eat?
Wasp moths feed on a lot of organic material, including plant and animal matter. The adult moths feed on plant materials, fruits and flowers.
The larvae are known to feed on small insects, but mostly flowers and rotten fruits.
Can a moth hurt a human?
Usually, wasp moths are harmless to humans as they do have no power to sting. However, the polka dot wasp moths feed on poisonous flowers that get stored in their body.
Consuming these moths or allowing them to sit around food can have detrimental effects on health. The toxic compound cardiac glycosides in their bodies can be poisonous to us as well as pets.
What is the most poisonous moth?
The Lonomia obliqua has the Guinness record for being the most poisonous moth in the world.
It is a giant silkworm caterpillar found in South America that has bristles that emit poison as a defense mechanism. Its poison is known to have caused a number of human deaths in Brazil.
Wrap Up
Unless you are choosing to eat them for dinner, wasp moths are not your biggest enemies.
They are creatures trying to protect themselves in their natural environment with their unique characteristics.
There is no need to intervene in their natural habitat, and keeping a safe distance is enough to keep you safe.
Thank you for reading!
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| Pryeria sinica male | Pryeria sinica female |
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| Pryeria sinica male | Pryeria sinica female |
34 Comments. Leave new
This is Albuna pyramidalis, the fireweed borer.
It would be very helpful to have a date and location for this image. This is a common color scheme in Sesiidae. Thanks.
The moth is a species of Amata (Arctiidae)
They are often locally common but not much is known about them.They have a very dainty slow flight.
Best regards, Trevor
Looking at the moth again, it may be Amata aperta or a similar species
Best regards, Trevor
Thanks so much Julian and Daniel – that’s fantastic! K
What an absolutely beautiful creature. Very nice pics.
Looks more like an arctiid to me, the genus Horama looks pretty close. Maybe Horama plumipes
This looks like Horama as well, maybe Horama panthalon.
Thanks for the correction and identification.
Wow, it’s more than one year, I think I got the ID! It looks like Euchromia folletii, the torso may be a little little different.
Thanks Cesar.
Oh, sorry, here is the link: http://africanmoths.com/pages/ARCTIIDAE/CTENUCHIDAE/euchromia%20folletii.html
Same request: http://www.insetologia.com.br/2013/04/mariposa-vespa-em-sao-paulo.html
Dinia eagrus.
Same request: http://www.insetologia.com.br/2013/04/mariposa-vespa-em-sao-paulo.html
Dinia eagrus.
Thanks Cesar. We have updated the posting and we got some very interesting information from Julian Donahue.
This was taken in June 24, 2006 in Eagle River, Alaska (not Arkansas). Sorry for the late response, I actually came across this today because I was searching for more info on the moth before sending my pictures of it to someone. I don’t think I’ve been on this site since 2006. There are some more pictures of this moth and another of the same species in my Picasa Web Album at https://picasaweb.google.com/116717314921392784274/Favorites?noredirect
There is a macro shot of it’s face showing how the inside edge of its front legs are colored to match a yellow jacket’s mouth at https://picasaweb.google.com/116717314921392784274/Favorites?noredirect=1#5117942725348596434 . The moth even moved its front legs in a manner that made it look like the “mouth” was opening and closing when I handled it.
If you are interested in more photos of the moth, I can upload them to my web album.
We would love to be able to post a few more photos. Are you giving us permission to “grab” them from Picasa?
This was taken in June 24, 2006 in Eagle River, Alaska (not Arkansas). Sorry for the late response, I actually came across this today because I was searching for more info on the moth before sending my pictures of it to someone. I don’t think I’ve been on this site since 2006. There are some more pictures of this moth and another of the same species in my Picasa Web Album at https://picasaweb.google.com/116717314921392784274/Favorites?noredirect
There is a macro shot of it’s face showing how the inside edge of its front legs are colored to match a yellow jacket’s mouth at https://picasaweb.google.com/116717314921392784274/Favorites?noredirect=1#5117942725348596434 . The moth even moved its front legs in a manner that made it look like the “mouth” was opening and closing when I handled it.
If you are interested in more photos of the moth, I can upload them to my web album.
Are they harmful to tomato plants?
No, they are host specific.
Scelilasia erythrozonata
Thank you. With that name, we were able to update the posting with some links.
This will be for me, you (and PyBio http://www.pybio.org/4586/ctenuchinae/) because I have some old unidentified in Insetologia simmilar to this.
I believe it’s an Argyroeides sp.
probably A. notha http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=47059
but A. sanguinea (bloody) #221 http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=392438 is quite simmilar, may be misidentified in Bold.
Thanks Cesar. Your assistance is greatly appreciate, and I made both of the corrections you requested.
I was stung buy a black bee or swasp at my elbow and it swollen up badly . My whole arm felt like it was on fire. The swasp was one long , black, and had a yellow dot on its back .I have never seen one and I have been stung buy a lot of different kinds of bees , but never had this much pain .I don’t know what kind it was .Its been a week and my arm still
Hurts
Wasp Mimic Moths do NOT sting.
I was stung buy a black bee or swasp at my elbow and it swollen up badly . My whole arm felt like it was on fire. The swasp was one long , black, and had a yellow dot on its back .I have never seen one and I have been stung buy a lot of different kinds of bees , but never had this much pain .I don’t know what kind it was .Its been a week and my arm still
Hurts
There are at least three specimens of Histioea meldolae in the INBio (now Costa Rica National Museum) collecion. I caught a male at our finca near La Cangreja National Park, at night, hour unknown. I also caught another species of Histioea in Venezuela not long after dark, and still another species in Colombia, also not long after dark. I’m pretty certain that I saw one of this species at a clearing in our tropical forest, sitting on a Heliconia leaf. It startled me it was so big and colorful. When I got closer wondering how I could catch it with my hands, it zoomed off like a jet into the sky. There is nothing similar in size and color to this in the INBio collection.
Thank you so much for your wonderful first hand observations. They are greatly appreciated.
I found this post after doing an image search for Costa Rican clearwing moth (I’m in the UK & that’s what it reminded me of) after a friend in Costa Rica took a picture of a beautiful insect on his avocado seedling & posted it on FB. Dunno about white boots as its legs aren’t visible but everything else matches….this post is just to say thank you, really great site.
UPDATE
I blew up the picture on my computer & just visible, poking out from under a wing is a white boot! There’s no greater satisfaction than finding the answer to something you didn’t know before & really wanted to know. So, thanks again to all involved.
UPDATE
I blew up the picture on my computer & just visible, poking out from under a wing is a white boot! There’s no greater satisfaction than finding the answer to something you didn’t know before & really wanted to know. So, thanks again to all involved.
There are much more information in this article (in French), including indications about the hours of activity (it seems both diurnal and nocturnal) and their presence in Costa Rica. The article is about a new subspecies, slightly different in wing markings and your individual seems to belongs to this new subspecies too.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318777004_Description_et_ethologie_d'une_nouvelle_sous-espece_d'Histioea_meldolae_du_Panama_Lepidoptera_Erebidae_Arctiinae_Ctenuchini
Thanks so much for this update.