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oleander moth

Photo by Riverboy
Published on Project Noah
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28.3148, -80.6603

Field Notes

Description:

1 1/2" long body. Black wings with white spots. Bright blue and orange body also with white spots.

Notes:

Scooped out of the Indian River. Put up on dock and it flew back in.

Species ID Suggestions

Oleander Moth, Polka Dot Wasp Moth

Syntomeida epilais

Reference Link
ceherzog
2

Comments (5)
ceherzog
You're welcome. I can see auntnance's common name...they are red, white & blue! Very attractive moths that were introduced with the Oleander plant. The caterpillar is pretty destructive to the oleander and other plants as Alice noted. They will also eat Adenium obesum, another plant in the Apocynaceae.
auntnance123
"Uncle Sam" moth I've heard them called. That is pretty cool; I haven't seen but one in the past few years. (Pretty bug in spite of their pest status.)
Riverboy
ceherzog thanks for the ID. There are oleanders near by.
alicelongmartin
They also frequent Alamanda vine. They visit mine every Summer.
ceherzog
Do you have Oleander trees around? An exotic pest in Florida. The caterpillars are orange with black tufts of hair. Oleander Moth
Photographed
PublishedJuly 7, 2011

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