Cystidia stratonice is a day-flying moth from East Asia whose long, slender body and wings make it look a bit like a dragonfly. It is not found in the United States. Its black wings carry bold white bands, and its orange body is lined with black spots.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Wingspan is about 2–2.4 in (50–60 mm). The dark wings have a broad white band and large white patches, and the orange abdomen has rows of black spots.
Where it lives
- Range
- Japan, the Korean Peninsula, southeastern Siberia in the Russian Far East, and China.
Behavior
- Activity
- Unlike most moths, it flies by day, gliding gently around the plants its caterpillars eat.
- Overwintering
- Caterpillars hatch in early summer, spend the winter partly grown, finish feeding in spring, and pupate among leaves tied with silk.
Life cycle
- Larva
- The caterpillar is an about 1.6 in (4 cm) long, pale yellow with bold black spots on every segment.
- Caterpillar food plants
- Caterpillars feed on Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). In Japan, Weigela coraeensis has also been recorded as a food plant.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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