Neochalcosia remota is a day-flying moth of East Asia with black forewings crossed by a slanting white band and mostly white hindwings. It lives in China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, where its black-and-yellow caterpillars feed on sweetleaf (Symplocos) trees. It is not found in the United States.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Wingspan about 1.6–2.4 in (40–60 mm). Black body and black forewings with a bluish sheen and a slanting white band; the hindwings are white except for a black border. The head is red.
Look-alikes
Pidorus atratus
Pidorus atratus has black hindwings and a more V-shaped white forewing band; this species has mostly white hindwings and a band that runs nearly straight across the upper forewing.
Why they get mixed upBoth are red-headed, day-flying East Asian moths with a white band on black forewings; neither lives in the U.S.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Mountain forests
- Forest edges
- Range
- East Asia: China (including Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu), Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. It does not occur in the United States.
- Preferred conditions
- Found where its caterpillar food plants, sweetleaf (Symplocos) trees, grow.
Behavior
- Activity
- Flies in the daytime.
- Overwintering
- Spends the winter as a small caterpillar and spins a white cocoon inside a folded leaf.
Life cycle
- Larva
- About 1 in (25 mm) long when grown and plump. Black with two rows of yellowish spots down the back and red bumps along the sides. Caterpillars feed in groups and curl into a ball when disturbed.
- Caterpillar food plants
- Leaves of sweetleaf (Symplocos) trees.
Cautions
- Cautions
- The caterpillars ooze a body fluid when disturbed that can cause an itchy skin rash, so they shouldn't be handled.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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