Laugher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laugher
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Charadra
Species:	C. deridens
Binomial name
Charadra deridens (Guenée, 1852)
Synonyms
Charadra circulifera (Walker, 1857) Charadra contigua Walker, 1865 Charadra sudena J. B. Smith, 1908 Charadra nigrosuffusana Strand, 1917 (form) Charadra fumosa Draudt, 1924 Charadra ingenua J. B. Smith, 1906 Phalaena Bombyx corylina Martyn, 1797 Diphthera deridens Guenée, 1852 Acronycta circulifera Walker, 1857

The Charadra deridens (laugher or marbled tuffet moth) is a fascinating type of moth that belongs to the Noctuidae family. It's also sometimes called the Marbled Tuffet Moth. You can find this moth in many parts of Canada, including Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It also lives across most of the United States, but not in the southwestern states.

About the Laugher Moth

The Laugher Moth gets its name from the unique patterns on its wings. These patterns can sometimes look like a laughing face. It's a medium-sized moth, known for its pretty, marbled wing designs.

How Big Are They?

The distance from one wingtip to the other, called the wingspan, is usually between 38 and 48 millimeters. That's about 1.5 to 1.9 inches. This makes them easy to spot when they are flying around.

When Can You See Them?

Adult Laugher Moths are active during the warmer months. In the northern parts of their habitat, you can usually see them flying from May to August. In warmer places like Florida, they have a longer season and can be seen for more months of the year.

Charadra ingenua, a moth once thought to be a different species, is now known to be the same as Charadra deridens.

A Laugher Moth resting on a surface.

What Do Laugher Moths Eat?

Like many insects, the Laugher Moth has different diets depending on its life stage.

What Larvae Eat

The young moths, called larvae (or caterpillars), mostly eat the leaves of beech trees. They are also known to munch on leaves from other trees. These include birch, elm, maple, and oak trees. These trees are called "host plants" because they provide food for the caterpillars.