Coprosma hawk moth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coprosma hawk moth |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cizara
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| Species: |
ardeniae
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The Coprosma hawk moth, also known by its scientific name Cizara ardeniae, is a fascinating type of moth. It belongs to a family of moths called Sphingidae, often known as hawk moths because of their fast, strong flight. This moth was first described in 1805 by a person named John Lewin. You can find the Coprosma hawk moth living in the eastern coastal areas of Australia and New Zealand.
What Does the Coprosma Hawk Moth Look Like?
The Coprosma hawk moth is a medium-sized moth. Its wingspan is usually around 60 millimeters (about 2.4 inches). Adult moths are mostly dark brown. They have white edges on their wings and white stripes that cross both their wings and their body.
A cool feature of these moths is that parts of the white stripes on their wings are actually clear, like tiny windows! When the moth is resting, these white stripes line up perfectly on each side. This makes them look like one long, single stripe across the moth's body. If you look underneath, you might see tufts of bright red hair.
Life as a Caterpillar
The young Coprosma hawk moth starts its life as a caterpillar, also called a larva. These caterpillars like to eat leaves from different plants in the Rubiaceae family. Some of their favorite plants include Coprosma repens, Coprosma quadrifida, Coprosma lucida, and Myrmecodia beccarii.
When they are very young, the caterpillars are a see-through green color. They have a black horn on their tail and a yellowish head. As they grow bigger, they change their look. They become a solid green color with two yellow stripes running along their body. Their head turns blue, and the tail horn also becomes blue. If something disturbs them, they might quickly lash their head from side to side!
In their final stage of growth before becoming a moth, their colors change again. They develop diagonal patches of light and dark brown. When it's time to change into a moth, the caterpillar creates a special mat of felt. It spins this mat among dead leaves on the ground. Then, it changes into a pupa, which is the stage before it becomes an adult moth.
Images for kids
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Cizara ardeniae ♀
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Cizara ardeniae ♀ △
