Comadia redtenbacheri facts for kids

Comadia redtenbacheri is a type of moth that belongs to the Cossidae family. You can find this moth in North America, especially in Mexico and the southern parts of Texas.

Meet the Maguey Moth!

These moths have different sizes depending on if they are male or female. Male moths usually have front wings that are about 12 to 14 millimeters long. Females have slightly longer front wings, measuring 13 to 16 millimeters.

Their front wings are brown, with a cool white stripe that goes from the base of the wing almost to the tip. The back wings are a grayish-brown color. You can spot these adult moths flying around in April, May, and again in September.

What Do Maguey Moth Caterpillars Eat?

The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, love to eat the juicy leaves of succulent plants. Their favorite foods are the maguey plant and Agave salmiana.

When they are very young, these caterpillars are a pale reddish color. As they grow bigger, they turn a bright carmine red.

Maguey Worms: A Special Food!

The larvae of the Comadia redtenbacheri moth are very famous in Mexican cuisine. They are one of the special ingredients sometimes added to a traditional Mexican drink called mezcal.

In Spanish, these caterpillars are known by names like chilocuil, chinicuil, or tecol. For a long time, people in Mexico have enjoyed eating them as a traditional food.

These caterpillars are also called gusanos rojos, which means "red worms." They are one of two kinds of "worms" that are sometimes put into bottles of mezcal. They give the drink a unique color and flavor. The other type of "worm" comes from a different insect, the agave snout weevil.

• 

  A dish of chinicuiles (roasted larvae of Hypopta agavis) in a market in Tula, Hidalgo, México

See also

In Spanish: Chilocuil para niños