Dead-wood borer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dead-wood borer |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Genus: | Scolecocampa |
| Species: |
S. liburna
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| Binomial name | |
| Scolecocampa liburna (Geyer, 1837)
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| Synonyms | |
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The dead-wood borer (scientific name: Scolecocampa liburna) is a type of moth. It belongs to a large family of moths called Erebidae. This moth was first officially described by a scientist named Carl Geyer in 1837.
You can find the dead-wood borer moth in many parts of the United States. Its home range stretches from southern Wisconsin and Michigan all the way to central New England. It also lives further south in states like Florida and Texas.
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What Does the Dead-Wood Borer Moth Look Like?
The dead-wood borer moth is a medium-sized moth. Its wingspan (the distance from one wingtip to the other when the wings are spread out) is about 35 to 43 millimeters. That's roughly 1.4 to 1.7 inches.
When Can You See These Moths?
Adult dead-wood borer moths are usually active during specific times of the year. In some areas, like southern Ohio, you might see them flying from late May to late July. They can also appear again in late August.
In the northern parts of their range, these moths usually have one "generation" per year. A generation means all the moths that develop from eggs to adults in one cycle. Further south, where the weather is warmer for longer, they can have more than one generation each year.
Where Do Dead-Wood Borer Larvae Live?
The young stage of the moth is called a larva (or caterpillar). These larvae are quite interesting because of where they choose to live. They are "borers," which means they tunnel into wood.
What Do the Larvae Eat?
Dead-wood borer larvae make tunnels inside fallen branches and trunks of different trees. They especially like trees such as chestnut, hickory, oak, and sycamore. They have also been found living inside fallen, dead tulip trees. By tunneling into dead wood, these larvae help break down natural materials in the forest.
