Belonging to the family Erebidae, this lepidopteran is easily recognized by its striking and ornate warning coloration. Adults exhibit a wingspan ranging from 45 to 65 millimeters, with females being significantly bulkier and heavier than their male counterparts. The forewings display a translucent white or pale cream background, adorned with numerous black or dark gray rings and circular spots organized in neat transverse rows, mimicking a leopard-like pattern. In contrast, the hindwings are lighter, frequently presenting soft grayish spots near the outer margins. The dorsal side of the abdomen is highly colorful, showing vibrant orange-yellow or reddish hues, contrasting sharply with a series of black dots positioned along the dorsal and lateral axes. This aposematic coloration signals potential predators about the insect´s unpalatability due to toxic compounds. The caterpillars, frequently referred to as woolly bears, are robust and covered with dense, stiff, and irritating black and reddish-brown setae growing from prominent cutaneous tubercles.

Geographical distribution: This moth is widely distributed across the southern regions of South America. It is commonly documented throughout Argentina (with dense populations in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Tucumán, and Córdoba provinces), Uruguay, southern Brazil, and temperate to subtropical parts of Paraguay.

Habitat: It primarily colonizes transitional biomes, including temperate grasslands, shrublands, open woodlands, and savanna ecosystems. Due to its remarkable ecological adaptability, it has successfully colonized anthropic environments such as urban gardens, public parks, orchards, and agricultural fields where host plants are readily available and natural predators are scarce.

Feeding: As adults, their mouthparts are highly reduced, meaning they do not feed and instead rely entirely on the energy reserves accumulated during their larval stage to survive. Conversely, the larvae are highly polyphagous and voracious defoliators, feeding on a wide variety of plant species belonging to families such as Solanaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Plantaginaceae, targeting both wild weeds and cultivated agricultural crops.

Behavior: This species displays nocturnal and crepuscular habits, with adults being strongly drawn to artificial light sources on warm, humid nights. When confronted by potential predators, adults often employ tanatosis, mimicking death by falling to the ground and remaining motionless, or curve their abdomen downward to flash their bright warning colors. The caterpillars are active during the day, crawling rapidly across the ground to find fresh feeding spots or optimal pupation sites.

Reproduction: The reproductive cycle begins when the female releases chemical sex pheromones during the night to lure males. Following successful copulation, the female deposits large clusters of yellowish, spherical eggs on the undersides of host leaves. Upon hatching, the young larvae feed gregariously before dispersing as solitary feeders during later instars. Once fully grown, the caterpillar spins a protective silk cocoon blended with its own irritating larval hairs among leaf litter or under loose soil debris to transition into the pupa stage.

Conservation status: This insect is currently listed as Not Evaluated (NE) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It does not face significant threats, largely due to its broad geographic range, high reproductive rate, and ability to thrive in human-modified landscapes where resources are plentiful.