Zeuzera pyrina, the
leopard moth or
wood leopard moth, is a moth of the family Cossidae.
It is considered a pest by fruit growers, as the larvae feed on branches of many kinds of fruit trees. Olive trees in particular are very susceptible and can be killed by the larvae burrowing within them.
Subspecies: Subspecies include:
- Zeuzera pyrina biebingeri (W. & A. Speidel, 1986)
- Zeuzera pyrina pyrina (Linnaeus, 1761)
Zeuzera biebingeri is treated as a subspecies of
Z. pyrina by some sources, but is mostly treated as a valid species.
Distribution: This species can be found primarily in Europe (excluding Ireland) but also in northern Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco) and Asia (Taiwan, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey). It was introduced into the northeastern United States prior to 1879 and has a range including Maine, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
Habitat: These moths are associated with woodland, gardens and orchards.
Zeuzera pyrina has a wingspan of . They are a highly distinctive species. The length of the abdomen of the female is about . The male is slightly smaller than the female, with broader and more feathery antennae. These moths have a white head, with a black forehead and a very furry white thorax marked with six black spots. The abdomen is black, with short white hair-like scales on the posterior edge of each segment and a flat brush of scales on the apex. Forewings are whitish, long and narrow, with numerous black spots or black spots with white interior spots, arranged in rows along the veins. Hindwings are translucent, except in the anal area, with small black spots. They have an average wingspan of about . Their antennae are bipectinate and wide at their base, but narrow near their tips, especially in males.
Biology: The moth flies from June to September depending on the location. The caterpillars are
xylophagous. They feed on the wood of various deciduous trees and shrubs (see list below), feeding internally for two or three years in the stems and branches before emerging to pupate under the bark. They can be a pests in fruit production.
Recorded host plants: Recorded food plants include:
- Acer
- Aesculus
- Amelanchier
- Broussonetia
- Carya
- Castanea
- Celtis
- Ceratonia
- Cotoneaster
- Crataegus
- Cydonia
- Fagus
- Fraxinus
- Ilex
- Juglans
- Ligustrum
- Liquidambar
- Liriodendron
- Lonicera
- Malus
- Olea
- Prunus
- Punica
- Pyrus
- Quercus
- Rhododendron
- Ribes
- Robinia
- Rubus
- Salix
- Syringa
- Tilia
- Ulmus
- Viburnum