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Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth

Harrisina americana

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth (Harrisina americana)

The Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth is a small, slender black moth with a bright orange collar that gives it an elegant, wasp-like appearance. Its brightly colored gregarious caterpillars skeletonize the leaves of wild and cultivated grapes, feeding in lines from the leaf edge inward. Their vivid yellow coloration warns of sequestered toxic chemicals from host plants.

Habitat
Forests and vineyards with wild and cultivated grape
Diet
Larvae: grape foliage. Adults: nectar
How common
Common

Best time to see a Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth

The best time to see a Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth is May–July, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 8,170 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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