Delicate Cycnia

Common name: Delicate cycnia or dogbane tiger moth, Fishers Island NY, June 2017

Scientific name: Cycnia tenera

Season: Two generations in the Northeast, with adults in late spring into June and again in the fall.

Food: Caterpillars feed on milkweeds and dogbanes, but they feed on older, mature leaves, as opposed to monarch caterpillars, which feed on younger, tender leaves.

Ecology: Although lacking stripes or spots, this moth belongs to same family as tiger moths. Males emit a “clicking” sound from their thorax for mating and also in flight. These clicks actually “jam” the echolocation of bats, preventing predators from being able to effectively find the moths.