Black-dotted Ruddy

Common name: Black-dotted ruddy, Fishers Island, NY, June 2017.

Scientific name: Ilecta intractata

Food: As caterpillars, black-dotted ruddy moths are specialist feeders, meaning they can feed on only one or two kinds of plants in order to grow and develop. Black-dotted ruddy moths feed on American holly trees, and can be a common inchworm in suburban environments where holly trees are planted.

Ecology: This species is attracted to artificial lighting, which can increase predation risk, disrupt behaviors such as feeding, flight and reproduction, and interfere with dispersal among habitat patches.