Endoxyla cinereus, the giant wood moth, is a moth in the family Cossidae.[1] It is found in Australia (Queensland, New South Wales) and New Zealand.[2] The species was first described in 1890. A rare contemporary sighting of the moth at a school in Australia garnered notice as an editor's pick among the daily headlines of the New York Times on May 8, 2021.[3]
| Endoxyla cinereus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Cossidae |
| Genus: | Endoxyla |
| Species: | E. cinereus |
| Binomial name | |
| Endoxyla cinereus (Tepper, 1890) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
It is the heaviest moth in the world; weighing up to 30 g.[4] Its wingspan is approximately 23 cm, or just over nine inches.
The larvae bore into the trunks of trees of the Eucalyptus species. Pupation takes place in the larval tunnel.[5]
References
Further reading
- Cramer, Maria (May 7, 2021). "A Heavy in the Insect World Makes a Rare Appearance". The New York Times.
External links
Media related to Endoxyla cinereus at Wikimedia Commons
