Insect · GBIF taxon 5118509
Zigzag Furcula Moth
Furcula scolopendrinaAlso known as Poplar Kitten Moth
Adult zigzag furcula moths rest with their densely furred forelegs extended straight ahead, blending cleanly into weathered tree bark with their pale, sharply banded wings. As caterpillars, they display a humped silhouette and an elongated pair of whip-like anal prolegs capable of thrusting out pink, extensible filaments to deter predators. Completely nocturnal, adults do not feed during their brief lifespan, relying entirely on fat reserves stored while consuming riparian foliage as larvae.
NocturnalCamouflagedMoth
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Quaking Aspen Leaves
- Willow Leaves
- Cottonwood Foliage
Predators
- Insectivorous Bats
- Songbirds
- Parasitoid Wasps
ThreatsArtificial light pollution, pesticide runoff, and loss of wetland riparian host trees.
HabitatsRiparian woodlands, aspen groves, mixed deciduous forests, and riverbanks.
Life span1 year total (adults live 7–14 days).
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyNotodontidae
- GenusFurcula
- SpeciesFurcula scolopendrina
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Light Sheets: Hang a bright ultraviolet or mercury vapor light near willows in early summer to attract resting adults.
- Leaf Inspection: Search the undersides of young poplar and willow saplings in midsummer to find the distinctive forked caterpillars.
- Gentle Handling: Avoid touching the wings, as the delicate scales rub off easily and impair flight efficiency.
Host Plant (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Host Plant Wikimedia Commons / Public domain · cc0
Predator "Little brown bat affected by White-nose Syndrome" by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. · cc0
Close Relative (c) Leila Dasher, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Image unavailableClose Relative
Keep collecting in Fauna
Found in Collections
Species set
Moonlight Marvels
Zigzag Furcula Moth is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
—/7
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.