Zeuzera pyrina (1) Insect Nocturnal Butterfly Moth Cossid Miller Carpenter Miller

Zeuzera pyrina cm 3 one wing lenght cm 1.7-3 Insect Nocturnal Butterfly Moth Cossid Miller Carpenter Miller.
Family: Cossidae.
Common name: The Leopard Moth or Wood Leopard Moth.
Syn. Phalaena pyrina, Zeuzera decipiens, Noctua hypocasstani, Zeuzera hypocastrina, Phalaena hilaris, Zeuzera octopunctata, Zeuzera pirina, Zeuzera esculi, Zeuzera yprina, Zeuzera pyrinia.

Zeuzera pyrina is a moth of the Cossidae family. It is considered a pest by fruit growers, as the larvae feed on the branches of many types of fruit trees. Olive trees in particular are very sensitive and can be killed by the larvae that nest inside them.
This species is found mainly in Europe but also in northern Africa and Asia. It was also introduced into the northeastern United States before 1879. These moths are associated with woods, gardens, and orchards.
Zeuzera pyrina has a wingspan of 35-60 mm. These moths have a white head and a very hairy white thorax marked with six black spots. The abdomen is black, with short white hair-like scales. The forewings are whitish, long and narrow, with numerous black spots arranged in rows along the veins. The hind wings are translucent with small black spots. The male is slightly smaller than the female. In addition to the size, the two sexes differ in the shape of the antennae, thinner in the female, while in the male they are markedly bipectated.
The moth flies from June to September depending on location. Caterpillars are xylophagous. They feed on the wood of various deciduous trees and shrubs, feeding internally for two to three years in the stems and branches before emerging to pupate under the bark.