Fun Clymene Moth Facts For Kids

The Clymene moth, scientific name Haploa clymene, was first described by the English naturalist, Peter Brown, in 1776. This small, beautiful species is also known as the crusader moth.

It is listed among the tribe of tiger moths, subfamily Arctiinae. They are native to the mainland of eastern North America. They are mostly seen in the deciduous forest, orchards, and suburban areas.

They are well known for the cross-like black marking on their closed forewings, which make them more significant. Their wings are creamy yellow and orange in color. They are different from other species of Haploa. They are active during summer from the month of June to August.

They only reproduce one generation annually. Most Haploa species are polyphagous in nature and feed on different plants. This particular species feeds on oak, peach, willow, and nectar from flowers.

Their names have specific symbolism and meaning. From history, it is known that Clymene was the Greek mythological Titan goddess.

Their site can be a blessing for you. The life cycle of this species is divided into four stages; eggs, larvae or caterpillar, pupa, and adult moth. As they are not threatened species, they are mostly seen in numbers during the season.

If reading about animals interests you, then learn some interesting facts about the orb-weaver spider and the yellow sac spider.

Clymene Moth Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Clymene moth?

The Clymene moth is a small butterfly species which is from the subfamily Arctiinae and tribe Arctiine (tiger moths). They have beautiful yellow and creamy wings with a specific black cross identification mark on their closed forewings, which makes them more symbolic and popular.

What class of animal does a Clymene moth belong to?

The Haploa clymene moth belongs to the butterfly species and order of Lepidoptera. They are from the family of Erebidae similar to the gypsy moth and the genus Haploa.

How many Clymene moths are there in the world?

There are not many resources available with regard to the population, but from a few resources, it is evident that they are not Extinct and can be seen around the season. They are not rare in their native land.

Where does a Clymene moth live?

They are native to the natural environment of eastern North America. Mostly, they can be seen from the stretch from Maine and Quebec to Florida, west to Kansas and Texas. The regal moth is also native to North America.

What is a Clymene moth's habitat?

Their natural habitat is confined to deciduous forests and dry hardwoods. The Clymene moth larvae and the caterpillar can be seen on host plants such as oak, peach, and willow, whereas, the adult can be seen on different flowers, specifically on Eupatorium.

They are also evident in suburban areas and orchards. They are most commonly seen in the summer and are seen flying during the day and at night. Through their life history, it is evident that they feed on leaves during the day.

Who do Clymene moths live with?

There is not much evidence available in this regard. Mostly, the larvae stage is seen in groups and later they isolate themselves when grown into caterpillars and moths.

How long does a Clymene moth live?

The life cycle of this species is for a shorter duration – from the month of June to August. Only one generation is evident annually.

How do they reproduce?

The reproduction takes place around late August. They fly during the day and often come to light even during the night. So, most reproduction takes place during the daytime.

The female produces sex pheromones to lure the male and the adult male gets attracted to the smell. In reverse, the male dances around the female and mates if the right partner is met. The eggs are then reproduced on the host plants.

The Clymene moth caterpillar hatches within a few days and feeds on the leaf edges. The pupa stage is evident in the spring season. The Haploa clymene life cycle is divided into four stages.

What is their conservation status?

The global population and conservation status of this species is of Least Concern.

Clymene Moth Fun Facts

What do Clymene moths look like?

The Haploa clymene is a small insect butterfly species with beautiful wings and a prominent identification cross mark on their forewings which enables us to recognize them. They differ from the species of Haploa.

The hindwings are orange with two black eyes, whereas, the forewings are creamy yellow on the inner margin and black on the outer edges. When the wings are closed, a black cross marking can be seen on them.

The dark spots and markings can be seen on their lower wings. They have a specialized tongue that helps them to collect nectar from the flowers.

The two smooth black antennas allow them to sense and smell the species in their area. The Clymene (Haploa) moth caterpillar is black in color with a yellow lateral line and small soft spines all over its body.

How cute are they?

They are not cute at all. The caterpillar looks like other caterpillars which you would not like to see. But the adult moth is cute and considered significant because of the identification mark when their hindwing and forewing are closed.

How do they communicate?

The Clymene Haploa moth communicates, like other moths, through pheromones and chemical smells. They use their physical gestures and judge the behavior of the same species to communicate.

How big is a Clymene moth?

The Haploa clymene is smaller than the morpho butterfly. They have a wide wingspan of 1.5-2 in (4-5 cm). The Atlas moth is the world's biggest moth.

How fast can Clymene moths fly?

Their flying speed is unknown, but ideally, as they are small, they would fly fast with the wind flow.

How much does a Clymene moth weigh?

The weight of this species is not known globally.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and female of the species do not have any specific names.

What would you call a baby Clymene moth?

The baby of this species is called the caterpillar which hatches within few days once the eggs are laid.

What do they eat?

The caterpillar feeds on plants such as oak, willow, and peach, whereas, the adult feeds on the nectar from the flowers such as Eupatorium. The caterpillar is a herbivore, similar to the American dagger moth, whereas, the Clymene Haploa moth is a nectarivore.

Are they dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous, except for the fact that the caterpillar feeds on poisonous plants which can be considered dangerous for humans. But in general, there is no specific threat evident in regard to crops and gardens from the Clymene Haploa moth.

Would they make a good pet?

No, they would not make a good pet as their caterpillar stage can be a threat to humans as they feed on poisonous plants like Ageratina altissima and Eupatorium. The adult Clymene Haploa moth site can be enjoyed by viewers as they are harmless.

Did you know...

The Haploa clymene is considered the blessing moth because of the significant cross mark on their closed forewings.

There are six subspecies of Haploa in North America which belong to the subfamily of Arctiinae.

Why are they called Clymene moths?

The meaning of the word 'Clymene' is derived from Greek mythology. Clymene (nymph) was the Titan goddess and mother of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.

What does a Clymene moth symbolize?

They are the sign of blessing and baptism. If you witness them, then consider yourself lucky as you have been baptized. The Clymene moth symbolism is very much known by the native people.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more facts about some other arthropods from our puss moth interesting facts and wolf spider fun facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable clymene moth coloring pages.