#3120 · 🦋 butterflies & moths

Black Witch

Ascalapha odorata

8 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Katja Schulz · CC BY 4.0
2. © David G. Barker · CC BY-NC 4.0
3. © Raymê Carvalho · CC BY-NC 4.0
4. © colinmorita · CC BY-NC 4.0
5. © Susan Wise-Eagle · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. © venomchick · CC BY-NC 4.0
7. © Raymê Carvalho · CC BY-NC 4.0
8. © Mike Quinn, San Marcos · CC BY-NC 4.0

what is it?

The erebid moth Ascalapha odorata , commonly known as the black witch moth , is a large bat-shaped, dark-colored nocturnal moth, found from Brazil until the southern United States. It is the largest noctuid found in the continental United States. In the folklore of many cultures in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is associated with death or misfortune.

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 37,417iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
37,417 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).