Commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms, or armyworms, moths in the Noctuidae family make up one of the largest families of Lepidoptera. The word Noctuidae is derived from the Latin word noctua meaning ‘little owl’ and the largest moth in this family in the continental United States is the Black Witch (Ascalapha odorata).
The Black Witch moth has been known as mariposa de la muerte or ‘butterfly of death’ since the time of the Aztecs, when it was believed that they were harbingers of death. With a wingspan of up to 6 inches, its upperside is mottled dark brown to grayish-brown with hints of iridescent purple and pink, and females, which are slightly larger and lighter in color than males, have a pale almost lavender-pink median band through both fore and hind wings.
 |
| A Black Witch (male) attracted to our mercury vapor light |
Common to abundant in the New World topics as far south as Brazil, the Black Witch flies year-round in south Florida and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. In June and July, summer monsoons in Mexico trigger this fabulous creature to migrate north through Texas, where it is often found roosting in garages, under eaves, or under bridges. It has the ability to migrate great distances over bodies of open water, such as the Gulf of Mexico, and one specimen was recorded in 1903 in Leadville, Colorado, caught in a snowstorm on the Fourth of July!
Primarily nocturnal, the adult Black Witch is attracted to light and fermenting fruit. Its larvae feed at night on a variety of cassias, acacias, ebony, mesquite, and other woody legumes, and rest during the day hidden under bark and branches. Up to 3 inches long, its caterpillar is dark gray tinged with brown, with a pale stripe down the back and dark stripes down the sides, and it relies on this natural camouflage to make it difficult to spot. Pupation occurs on the ground in scattered leaf litter within a fragile cocoon. Black Witches breed year round in overlapping generations, and their adult stage is thought to last only three or four weeks.
 |
| A Black Witch (female) perched above our front door! |
At first glance, this very large moth is often mistaken for a small bat hovering around a porch light, but it will eventually land and linger for several hours if undisturbed. If this happens to you, you can only hope that the South Texas legend of the Black Witch is true, as it states, “If a Black Witch lands above your door and stays there for a while, you could win the lottery!”
