Wasp-mimc clearwing moths
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Don Boucher
Jul 31, 2022, 5:45:31 PM7/31/22
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Strawberry Crown Moth
Synanthedon bibionipennis
These are wasp-mimic, moths mating. They are in the clearwing moth family (Sesiidae) which has many wasp-mimic species. Not only do they look like wasps, they fly like them too. The larger female is less than a half inch long.
I was out in the garden and saw these attached “wasps” flying around. It was only when they landed on a thimbleberry leaf that I recognized them for what they were. They are native to western North America. Their caterpillars bore into the roots, crowns and stem bases of rose family plants like strawberries, roses, Rubus (raspberries & blackberries) and cinquefoils. Eggs are laid in the summer and the caterpillars feed until Fall and overwinter inside the crowns or roots of the host plant. They’ll feed more in Spring, pupate and emerge about 23 days later.
We’ve seen these in the garden before, in July 2020 (https://groups.google.com/g/mid-valley-nature/c/mpVSU18yKH0/m/uHA-b7J8BAAJ)
They don’t appear to be causing much damage to their target species in our garden. The only plant that’s not doing well are our raspberries, but that's due to a fungal disease called verticillium wilt. If we start to see a lot more Strawberry Crown Moths, perhaps we’ll need to be concerned.
Don Boucher
NE Corvallis
Synanthedon bibionipennis
These are wasp-mimic, moths mating. They are in the clearwing moth family (Sesiidae) which has many wasp-mimic species. Not only do they look like wasps, they fly like them too. The larger female is less than a half inch long.
I was out in the garden and saw these attached “wasps” flying around. It was only when they landed on a thimbleberry leaf that I recognized them for what they were. They are native to western North America. Their caterpillars bore into the roots, crowns and stem bases of rose family plants like strawberries, roses, Rubus (raspberries & blackberries) and cinquefoils. Eggs are laid in the summer and the caterpillars feed until Fall and overwinter inside the crowns or roots of the host plant. They’ll feed more in Spring, pupate and emerge about 23 days later.
We’ve seen these in the garden before, in July 2020 (https://groups.google.com/g/mid-valley-nature/c/mpVSU18yKH0/m/uHA-b7J8BAAJ)
They don’t appear to be causing much damage to their target species in our garden. The only plant that’s not doing well are our raspberries, but that's due to a fungal disease called verticillium wilt. If we start to see a lot more Strawberry Crown Moths, perhaps we’ll need to be concerned.
Don Boucher
NE Corvallis
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