BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

Double-toothed Prominent, Nerice bidentata

Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Size: Wingspan 1 1⁄4–1 1⁄2"

Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, parks, habitats where elm is found

Range: Throughout eastern United States

The Double-toothed Prominent is a small, common moth of the East with broad wings and scales at the basal edge of the forewings; these stand upright, hence the name “prominent.” The upperside of the forewing is brown along the top half, grayish on the bottom half, with a ragged, dark, double-toothed edge in between. The hindwing is an unmarked brown, paler toward the base. With wings folded flat or angled as a tent, the moth appears convincingly as a strip of bark or dry leaves. The body is mottled pale gray-brown and has heavily furred legs and feathered antennae. The caterpillar, known as the “elm caterpillar,” is small and green, with pale stripes above, yellow lines along the sides, and several raised, forked ridges along the back. The caterpillar eats the leaves of elms and related species.