witch moth

[wich mawth, moth]

noun

1. any of several large moths of the family Erebidae, superfamily Noctuoidea, especially the blackish, bat-shaped Ascalapha odora black witch of Central and North America.

Word History and Origins

Origin of witch moth¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

These days the biggest wingspan belongs to the beautiful white witch moth of Central and northern South America, which measures from 10 inches to nearly a foot across, says Katy Prudic, an entomologist at the University of Arizona.

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The white witch moth has the largest wingspan of any insect alive today.

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