Appearance
The adult has narrow black wings, usually held away from the body at rest, and a reddish collar. The wingspan is 18–28 mm, the length 8–12 mm.The larva has a dark head; the body is yellow with a complete black band across each abdominal segment. The larvae can reach up to 15 mm in length.
Reproduction
Eggs are lemon yellow, shaped like a capsule, slightly over 0.5 mm in length and are laid in clusters on the underside of leaves. They hatch in about a week.Larvae are stout, with ten bright yellow bands or lines of dots, and eleven black bands alternating. They have hair-like setae that, if brushed against, will give a rash that lasts several days. They feed in groups that become progressively smaller as the larvae age. They constantly live on the underside of the leaves, and frequently line up side by side. Development from hatch to pupation takes about 40 days.
This is the only moth species that feeds gregariously on grape foliage.
Evolution
There are several generations per year in the south, and one in the north of its range.References:
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