Handmaiden moth
The Handmaiden moth flies about in open daylight looking and behaving so much like a stinging wasp that most birds leave it alone.
| Where | Low altitude forests and scrubby edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 34 to 40 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The Handmaiden moth is a slender, black bodied day flying moth with a yellow collar and two yellow bands crossing the abdomen. Its narrow wings carry several clear, glass like patches, including one long transparent window near the trailing edge of each forewing.
Adults fly by day in open, low altitude forest and scrub, moving with the quick, buzzing flight typical of wasp mimicking moths. They fly year round across their range, with no clear break between generations.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Black, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Flies openly by day, mimicking a wasp in flight; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Yellow-necked tiger moth has a yellow marked neck and several yellow bands ringing the abdomen, while the Handmaiden moth's abdomen is mostly black with only two yellow bands.
Questions
Is the Handmaiden moth dangerous to people?
Flies openly by day, mimicking a wasp in flight; harmless to people.
When can you see the Handmaiden moth?
The Handmaiden moth can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Cheryl Stinchcomb, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Erebid moths›Syntomoides
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.