Arsenic-bioaccumulation
Guides
Callopistria floridensis
Florida Fern Moth, Florida Fern Caterpillar
Callopistria floridensis, commonly known as the Florida Fern Moth or Florida Fern Caterpillar, is a small noctuid moth with a wingspan of approximately 29 mm. The species is notable for its year-round adult activity in tropical and subtropical regions, with larvae that feed exclusively on ferns. It has gained scientific attention as the only known terrestrial animal capable of accumulating high levels of arsenic when feeding on the brake fern Pteris vittata. While primarily a native species across the Americas, it occasionally becomes a pest in greenhouses.