Cossidae

Cossidae, commonly known as carpenter moths or carpenterworms, is a family of moths in the superfamily Cossoidea within the order Lepidoptera. The family includes several hundred species distributed worldwide, united by the larval habit of boring into wood.

Adults are typically medium to large, with stout bodies and wings that are often gray, brown, or mottled to resemble tree bark. Many species have cryptic patterns that camouflage them on trunks and branches. Moths in this family are generally nocturnal and many have reduced or non-feeding mouthparts.

The defining ecological trait of Cossidae is the wood-boring larval stage. Larvae tunnel through the sapwood and heartwood of living trees or into dead wood, sometimes for several years before pupating. This concealed lifestyle makes their presence visible mainly through frass, galleries in wood, or weakened trees. Adults emerge to mate, after which the life cycle continues.

Economically, several species are considered pests due to their wood-boring activity. They can damage living trees in forests and orchards, as well as lumber, timber, and wooden structures. Management typically emphasizes prevention, sanitation (removing infested material), and, in some cases, targeted insecticide applications, though control is challenging because larvae reside inside wood.

The Cossidae are cosmopolitan, with greatest diversity in warmer regions. Taxonomy includes various subfamilies and numerous genera, and the classification is subject to revision as new phylogenetic information becomes available. Notable species include Cossus cossus (goat moth), Zeuzera pyrina (leopard moth), and Prionoxystus robiniae (carpenterworm) in North America.