mother-of-pearl moth

noun

1. a pyralid moth, Pleuroptya ruralis, having a pale sheen, that is often seen around nettles, on which its green larvae feed

Example Sentences

If you give a mother-of-pearl moth caterpillar a good poke, it will spin away like a little green coin.

From New York Times

The robot cannot quite compete with the rapid reaction time of real-life caterpillars, though—the GoQBot takes 50 milliseconds after electrical stimulation before initiating any movement at all, whereas a mother-of-pearl moth larva would be almost completely curled into a wheel shape by that time.

From Scientific American