Paysandisia Archon, The Palm Moth Or Palm Castnide, Stock Photo

Paysandisia archon, the Palm Moth or Palm Castnid, is a species of Lepidoptera (butterflies) in the family Castniidae. It is the sole representative of the monotypic genus Paysandisia. As its name suggests, its caterpillar feeds on the stems and trunks of palm trees. It is sometimes mistakenly named "Palm Moth" or "Palm Bombyx", but its family (Castniidae) is distantly related to the Hawk Moth (Sphingidae) or Bombyx (Bombycidae) family.Native to Uruguay and central Argentina, this species was accidentally introduced into Southern Europe, where it spreads quite quickly and is considered a pest species, destroying thousands of palm trees in Europe Mediterranean.