Cossus cossus

Cossus cossus, the goat moth, is a moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Northern Africa, Asia and Europe. This is a large heavy moth with a wingspan of 68–96 mm. The wings are greyish brown and marked with fine dark cross lines. The moth flies from April to August depending on the location. The caterpillars have a red/purple stripe across the back and a black head. They reach a length of 9–10 cm.The caterpillars feed in the trunks and branches of a wide variety of trees (see list below), taking three to five years to mature. The caterpillar holes can be found low on the stem (maximum 1.0–1.5 cm above the ground). When ready to pupate the caterpillar leaves the tree to find a suitable spot.