What is the scientific name of the moth commonly called the Pandora pinemoth?

The Pandora pinemoth has the scientific name Coloradia pandora. It is a North American moth whose larvae feed primarily on pine needles.

The species belongs to the family Saturniidae, the group that includes many large silk moths. Its larvae can occur in pine forests, and population increases may cause noticeable defoliation. The moth’s common name and species name both refer to Pandora from Greek mythology.

Coloradia pandora is not the same organism as a Saturn moon, an asteroid, or a movie titled Pandora’s Box. Scientific names provide the most precise way to distinguish the moth from those unrelated uses of Pandora.

The genus name Coloradia identifies the broader taxonomic group, while pandora is the species epithet. In binomial nomenclature, the two words are written together as Coloradia pandora, with the genus capitalized and the species epithet lowercase. That formatting is part of the standard scientific naming system.