Moth Of The Week

Moth of the Week

Fall Webworm

Hyphantria cunea

The fall webworm is in the family Erebidae. Described by Dru Dury in 1773, this moth is known for creating webbed nests as caterpillars and living in them until the pupa stage. They are considered pests in some areas due to their tendency to defoliate trees while feeding as larva and are known as an invasive species in East Asia.

Description Adult moths are mostly white in color with white legs that are black/brown and white in color. The top two legs are orange on the segment closest to the body. Under the eyes are patches of the same orange color and on occasion there are orange spots on the abdomen. In the north, the wings are completely white while in the south, the wings are speckled with brown or black spots.

Average wingspan: 38.5 mm (≈1.5 in)

Diet and Habitat The fall webworm feeds on just about any type of deciduous tree and can defoliate entire beaches or trees. In the eastern U.S., these moths prefer pecan trees, black walnut, American elm, hickory, fruit trees, persimmon, and sweetgum. In the west, alder, willow, cottonwood and fruit trees are commonly eaten. Adult moths do not feed.

This species is native to North America, ranging from Canada to Mexico, was introduced into other continents in the 1940s, and has since then spread. First recorded in 1949, this moth was introduced to the former nation of Yugoslavia and spread from France to the Caspian Sea and further into central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and southeastern Kazakhstan. When introduced to Japan in 1945, it spread to generations per year since its arrival.[5] It spread into China, southern Mongolia, Korea and southern Primorsky Krai of Russia. Now it is considered holarctic, meaning found in almost all regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Mating The mating season starts in late June and lasts until early July. In the northern part of North America, this species has one generation per year. The larvae hatch and live in late summer through early fall. In the south, which is cons to be under an approximate latitude of 40°N, there are two or more generations annually and nests appear progressively earlier the further south you go. Male fall webworms are typically only available for mating for about 30–60 minutes per day. This moth even shows a form of fall parental behavior. The female will try to protect the eggs after oviposition by covering her newly laid eggs with her abdomen hairs. Females lay the eggs on the underside of the host plants’ leaves in groups of about 100.

Predators The fall webworm has many predators such as Monomorium minimum, Vespula spp., Coleomegilla maculata, and Rogas hyphantriae.This species is parasitized by around 50 species, such as the flies Musca domestica and Muscina stabulans, and parasitic wasps such as Chouioia cunea and Therion morio. There are also several species of microsporida (unicellular spore parasites) such as Nosema necatrix Kramer, Weiser, and Nosema bombycis that are harmful. This species is also harmed by several viruses such as granulovirus and nucleopolyhedrosis virus. The caterpillars protect and defend themselves by shaking and jerking together, giving off a repellant scent, and irritants on their hairs or spines.

Fun Fact The fall webworm is a social insect as groups of caterpillars live in spun nests made from webs. These webs have many benefits like finding of mates, temperature regulation, increased growth rate, and protection from predators. However they also result in higher rates of infections and predation.

(Source: Wikipedia, USDA Forest Service, Missouri Department of Conservation)

@turkeygamemaster

Moth of the Week

Domestic Silk Moth

Bombyx mori

The domestic silk moth is from the family Bombycidae. It is very closely related to the wild silk moth (Bombyx mandarina), which was first described in 1872 by Frederic Moore. The domestic silk moth was created through selective breeding in order to produce more silk and therefore lacks several behaviors of other moths.

Description This species has white hairy bodies, legs, and wings unlike the wild silk moth which is pigmented brown. This loss of color is due to the domesticated moths no longer needing camouflage. Additionally, this species wings form from larval imaginal disks, and although some may be able to hover, due to domestication the B. mori in incapable of prolonged flight as their bodies are too big to carry. This changes their mating behaviors.

Compared to the wild silk moth, the domesticated silk moth has increased cocoon size, body size, growth rate, and quicker digestion.

Wingspan Range: 3 – 5 cm (1.2 – 2.0 in)

Females are about 2 to 3 times the size of males to carry the eggs.

Diet and Habitat Silk moth larva or silkworms prefer to eat white mulberry leaves and other species of mulberries. They are also known to eat the leaves of the osage orange.

As domesticated species, these moths live in man made habitats for silk production.

It’s undomesticated relative the wild silk moth, B. mandarina, ranges from inland China to Korea and Japan.

Mating Since they cannot fly to find mates like the males of other silk moths species, the B. mori is completely dependent on humans for mating.

The eggs laid are put in and hatch in incubators after approximately 14 days.

Predators This species has no predators due to being taken care of by humans. They have also lost their camouflage, seen in the B. mandarina, from domestication.

Fun Fact Many Asian cultures such as Indian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai eat silkworms. They are roasted, boiled, and/or packaged for snack sale. They have also been proposed as food for astronauts on long missions.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Moth of the Week

Madagascan Sunset Moth

Chrysiridia rhipheus (misspelled “ripheus”)

The Madagascan sunset moth is in the family Uraniidae. This species was first described in 1773 by Dru Drury who put it in the Papilio genus, a genus of butterflies. He though this because it looked like a swallowtail butterfly, and additionally the specimen he was given had a different species’s head with clubbed antennae (a defining characteristic of butterflies) attached to the body. Jacob Hübner corrected this mistake in 1823 and placed the moth in the genus Chrysiridia. I though this moth would be perfect to post in June for its rainbow colors.

Description The Madagascan sunset moth’s body is covered in black fur on the back and orange fur on the underside. The thorax is an iridescent blue or green and the legs and head are black with filiform antennae. The wings are iridescent red, blue, and green with the colors mixing for the full rainbow. Black patterning of spots and stripes are on all four wings with the forewings having a black edge. The hindwings themselves have a white fringe on the edge and six tails which are often broken off or damaged over time. The upper side of both wings are mostly black with a large patch by the body. Patterns on the wings can vary and some moths are asymmetrical. This can be caused by many things like temperature shock during growth.

The colors on this moth’s wings do not come from pigments, but instead are caused by the scattering of light from the wings’ scales.

Average wingspan in high altitudes: 7 cm (≈2.8 in)

Average wingspan in low altitudes: 9 cm (≈3.5 in)

On occasion a moth’s wingspan can be as large as 11 cm (≈4.3 in).

Diet and Habitat The larva feed on four types of plants from the Omphalea genus that grow only on Madagascar. These species are O. ankaranensis, O. palmata, O. occidentalis, and O. oppositifolia. The larva eat all parts of the plants from leaves, to stems, to flowers, to fruits, but they avoid the veins of the leave which have a toxic latex in them. Adult moths drink nectar and prefer white or whitish-yellow flowers especially from the Indian almond tree, tea plant, loquat, plants in the Eucalyptus genus, and common mango tree.

First believed to have come from China or Bengal, this moth is only found in Madagascar. They migrate over the island to different areas with their host plant and can be found all over the island except for the south west and extreme south where their host does not grow. This moth’s preferred habitats are deciduous forests and rain forest regions.

Mating These moths mate all year but have the highest populations in March to August and the lowest populations in October to December. The females lay their eggs late in the afternoon or at nightfall. The females will usually lay the eggs in the underside of the host plant’s leaves in groups but can on occasion lay them on top.

Average number of eggs laid in each group: 80 eggs

Predators The Omphalea genus the caterpillars feed on also attracts polistine wasps who prey on the larva. However, the caterpillars and adult moths are toxic because the Omphalea species contains polyhydroxy alkaloids, which the caterpillars gain by eating and retain as adult moths. The wings’ bring colors are a warning signal of this.

Fun Fact The Malagasy people believe the souls of the dead or of ancestors appears in the form of a lepidopteran. The Madagascan sunset moth is specifically called adriandolo or lolonandriana, from lolo for "spirit" or "butterfly" and andriana for "noble" or "king.”

Additionally, eating the silk from this moth is said to cause a euphoric high.

Another interesting fact is the Madagascan sunset moth is one of only two species in the Chrysiridia genus.

(Source: Wikipedia, Moth Identification, Bug Under Glass)

Moth of the Week:

Rosy Maple Moth

Dryocampa rubicunda

First described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793, this moth is part of the Saturniidae family. This family is better known as the great silk moth family. However, these moths are the smallest of the silk moths. They get their name from their preferred host plants: maple trees.

Description One difference between males and females are males have larger antennae to sense female mating pheromones. Both share pink antennas, undersides, and legs. Body and wing colors range from yellow, pink, white, and cream. As caterpillars they are green.

Female wingspan: 3.8 - 5 cm (1.5 - 2 in)

Male wingspan: 4.3 - 4.4 cm (1.25 - 1.75 in)

Diet and Habitat The rosy maple moth feeds on red maples, sugar maples, silver maples, box elder maples, and turkey oaks. The caterpillars eat the entire leaf and can even defoliate entire trees, however the damage isn’t usually permanent. Adult moths have no mouths so they do not eat. Rosy maple moths are found on the Atlantic coast of the United States and eastern Canada. Their northernmost reach includes Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Their southernmost reach is Dade County, Florida. They extend west from eastern Texas to Minnesota. Caterpillars live in temperate forests by suburban and urban landscapes

Mating Adult moths are solitary besides mating. During the warmer months, females release pheromones at night to attract males then lay eggs 24 hours after mating. Usually females lay eggs once a season, but they can lay up to 3 times in souther regions. In these cases, rosy maple moths are polyandrous, meaning they will have multiple mating partners. Females lay eggs on the underside of the leaves of the host trees in groups of 10 to 40 eggs.

Average amount of eggs laid: 150 - 200

Predators The predators of these moths are birds like blue jays, tufted titmice, and black-capped chickadees. To prevent predation, this moth uses bright colors to trick predators into thinking it is poisonous. Additionally, the colors help the moth camouflage itself by blending in with the maple seed cases.

Fun Fact Rosy maple moths can’t hear sounds.

(Source: Wikipedia and Animal Spot)

Moth of the Week

Primrose Moth

Schinia florida

The primrose moth is part of the family Noctuidae or the family of owlet moths. It was described by French lawyer and entomologist Achille Guenée in 1852. This moths earns its name from the evening-primrose, which hosts and feeds the larvae.

Description This moth has a pink head with pink filiform antennae. Their bodies are a pale yellow or cream with a pink underside. The forewings are pink with a large pale yellow edge on the outer margin. inside the pink area are pale yellow markings with a larger spot of pale yellow by lower thorax. The hindwings are cream or white with a pale yellow underside.

Average wingspan: 31.5 mm (≈ 1.2 in)

Diet and Habitat Primrose moth caterpillars eat evening primrose, biennial gaura and other members of the Onagraceae family. The larvae eat the seeds and flowers of these plants rather than the leaves. This species is found in continental North America in temperate regions. It’s range spans from southern Canada and almost all regions of the United States. This moth reaches up to Alberta and eastern Washington state. In the East and West, this Spence’s goes as far as North Carolina and Utah respectively. They do not live in the lower southwestern United States. They are found in open meadows and on the prairies of the Great Plains of eastern North America. They also like fields, clearings, and wastelands.

Mating The primrose moth mating season coincides with the blooming season of the primrose plant, whose buds are hosts to the moth’s eggs. The eggs hatch 4-5 days after being laid. These caterpillars burrow into the ground to pupate and spend the winter. There is only one generation per year.

Average of 114 eggs laid per female

Predators This species is preyed on by birds and bats.

Fun Fact During the day, adults hide and camouflage themselves in partially closed primrose flowers, and they are strictly nocturnal.

(Source: Wikipedia; Moth Identification; Pacific Northwest Moths; Fishers Island Conservatory; Outside My Window; Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 1970, 282-287; Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies & Damselflies of Dayton, Ohio)

Moth of the Week

Southern Flannel Moth

Megalopyge opercularis

The southern flannel moth is a part of the family Megalopygidae, the family of flannel moths or crinkled flannel moths. It was described by Sir James Edward Smith in 1797. They get the name “flannel moth” from being covered in setae, hair like bristles that give them a fuzzy, soft look.

Description Adult moths have round, hairy bodies ranging in coloration from cream at the bottom to yellow or light brown at the head. It’s legs are the same brown as the body with black feet. The forewings fade from a darker brown to cream with black/dark brown at the top edge or “costal margin.” The outer margin is white and the middle of the forewings have white patterning. The hindwings are fully cream or have a similar gradient. The antennae of females are thin and white, while males have feathery yellow antennae. Males and females may have differing coloration. Females are larger than males.

The caterpillars are known for their long stinging hairs and their unusual amount of prolegs. Flannel moth caterpillars have 7 pairs of prolegs, while all other butterfly and moth caterpillars have 5 or fewer.

Average wingspan: 30 mm (≈1.18 in)

Diet and Habitat This species live on oak, elm, and wild plum as well as many garden plants such as roses and ivy. Adult moths do not feed.

It’s distributed across the eastern United States/Gulf Coast. They range from New Jersey to Florida and west to Arkansas and Texas. It is common in Florida but reaches its greatest abundance in Texas. They can reach further south to Mexico and Central America. They are commonly found in wooded areas like deciduous forests but can also be found in urban and suburban gardens.

Mating This moths has 2 generations per year, one in the summer and one in the fall. Late larvae may overwinter in their cocoon and emerge in late spring. Females usually mate the night of they leave their cocoons and lay their eggs during the first two nights following mating. Eggs are laid in single or double curved rows and occasionally in patches on foliage or small twigs and are covered with hair from the under side of the female to protect them. Eggs hatch in six to eight days.

Predators Observations of this moth’s predators is lacking, but there are a few reports of lacewing feeding on their eggs and a lizard eating a later instar. It is assumed they are preyed on by other common predators of moths like birds, bats, praying mantises, lady beetles, and ants. At least four species of tachinid flies and two species of ichneumonid wasp have been reported to parasitize the flannel moth larva. The caterpillar protects itself with long venomous spines. When touched they cause severe skin irritation, described as like a broken bone or blunt-force trauma, or even white hot. The reaction tends to spread:

“The reactions are sometimes localized to the affected area, but are often very severe, radiating up a limb and causing burning, swelling, nausea, headache, abdominal distress, rashes, blisters, and sometimes chest pain, numbness, or difficulty breathing. Sweating from the welts or hives at the site of the sting is not unusual.”

Fun Fact The caterpillars are covered in long setae, making it resemble a tiny Persian cat, which is where it is assumed the name "puss" comes from. Some of the many names for the larva include: puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug, puss moth, tree asp, and asp caterpillar.

(Source: Wikipedia; IFAS Extension, University of Florida; Missouri Department of Conservation; AZ Animals)