| Anthela nicothoe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female | |
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Anthelidae |
| Genus: | Anthela |
| Species: | A. nicothoe |
| Binomial name | |
| Anthela nicothoe | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Anthela nicothoe, the urticating anthelid, is a moth of the family Anthelidae.
The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1832. It is found in Australia, including Tasmania.
The adult moth's wingspan is about 70 mm for males and 100 mm for females.
The large brown caterpillar has a puffy brown segmented body with urticating hairs on each rise with none between. These hairs are both long and short, with the longer ones being white and the shorter ones being brown giving the caterpillar a tufted look, especially visible when curled in the defense posture of a spiral. [2] The hairs are very fine and brittle, easily penetrating the skin and breaking off. [2]
Female caterpillars grow to about 8 cm long, but the male's length is only about 5 cm. [2]
The caterpillar pupates in a brown cocoon, first having poked its hairs through the cocoon wall before pupating inside, giving the cocoon a furry appearance. These hairs are just as thin and brittle as when they were on the caterpillar. [2]
The larvae feed on various Acacia species, especially Acacia baileyana and Acacia dealbata . [3] (Personal observation of this taxon, in all life stages, suggested that-in central coastal parts of South Australia, where its larvae and cocoons were observed only on and in large sprawling shrubs of Acacia longifolia subspecies sophorae, growing naturally in stable depressions and more densely vegetated swales in silica sand dunes ).
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages thereof being egg, larva, pupa, and imago. The processes of entering and completing the pupal stage are controlled by the insect's hormones, especially juvenile hormone, prothoracicotropic hormone, and ecdysone. The act of becoming a pupa is called pupation, and the act of emerging from the pupal case is called eclosion or emergence.
The luna moth, also called the American moon moth, is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly named the giant silk moths.
Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and giant silk moths.
Opodiphthera eucalypti, the emperor gum moth, is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae native to Australia. This species was formerly placed in the genus Antheraea.
The brown-tail moth is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several years duration, have been reported as far back as the 1500s. The life cycle of the moth is atypical, in that it spends approximately nine months as larvae (caterpillars), leaving about one month each for pupae, imagos and eggs. Larvae (caterpillars) are covered in hairs. Two red spots on the back, toward the tail, distinguish these species from other similarly hairy moth larvae. The winged adults have white wings and a hairy white body with a tuft of brown hair at the tip of the abdomen. Females lay one egg cluster, usually on the underside of a leaf of a host plant. The species is polyphagous, meaning that it feeds on many different species of trees, including pear, apple, maple and oak.
The codling moth is a member of the Lepidopteran family Tortricidae. They are major pests to agricultural crops, mainly fruits such as apples and pears, and a codling moth larva is often called an "apple worm". Because the larvae are not able to feed on leaves, they are highly dependent on fruits as a food source and thus have a significant impact on crops. The caterpillars bore into fruit and stop it from growing, which leads to premature ripening. Various means of control, including chemical, biological, and preventive, have been implemented. This moth has a widespread distribution, being found on six continents. Adaptive behavior such as diapause and multiple generations per breeding season have allowed this moth to persist even during years of bad climatic conditions.
Hyalophora cecropia, the cecropia moth, is North America's largest native moth. It is a member of the family Saturniidae, or giant silk moths. Females have been documented with a wingspan of five to seven inches or more. These moths can be found all across North America as far west as Washington and north into the majority of Canadian provinces. Cecropia moth larvae are most commonly found on maple trees, but they have also been found on cherry and birch trees among many others. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Automeris io, the Io moth or peacock moth, is a colorful North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The Io moth is also a member of the subfamily Hemileucinae. The name Io comes from Greek mythology in which Io was a mortal lover of Zeus. The Io moth ranges from the southeast corner of Manitoba and in the southern extremes of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada, and in the US it is found from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, east of those states and down to the southern end of Florida. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.
Orgyia leucostigma, the white-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. The caterpillar is very common especially in late summer in eastern North America, extending as far west as Texas, California, and Alberta.
The saddleback caterpillar is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. It is also found in Mexico. The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae.
Eriogaster lanestris, commonly known as the small eggar, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae that is found across the Palearctic. Unlike many other members of the Lasiocampidae, the small eggar is a social insect. Historically, only eusocial insects like ants, bees, and termites were thought to exhibit complex social organization and communication systems. However, research since the late 20th century has found that E. lanestris, among a number of other phylogenetically related moth and butterfly species, demonstrates social behaviors as well. Larvae spend nearly their entire development in colonies of about 200 individuals, and this grouped social structure offers a number of benefits, from thermoregulation to increased foraging success.
Euthrix potatoria, the drinker, is an orange-brown moth of the family Lasiocampidae.
Chenuala is a monotypic moth genus in the family Anthelidae described by Charles Swinhoe in 1892. Its only species, Chenuala heliaspis, the rose anthelid, was described by Edward Meyrick in 1891. It is endemic to Australia.
Chelepteryx collesi, the batwing moth or white stemmed gum moth, is a moth of the family Anthelidae. The species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1835. It is found in Australasia.
Anthela varia, the variable anthelid, is a moth of the family Anthelidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855. It is found in the coastal areas of southern Western Australia, southern Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
Cymbalophora pudica, the discrete chaperon, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1784.
Ochrogaster lunifer, the bag-shelter moth or processionary caterpillar, is a member of the family Notodontidae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1855. Both the larval and adult forms have hairs that cause irritation of the skin (urticaria). The adult moth has a woolly appearance and its wings can grow to be about 5.5 cm across. The larvae feed on Grevillea striata at night and reside in brown silken bag nest during the day.
Polydesma umbricola, the monkeypod moth or large tabby, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. The species is found in southern Europe, Africa, Asia Minor to southern Asia, of India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, the Andaman Islands, including many Indian Ocean islands, like Coëtivy Island, Aldabra, Assumption Island, Madagascar and on Hawaii.
Anthela is a genus of moths of the family Anthelidae. The genus was erected by Francis Walker in 1855.
Trabala pallida is a species of moth in the family Lasiocampidae. They can be found from Southeast China, south throughout Thailand and most of Sundaland. One subspecies is Trabala pallida montana.