Lasiocampidae | |
---|---|
Gastropacha populifolia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Clade: | Apoditrysia |
Clade: | Obtectomera |
Clade: | Macroheterocera |
Superfamily: | Lasiocampoidea |
Family: | Lasiocampidae Harris, 1841 |
Subfamilies | |
Diversity | |
About 224 genera and 1,952 species (van Nieukerken, et al., 2011) | |
Synonyms | |
|
The Lasiocampidae are a family of moths also known as eggars, tent caterpillars, snout moths (although this also refers to the Pyralidae), or lappet moths. Over 2,000 species occur worldwide, and probably not all have been named or studied. It is the sole family in superfamily Lasiocampoidea.
Their common name "snout moths" comes from the unique protruding mouth parts of some species which resemble a large nose. They are called "lappet moths" due to the decorative skin flaps found on the caterpillar's prolegs. The name "eggars" comes from the neat egg-shaped cocoons of some species. The scientific name is from the Greek lasio (wooly) and campa (caterpillar).
Caterpillars of this family are large and are most often hairy, especially on their sides. Most have skin flaps on their prolegs and a pair of dorsal glands on their abdomens. They feed on leaves of many different trees and shrubs, and often use these same plants to camouflage their cocoons. Some species are called tent caterpillars due to their habit of living together in nests spun of silk.
As adults, the moths in this family are large bodied with broad wings and may still have the characteristic elongated mouth parts, or have reduced mouthparts and not feed as adults. They are either diurnal or nocturnal. Females lay a large number of eggs which are flat in appearance and either smooth or slightly pitted. In tent caterpillars, the eggs are deposited in masses and covered with a material that hardens in air. Females are generally larger and slower than the males, but the sexes otherwise resemble each other. Moths are typically brown or grey, with hairy legs and bodies.
A family of moths mostly of large size. Palpi porrect and generally large; proboscis absent; eyes small; antennae bipectinate in both sexes; legs generally with minute terminal pairs of spurs to mid and hind tibia and rather hairy. Fore wing with vein 1a not forked with b; 1c rarely present; the cell medial in position; veins 6 and 7 from the angle; veins 9 and 10 always stalked and from beyond the angle. Hind wing with two internal veins; 6 and 7 arising very near the base; 8 curved and almost touching 7 or connected with it by a bar, thus forming a precostal cell; accessory costal veinlets generally present. Frenulum absent. Larva with lateral downwardly-directed tufts if hair, and often subdorsal tufts or dorsal humps on anterior somites thickly clothed with hair. Cocoon closely woven of silk and hair.
— The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I [1]
Subfamily Chionopsychinae (1 genus, 2 species)
Subfamily Chondrosteginae (2 genera)
Subfamily Lasiocampinae (130 genera)
Subfamily Macromphaliinae (15 genera)
Subfamily Poecilocampinae (two genera)
Genera incertae sedis
The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek geo γεω, and metron μέτρον "measure" in reference to the way their larvae, or inchworms, appear to measure the earth as they move along in a looping fashion. Geometridae is a very large family, containing around 23,000 described species; over 1400 species from six subfamilies are indigenous to North America alone. A well-known member is the peppered moth, Biston betularia, which has been the subject of numerous studies in population genetics. Several other geometer moths are notorious pests.
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.
The eastern tent caterpillar is a species of moth in the family Lasiocampidae, the tent caterpillars or lappet moths. It is univoltine, producing one generation per year. It is a tent caterpillar, a social species that forms communal nests in the branches of trees. It is sometimes confused with the spongy moth and the fall webworm, and may be erroneously referred to as a bagworm, which is the common name applied to unrelated caterpillars in the family Psychidae. The moths oviposit almost exclusively on trees in the plant family Rosaceae, particularly cherry (Prunus) and apple (Malus). The caterpillars are hairy with areas of blue, white, black and orange. The blue and white colors are structural colors created by the selective filtering of light by microtubules that arise on the ballcuticle.
The Lymantriinae are a subfamily of moths of the family Erebidae. The taxon was erected by George Hampson in 1893.
The forest tent caterpillar moth is a moth found throughout North America, especially in the eastern regions. Unlike related tent caterpillar species, the larvae of forest tent caterpillars do not make tents, but rather, weave a silky sheet where they lie together during molting. They also lay down strands of silk as they move over branches and travel as groups along these pheromone-containing silk trails. The caterpillars are social, traveling together to feed and massing as a group at rest. Group behavior diminishes as the caterpillars increase in size, so that by the fifth instar (molt) the caterpillars are feeding and resting independently.
Tent caterpillars are moderately sized caterpillars, or moth larvae, belonging to the genus Malacosoma in the family Lasiocampidae. Twenty-six species have been described, six of which occur in North America and the rest in Eurasia. Some species are considered to have subspecies as well. They are often considered pests for their habit of defoliating trees. They are among the most social of all caterpillars and exhibit many noteworthy behaviors.
The lackey moth is a moth in the family Lasiocampidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is common across southern Britain and central Europe. Malacosoma species are notable for their caterpillars which are brightly coloured and form silken tents to regulate their temperature. Malacosoma neustria caterpillars are brown with blue, orange and white stripes. The adults are a fairly uniform brown. The larvae feed mainly on trees and shrubs from within their tents.
The Limacodidae or Eucleidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea; the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their caterpillars bear a distinct resemblance to slugs. They are also called cup moths because of the shape of their cocoons.
The Blastobasidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. Its species can be found almost anywhere in the world, though in some places they are not native but introduced by humans. In some arrangements, these moths are included in the case-bearer family (Coleophoridae) as subfamily Blastobasinae. The Symmocidae are sometimes included in the Blastobasidae as subfamily or tribe.
Malacosoma californicum, the western tent caterpillar, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is a tent caterpillar. The Western Tent Caterpillar is found in southern Canada, the western United States, and parts of northern Mexico. There are currently six recognized subspecies of M. californicum. Western tent caterpillars are gregarious and will spend a large portion of their time with other caterpillars in silken tents constructed during their larval stage.
Malacosoma castrense, the ground lackey, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is a tent caterpillar found in Europe. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The moth's habitats are salt marshes and estuaries.
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.
Lasiocampa quercus, the oak eggar, is a common moth of the family Lasiocampidae found in Europe, including Britain and Ireland. It feeds on a variety of plant species, and may develop over two years in higher latitudes, where it may be known as the northern eggar. Its specific name quercus refers to the fact that its cocoon generally resembles an acorn, not that its primary food source is oak.
The external morphology of Lepidoptera is the physiological structure of the bodies of insects belonging to the order Lepidoptera, also known as butterflies and moths. Lepidoptera are distinguished from other orders by the presence of scales on the external parts of the body and appendages, especially the wings. Butterflies and moths vary in size from microlepidoptera only a few millimetres long, to a wingspan of many inches such as the Atlas moth. Comprising over 160,000 described species, the Lepidoptera possess variations of the basic body structure which has evolved to gain advantages in adaptation and distribution.
Trabala vishnou, the rose-myrtle lappet moth, is a species of moth in the family Lasiocampidae. It is found in southern Asia, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Four subspecies are recognized.
Tolype velleda, the large tolype moth or velleda lappet moth, is a species of moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It was first described by Caspar Stoll in 1791. The species is found from Nova Scotia to central Florida, west to Texas and north to Ontario. Also found in the California Mountains. Out of the United States, they can also be found in low and littoral areas of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa from Egypt to the Atlantic coast of Morocco.
Eutricha capensis, the Cape lappet moth, is a species of moth in the family Lasiocampidae primarily found in South Africa. During the larval stage, Cape lappets feed on a wide variety of African plants and can often be found aggregating in gardens. The caterpillars are brightly coloured and conspicuously hairy, while the bulky adult moths are mostly brown and much less striking in appearance.
Odonestis pruni, also known as the plum lappet moth or the plum eggar, is a species of moth, belonging to the family Lasiocampidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is native to Eurasia.