Lobster moth | |
---|---|
At rest the wings are positioned with the costa and apex of the hindwings protruding from behind the forewings. | |
Museum specimen | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
Family: | Notodontidae |
Genus: | Stauropus |
Species: | S. fagi |
Binomial name | |
Stauropus fagi | |
The lobster moth (Stauropus fagi), also known as lobster prominent, is a moth from the family Notodontidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The English name refers to the crustacean-like appearance of the caterpillar.
The moth has a wingspan ranging from 40 to 70 millimetres. The forewings are grey to grey-brown or green-brown, while the distal part has a slightly lighter colour. There are two bright, jagged crossbands, which are often only dimly visible on the front wings. Between these, the midfield of the wing is usually slightly darker. The hindwings are similar in colour but unmarked.
Wings grey-brown; forewing with light grey base and black basal dot, a pale" dentate band at the border of the light basal area and another in the centre, before the margin a row of dark submarginal dots which are edged with white proximally; hind margin usually red-brown. Hindwing with some light spots in the centre of the costal margin. Antennae red-brown, head and thorax grey-brown to mouse-grey, abdomen lighter. Underside of forewing light grey-brown, of hindwing and abdomen light greyish yellow. Throughout Europe with the exception of the most southern districts, occurring as far as Portugal, Central Italy and Bulgaria, and northward to Sweden and Livonia; Russia (Ural), Armenia, Amurland, Japan. Together with the typical form occurs in Europe a form with the forewing darkened and sharply marked; this is ab. obscura Rebel [ab. obscuraRebel, 1910]. The Japanese form, persimilis Butl. (44 g) [now subspecies S. fagi persimilis Butler, 1879], is somewhat smaller than true fagi, with more uniformly red-brown colouring and less obvious light basal area of the forewing. — Larva yellowish brown to dark brown, with black longitudinal lines on the 3 anterior pair's of tubercles, the lines of the second and third pairs being continued as oblique lateral stripes to the stigmata. On abdominal segments 1 and 2 a black spot below the stigmata, on 3 to 6 a narrow black lateral line situated just above the spiracles. June to autumn on Beech, Oak, Lime, Hazel, Walnut. In captivity it is necessary always to provide fresh food for the larvae and also to give them water to drink. The larvae are quarrelsome and mordaceous, and collectors have been warned not to keep a number together as they wound each other. This, though denied by some, has lately been proved to be true in the case of faulty treatment. It is very difficult to feed up larvae collected when very young, moulting being especially perilous for the larvae on account of their irregular shape. Pupa glossy black-brown, in a light pale grey cocoon which is placed between leaves. Early larvae give the moths already in June or August, while from those pupating at the end of July or later the moths appear in May or June of the following year. The moths come to the light ; they rest in day-time closely appressed to tree trunks, the strongly woolly fore legs being held stretched forward as in Dasychira pudibunda Karl Grünberg . [1]
The moth lives in the whole Palearctic realm except the north of Africa; absent in Siberia between Ob' river and Lake Baikal. In Britain it is more frequent in the southern counties [2]
In the first instar the caterpillar feeds entirely on its own egg-shell and is unusual in that it mimics an ant or small spider. This is due to the long thoracic legs "and caudal appendages which are ever nervously twisting about". [3] If the larva is disturbed during this period it wriggles about violently in the same manner as an injured ant. "The young caterpillars keep guard over their own egg-shell. They keep nervously moving around and about this, and if perchance another caterpillar should approach within touch of it, a vigorous attack is made to drive off the intruder." [3] After the first skin change the larvae feed on the leaves of Acer (Japan), Betula (British Isles, Finland, Japan), Carpinus (Japan), Castanea (Japan), Castanea crenata (Japan), Cornus (Japan), Corylus (British Isles, Japan), Corylus avellana (Finland), Fagus (British Isles) Juglans regia (Europe), Malus (Japan), Malus pumila (Finland), Prunus (Japan), Pterocarya (Japan), Quercus (British Isles, Japan), Quercus acutissima (Japan), Quercus mongolica (Japan), Quercus serrata (Japan), Salix (Japan), Salix caprea (Finland), Sorbus aucuparia (Finland), Tilia (Japan), Tilia cordata (Finland), Wisteria (Japan) Zelkova (Japan). During the following instars the caterpillar develops even more of an odd appearance with "a large head, (the) long thoracic legs, raised humps on the fourth to seventh segments and a greatly swollen anal segment that has the claspers modified into long thin structures". [4] The general colour is reddish brown and if in its resting position provides perfect cryptic camouflage. The larvae can grow to a length of 70 mm and if disturbed by a potential predator can put on a menacing display with the thoracic legs splayed out and the head arched back over the body. The moth pupates in a strong cocoon, "usually spun up between dead leaves". The moths emerge the following year from May until July depending on conditions.
The common emerald is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species is found throughout the Nearctic and Palearctic regions and the Near East. It is mostly commonly found in the southern half of the Ireland and Britain. It was accidentally introduced into southern British Columbia in 1973.
The slender pug is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1813 and is found throughout Europe and western parts of the Palearctic. The larva feeds on the catkins of willow.
The scalloped hazel is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759.
The scalloped oak is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The mottled umber is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is common throughout much of the Palearctic region. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759.
The mottled beauty is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Mimas tiliae, the lime hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East, and in northern Spain (Europe). The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The coxcomb prominent is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is a common species throughout the Palearctic realm from Ireland to Japan. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The buff-tip is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is found throughout Europe and in Asia to eastern Siberia. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The rough prominent is a moth of the family Notodontidae, subfamily Phalerinae. It is also known as the white-dotted prominent and the tawny prominent. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. This common moth is found across North America from the northern boreal forests to as far south as Florida. It is most common in deciduous forests at some elevation. It is nocturnal but attracted to lights. The moths start to fly soon after dusk and return to resting places some time before dawn breaks. The adults live through late spring and early summer, and larvae are active until fall. They then pupate until the following spring.
The Hebrew character is a moth in the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found throughout Europe.
Eupsilia transversa, the satellite, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766. It is distributed throughout the Palearctic.
The grey dagger is a moth of the family Noctuidae.
The dun-bar is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a common Palearctic species.
The black arches or nun moth is a small Palaearctic moth. It is considered a forest pest.
Alsophila aescularia, the March moth, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout Europe and can be a pest of fruit trees.
Plemyria rubiginata, the blue-bordered carpet, is a moth of the family Geometridae found in Europe and across the Palearctic. The moth was first described by the Austrian lepidopterists Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.
Archips xylosteana, the variegated golden tortrix or brown oak tortrix, is a moth of the family Tortricidae.
Notodonta dromedarius, the iron prominent, is a moth of the family Notodontidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1767. It is found in Europe and Anatolia.
Stauropus alternus, the lobster caterpillar, lobster moth or crab caterpillar, is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is found in the north-eastern Himalaya, Sri Lanka, Sundaland, the Philippines, Sulawesi and the southern Moluccas. It was described by Francis Walker in 1855.