Hickory tussock moth
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''Lophocampa caryae'', the hickory tiger moth, hickory tussock moth, or hickory halisidota, is a moth in the family
Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known macromoth groups. The family includes the underwings (''Catocala'' ...
and the tribe Arctiini, the tiger moths. The species is widely distributed in the eastern half of
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
.http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8211 In other species in this family, the
caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sy ...
s acquire chemical defenses from their host plants, so they are potentially toxic or unpalatable, but despite anecdotal claims that this species may also be venomous, no venom has yet been isolated or identified; adverse reactions are characterized as contact dermatitis.


Life cycle

There is one generation per year.Wagner, D.L. (2005). ''Caterpillars of Eastern North America.'' Princeton University Press.


Larva

The larva, a caterpillar, is completely covered in long, hairlike
seta In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. ...
e arranged in spreading tufts. Most are white, but there are black tufts along the middle of the back, and four long black hair pencils, two near the front, and two near the back. There are black spots along the sides, and the head capsule is black. The hairs cause itchy
rash A rash is a change of the human skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, c ...
es (contact dermatitis) in many people, particularly those prone to allergies, and may resemble exposure to
urushiol Urushiol is an oily mixture of organic compounds with allergenic properties found in plants of the family Anacardiaceae, especially '' Toxicodendron'' ''spp.'' (e.g., poison oak, Chinese lacquer tree, poison ivy, poison sumac), ''Comoclad ...
. They are microscopically barbed and may rarely cause serious medical complications if they are transferred from the hands to the eyes,Common Caterpillars are Dangerous to Touch!
Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
but in over 350 documented cases, most were asymptomatic within 24 hours, and none involved anaphylaxis. The later-instar caterpillars are seen between July to October. They feed in groups of about 100 or so in the early instars, skeletonizing leaves. Older larvae are solitary. They grow up to 4.5 centimeters long before
pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') 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 thei ...
ting. Larvae primarily feed on
hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mex ...
, pecan, and walnuts, but will also eat
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
, elm, oak,
willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...
, and other plants. They may occasionally cause local defoliation of nut trees, but high densities do not last long enough to cause significant damage.


Pupa

The cocoon is loose and has
setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. ...
woven into it. It overwinters in the leaf litter.


Adult

The adult moth flies in May and June. The forewings are yellowish-brown marked with white splotches, reminiscent of
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
. The hindwings are mostly white. The body is hairy and pale brown.Rose, A. H. and O. H. Lindquist. (1982). ''Insects of Eastern Hardwood Trees.'' Canadian Forestry service, Forestry Tech Rep 29. Government of Canada, Ottawa. .


References


Further reading

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q6676356
caryae Caryae or Karyai ( grc, Κάρυαι) was a town of ancient Laconia upon the frontiers of Arcadia. It was originally an Arcadian town belonging to Tegea, but was conquered by the Spartans and annexed to their territory. Caryae revolted from Spart ...
Aposematic species Moths of North America Moths described in 1841