''Lithacodes fasciola'', the yellow-shouldered slug or ochre-winged hag moth, is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Limacodidae The Limacodidae or Eucleidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea;Scoble, M.J. (1992). ''The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity.'' Oxford University Press. the placement is in dispute. They are often ca ...

Lifecycle

One generation a year occurs in the north, but two or more in the southern United States, so mature

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 ...

s may be found from May to November.Wagner, DL, 2005. Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Princeton University Press

Larva

The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

is flattened and ovoid in outline, with a short, squared off "tail". It is a bright yellow green with yellow and green stripes along its length. Small craters dot its topside. Maximum length is 15 mm. Like all limacodids, the legs are shortened and the

proleg A proleg is a small, fleshy, stub structure found on the ventral surface of the abdomen of most larval forms of insects of the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, though they can also be found on larvae of insects such as symphyta, sawflies. In ...

s are reduced to suction cups. A high proportion of larvae have

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

s. Their presence can be determined before emergence by a black spot formed by the breathing siphon of the fly.

Pupa

This species pupates in a cup-shaped cocoon with a circular escape hatch.

Adult

The small (1 cm) moth is "hairy" and brown, with a white stripe bordered in black across the fore wings, black spots, and a black crescent. The under wing is a paler grey brown.

Food plants

This moth eats a variety of

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

trees and shrubs, such as apple, beech, birch, blueberry, cherry, chestnut, hickory, honey locust, hornbeam, linden, maple, oak, and willow.

Gallery

Image:Lithacodes.JPG, Larva,

Delton, Michigan Delton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Barry Township in Barry County, Michigan, United States. The population was 854 at the 2020 census. Geography Delton is located in southwestern Barry County. It is bordered to the north by Hope Tow ...

Image:Lithacodes fasciola larva.jpg, Larva Image:Lithacodes fasciola larvae.jpg, Larvae in a research facility, Washington, DC

References

External links

Moths of Maryland
image {{Taxonbar, from=Q6647831 Limacodidae Moths described in 1854 Taxa named by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer Moths of North America