''Halysidota harrisii'', the sycamore tiger 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

Erebidae The Erebidae are a family (biology), 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 underwin ...

and the tribe

Arctiini The Arctiini are a tribe (biology), tribe of Arctiinae (moth), tiger moths in the family Erebidae. Systematics The tribe was previously treated as a higher-level taxon, the subfamily Arctiinae, within the lichen and tiger moth family, Arctiida ...

, the tiger moths. The species was first described by

Benjamin Dann Walsh Benjamin Dann Walsh (September 21, 1808 – November 18, 1869) was an English-born American entomologist who served as the first official state entomologist in Illinois.Mallis (1971) He was a leading influence during a time of significant tra ...

in 1864. It is found in southeastern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, the eastern parts of the United States, and northeastern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Description

The larvae have yellow-orange heads and bodies covered with hair, and they can grow to approximately 25–35 mm in length. They exhibit two pairs of long, orange

hair-pencil Hair-pencils and coremata are pheromone signaling structures present in lepidopteran males. Males use hair-pencils in courtship behaviors with females. The pheromones they excrete serve as both aphrodisiacs and tranquilizers to females as well as ...

s and two pairs of white hair-pencils towards the front of their body. They also exhibit one pair of white hair-pencils near the back of their body. The adults are pale yellow with dark bands on the forewings. Each forewing is 24–26 mm in length, making the

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

approximately 50 mm. As adults, they are almost indistinguishable from the closely related '' Halysidota tesselaris''.

Life cycle

The sycamore tiger moth produces two generations each year. Moths emerge from overwintering cocoons from May to June. After mating, they lay egg masses on bark and the underside of leaves. The larvae feed on the American sycamore tree, ''

Platanus occidentalis ''Platanus occidentalis'', also known as American sycamore, American planetree, western plane, occidental plane, buttonwood, and water beech, is a species of ''Platanus'' native to the eastern and central United States, the mountains of northeast ...

''. They pupate in late June and July, and emerge as moths in July and August. The offspring of this generation spins cocoons in late September and October and overwinters as pupae.

Importance

overpopulation Overpopulation or overabundance is a state in which the population of a species is larger than the carrying capacity of its environment. This may be caused by increased birth rates, lowered mortality rates, reduced predation or large scale migr ...

of the insect can be damaging to sycamore trees. Natural predators, such as birds, control most populations. However, pesticides may be needed. The sycamore tussock moth caterpillar has been documented causing urticaria (

hives Hives, also known as urticaria, is a kind of skin rash with red or flesh-colored, raised, itchy bumps. Hives may burn or sting. The patches of rash may appear on different body parts, with variable duration from minutes to days, and typically ...

References

{{Taxonbar , from=Q2620375 Halysidota Moths of North America Moths described in 1864 Taxa named by Benjamin Dann Walsh