(Halysidota tessellaris)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Hodges # | 8203 |
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Conservation Status |
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IUCN Red List | not listed |
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NatureServe | NNR - Unranked |
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Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Banded tussock moth is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan of 1¾″. The forewings are long, slender, and yellowish-white, with four wavy, horizontal bands of beige composed of irregular rectangular blocks edged with fine black lines. The hindwings are unbanded and much smaller. They are mostly translucent white with pale yellow near the base. The body is densely covered with yellow hairs. The thorax has two parallel, turquoise blue lines on the upper side. The caterpillar is up to 1¾″ long. It is densely covered with long, yellowish-brown, tan, or dark gray, hollow, unicellular, hair-like structures (setae). The second and third thoracic segments each have a pair of long, moveable, black inner and white outer tufts (lashes). The lashes of the second thoracic segment project forward beyond the head. The eighth abdominal segment also has a set of lashes. |
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Size |
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Adult: 1¾″ wingspan Caterpillar: 1¾″ long |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Deciduous woods |
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Biology |
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Season |
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Adult: One brood, May to August Caterpillar: July to October |
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Behavior |
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The caterpillars make little or no effort to hide, and are often seen on upper leaf surfaces and often near their own leaf damage. This suggests that, like the adult, they unpalatable to birds. |
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Life Cycle |
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Larva Hosts |
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Alder (Alnus spp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.), birch (Betula spp.), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), elm (Ulmus spp.), grape (Vitis spp.), northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), hazel (Corylus spp.), hickory (Carya spp.), oak (Quercus spp.), poplar (Populus spp.), walnut (Juglans spp.), and willow (Salix spp.). |
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Adult Food |
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Adults acquire alkaloids from host plants making them unpalatable to predators. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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12/25/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Common to abundant |
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Taxonomy |
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Order |
Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) | ||
Superfamily |
Noctuoidea (owlet moths and allies) | ||
Family |
Erebidae (underwing, tiger, tussock, and allied moths) | ||
Subfamily |
Arctiinae (tiger moths and allies) | ||
Tribe | Arctiini (tiger moths) | ||
Subtribe |
Phaegopterina | ||
Genus |
Halysidota | ||
Family Genus |
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Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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banded tussock moth pale tussock moth |
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Glossary
Seta
A stiff, hair-like process on the outer surface of an organism. In Lepidoptera: A usually rigid bristle- or hair-like outgrowth used to sense touch. In mosses: The stalk supporting a spore-bearing capsule and supplying it with nutrients. Plural: setae.
Visitor Photos |
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Alfredo Colon |
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Mary Walters |
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Tom Baker |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Banded Tussock Moth (Erebidae: Halysidota tessellaris) on Leaf Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Sep 10, 2010 Photographed at the Concordia Language Villages, Bemidji, Minnesota (08 September 2010). Thank you to Carmen Champaqne (@Bugguide.net) for confirming the identity of this specimen! |
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Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar - September 7, 2013 Don Gagnon |
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About
Published on Sep 11, 2013 Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Halysidota tessellaris), Mass Audubon Allens Pond, Westport, Massachusetts, Saturday afternoon, September 7, 2013, 1:20 PM - Canon PowerShot SX50 HS MVI_45616; 1:01 min. |
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Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar Rieko Saito |
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About
Published on Aug 22, 2013 No description available. |
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