Orgyia antiqua
Rusty tussock moth | |
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male imago and caterpillar | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
Family: | Erebidae |
Genus: | Orgyia |
Species: | O. antiqua
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Binomial name | |
Orgyia antiqua | |
Synonyms | |
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Orgyia antiqua, the rusty tussock moth or vapourer,[2] is a moth in the family Erebidae.
Distribution and status
O. antiqua is native to Europe, but now has a transcontinental distribution in the Palaearctic and the Nearctic regions.[3] The species is not on the
Habitat
In the UK, O. antiqua may be encountered in a variety of
Description
A striking
Lifecycle
Egg
Several hundred eggs are laid on the outside of the female's empty cocoon, usually attached to a host plant or something close by (e.g. fence, wall).[5] The species overwinters in the egg stage. Each brownish egg is rounded, somewhat flattened top and bottom. A small darker depression is seen in the upperside.[6]
Caterpillar
The larvae hatch early in the spring, as soon as foliage starts to appear.
They have defensive glands at the back, and wipe their setae against them to charge them with toxins.[9] They grow to about 30–40 mm, females being considerably larger than males.[6] In the UK, caterpillars can be found between May and early September.[5]
The caterpillar is a minor forest pest in North America,[3] and may become a pest in cities in the UK.[10][6]
Pupa
The pupa forms in a crevice (e.g. in tree bark or fence) inside a silk cocoon. It is glossy black and hairy.[6]
Imago
The male flies in a zigzag pattern—often high up in search of females—and is active during the day or at night. Males occasionally come to light.
The female is flightless, spending her brief life attached to her cocoon. The female attracts other males via release of a pheromone, the males find the female via the concentration gradient of the released pheromone. The female mates and lays her grey-yellow eggs in large numbers on her fine-meshed cocoon.
The adult moths do not feed, so they only live for a short time. The two (sometimes three) generations fly from May till October; in North America, only one generation occurs in a year.
The males are diurnal, flying during the day, but are occasionally attracted to light.[6]
Host plants
Caterpillars are
.In
Gallery
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rear view of "calling" female
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mating
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female laying her eggs on the remains of her own cocoon
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egg-mass on an empty cocoon amongst conifer needles
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eggs (close up)
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young larvae
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late instar larva on rose leaf
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volant male imago
Illustrations
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Illustrated adult male
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Illustrated adult female
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Illustrated caterpillar
References
- ^ Arnaud Jr., Paul Henri (1978). "A Host-parasite Catalog of North American Tachinidae (Diptera)". Miscellaneous Publication (United States. Dept. Of Agriculture) (1319). Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- ^ Explanation of name "vapourer"
- ^ a b c Carter, Nelson E. (2004). Status of forest pests in New Brunswick in 2003. Department of Natural Resources, Fredericton, New Brunswick. pp. 7–8.[permanent dead link]
- ^ IUCN (2007), 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- ^ a b c d e f g Waring, Paul; Townsend, Martin; Lewington, Richard (2003). Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland. British Wildlife Publishing, Hook, UK, p. 208.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i de Worms, C. G. M. (1979). "Lymantriidae". In Heath, J.; Emmet, A. M.; et al. (eds.). The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 9 Sphingidae–Noctuidae Noctuinae and Hadeninae. London: Curwen Books. p. 70.
- .
- PMID 17419066.
- ^ a b c Wagner, D.M. (2005). Caterpillars of eastern North America. Princeton University Press.
- ^ a b Porter, Jim (1997). The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles. Viking, London, p. 80.
- ISSN 0015-752X.