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Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Halysidota tessellaris

Photo by Latimeria
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

The color of the caterpillar ranges from white to yellow-brown. This one is yellow/white and fuzzy, and has black and white lashes near its head and at the end of its body. Tufts near the center of its dorsal side are darker.

Habitat:

Deciduous woods, Eastern North America. Not present west of the Rockies.

Notes:

The specific epithet "tessellaris" refers to the adult moth, which has a checkered pattern on its forewing. While it's called a "tussock moth," that is due to the tufts of hair on the caterpillar. It is not in the tussock moth family Lymantriidae. It's in the family Erebidae.

Species ID Suggestions

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Photographed
PublishedFebruary 7, 2011

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