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Ailanthus webworm
Atteva aurea, (Fitch, 1856)
32.8637, -97.2726
Field Notes
Description:
It is a small but beautiful moth in the genus (Atteva). The moth has orange wings with an variety of blue and white spots on the forewings. The hindwings are transparent with some black on the borders and tops. The moth keeps it's wings slender and around the back like a stick. The legs also seem to be blue and white. The abdomen has white and black scaling.
Habitat:
Semi-urban, Fort Worth, Texas. Found at a light trap in low elevation area. The light was a 250 mercury vapor bulb. This light seems to attract a lot of moths but mostly plant hoppers and May beetles.
Notes:
As caterpillars they make silk nest on trees like Simarouba sp. or the tree of heaven. The silk protects all the caterpillars from birds and other animals that would feast on it. They also seem to have gregarious behaviors staying close to each other.
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