Spiny oak slug
Encyclopedia
The spiny oak slug is a moth
in the family Limacodidae
.
s seen from late June to October (Wagner, 2005). Two generations or more from Missouri south.
' spines after the Roman defensive weapons. Colourful, but the colours vary enormously (Wagner, 2005). Like all limacodids, the legs are shortened and the proleg
s are reduced to suction cups. Maximum length, 20 mm (Wagner, 2005).
trees and shrubs, not limited to: apple, ash, basswood, beech, birch, blueberry, cherry, chestnut, hackberry, hickory, maple, oak, poplar, sycamore and willow (Wagner, 2005).
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
in the family Limacodidae
Limacodidae
Limacodidae or Euclidae is a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea; the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their caterpillars bear a distinct resemblance to slugs...
.
Life cycle
There is one generation a year in the most of the northern parts of its range, with caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s seen from late June to October (Wagner, 2005). Two generations or more from Missouri south.
Larva
The larva is flattened and ovoid in outline, with spiny tubercules along the back and sides. These are mildly stinging. The sides have craters ringed with black or white along them. In the final instar they usually have two to four sets of black hairs at the tail end, that can fall off, called 'caltropCaltrop
A caltrop is an antipersonnel weapon made up of two or more sharp nails or spines arranged in such a manner that one of them always points upward from a stable base...
' spines after the Roman defensive weapons. Colourful, but the colours vary enormously (Wagner, 2005). Like all limacodids, the legs are shortened and the proleg
Proleg
A Proleg is the small fleshy, stub structure found on the ventral surface of the abdomen of most larval forms of insects of the order Lepidoptera, though they can also be found on other larval insects such as sawflies and a few types of flies....
s are reduced to suction cups. Maximum length, 20 mm (Wagner, 2005).
Adult
The small (1 cm) moth is 'hairy' and brown, with green patches on the upper wing. The underwing is a paler grey-brown.Food plants
Eats a variety of deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees and shrubs, not limited to: apple, ash, basswood, beech, birch, blueberry, cherry, chestnut, hackberry, hickory, maple, oak, poplar, sycamore and willow (Wagner, 2005).
