megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family megalopygidae .

it has numerous common names , including southern flannel moth for its adult form , and puss caterpillar , asp , italian asp , woolly slug , opossum bug , puss moth , or asp caterpillar for its larval form .

megalopyge opercularis

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4647 megalopyge opercularis ( smith , 1797 ) includes as a subspecies 4646 megalopyge bissesa dyar , 1911 .
species megalopyge opercularis - southern flannel moth - hodges # 4647 - bugguide . net
figure 38 . megalopyge opercularis eating its exuviae . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
southern flannel moth megalopyge opercularis ( j . e . smith , 1797 ) | butterflies and moths of north america
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figure 43 . unidentified spider inside old megalopyge opercularis cocoon . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 29 . southern flannel moth pupal exuviae , megalopyge opercularis . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 33 . tachinid puparial shells inside old megalopyge opercularis cocoon . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
eagleman dm . 2008 . envenomation by the asp caterpillar ( megalopyge opercularis ) . clinical toxicology 46 : 201 - 205 .
figure 6 . female and male southern flannel moths , megalopyge opercularis . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 7 . eggs of the southern flannel moth , megalopyge opercularis . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 8 . puss caterpillars , megalopyge opercularis ( first instars ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 9 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( early instar ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 10 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( middle instar ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 11 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( middle instar ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 13 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( last instar ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 25 . southern flannel moth cocoon hair pocket , megalopyge opercularis . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 32 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( characteristic pattern of sting ) . photograph courtesy of armed forces pest management board .
a retrospective analysis of 96
asp
( megalopyge opercularis ) envenomations in central texas during 1996 - stipetic et al . 1999
figure 34 . adult tachinid fly that emerged from a megalopyge opercularis cocoon . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 36 . megalopyge opercularis cocoon with ichneumonid larva - probably lanugo retentor . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 41 . crematogaster ashmeadi mayr and brood inside old megalopyge opercularis cocoon . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 1 . male southern flannel moth , megalopyge opercularis ( dorsal view ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 3 . female southern flannel moth , megalopyge opercularis ( lateral view ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 4 . male southern flannel moth , megalopyge opercularis ( anterior view ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 12 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( next to last instar ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
khalaf ( 1975 ) reported a parasitization rate of 50 % by lanugo retentor in a population of megalopyge opercularis in new orleans , louisiana .
figure 2 . male southern flannel moth , megalopyge opercularis ( anterior lateral view ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 5 . adult female southern flannel moth , megalopyge opercularis ( anterior view ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 14 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( last instar , dorsal view ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 30 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( early instar showing venomous spines ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 40 . pseudomyrmex gracilis ( fabricius ) and brood inside old megalopyge opercularis cocoon . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
khalaf kt . 1974 . nonaseptic wheat germ diet for megalopyge opercularis . ( lepidoptera : megalopygidae ) . florida entomologist 57 : 377 - 381 .
figure 27 . southern flannel moth pharate adult , megalopyge opercularis ( note free appendages ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 31 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( pre - pupa showing venomous spines ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 42 . camponotus snellingi bolton and unidentified tachinid puparial shell inside old megalopyge opercularis cocoon . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
foot nc . 1922 . pathology of the dermatitis caused by megalopyge opercularis , a texan caterpillar . journal of experimental medicine 35 : 737 - 753 .
pinson rt , morgan ja . 1991 . envenomation by the puss caterpillar ( megalopyge opercularis ) . annals of emergency medicine 20 : 562 - 564 .
figure 17 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( ventral view showing auxillary prolegs without crochets ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 20 . southern flannel moth cocoon , megalopyge opercularis ( old cocoon covered with lichens ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 28 . southern flannel moth pharate adult , megalopyge opercularis ( beginning emergence from cocoon ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 35 . adult tachinid fly ( lateral view ) that emerged from a megalopyge opercularis cocoon . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 39 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis , in the process of propelling its fecal pellet . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 24 . southern flannel moth larva , megalopyge opercularis , ( initial stage of spinning cocoon ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 37 . megalopyge opercularis cocoon with exit hole in operculum probably made by the ichneumonid lanugo retentor . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
khalaf kt . 1977 . hypositor fugitivus ( ichneumonidae ) parasitic within megalopyge opercularis larvae ( megalopygidae ) . journal of the lepidopterists’ society 31 : 147 - 148 .
pernicious puss : cute as a kitten , contact with the puss caterpillar megalopyge opercularis can cause shock and respiratory distress . ( photo : caterpillar hunter / flickr )
figure 15 . puss caterpillars , megalopyge opercularis ( next to last [ top ] and last instars ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 18 . southern flannel moth cocoon , megalopyge opercularis ( new cocoon with thin silk anterior structure ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 19 . southern flannel moth cocoon , megalopyge opercularis ( older weathered cocoon showing operculum and hump ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
figure 21 . southern flannel moth pupa , megalopyge opercularis , ( male , ventral view showing appendages and eyepieces ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
this caterpillar found in peru is remarkably like trump ' s comb over . megalopyge species .
figure 23 . southern flannel moth pupa , megalopyge opercularis , ( male , lateral view showing abdominal post - spiracular appendages ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
davidson ff . 1967 . biology of laboratory - reared megalopyge opercularis sm . & abb . morphology and histology of the stinging mechanism . texas journal of science 19 : 258 - 274 .
figure 16 . puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( anterior view showing head , prothorax , prothoracic spiracle and pre - spiracular appendage ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
common name : puss caterpillar ( larva ) , southern flannel moth ( adult ) scientific name : megalopyge opercularis ( j . e . smith 1797 ) ( insecta : lepidoptera : zygaenoidea : megalopygidae )
figure 22 . southern flannel moth pupa , megalopyge opercularis , ( male , dorsal view showing bands of spines on the abdominal segments ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
the puss or asp caterpillar , flannel moth larvae ( megalopyge opercularis ) is considered the most dangerous caterpillar in the us ( primarily se ) although over 40 genera worldwide are reported to cause problems .
figure 26 . southern flannel moth larva ( pre - pupa ) , megalopyge opercularis , ( note venomous spines and post - spiracular appendages ) . photograph by donald w . hall , university of florida .
davidson ff . 1967 . biology of laboratory - reared megalopyge opercularis sm . & abb . morphology and histology of the stinging mechanism . texas journal of science 19 ( 3 ) : 258 - 274 .
micks ( 1956 ) reported a parasitization rate of 20 % in a population of megalopyge opercularis in galveston , texas . there are similar rates of parasitism in central florida ( dw hall , unpublished data ) .
el - mallakh rs , baumgartner ms , fares n . 1986 . “sting” of the puss caterpillar , megalopyge opercularis ( lepidoptera : megalopygidae ) : first report of cases from florida and review of literature . the journal of the florida medical association 73 : 521 - 525 .
mcgovern jp , barkin gd , mcelhenney tr , wende r . 1961 . megalopyge opercularis : observations of its life history , natural history of its sting in man , and report of an epidemic . journal of the american medical association 175 ( 13 ) : 1155 - 1158 .
at least four species of tachinid flies ( diptera : tachinidae ) have been reported from megalopyge opercularis ( arnaud 1978 , khalaf 1975 , micks 1956 , patton 1956 ) . o’hara and wood ( 2004 ) and o’hara ( 2009 ) have updated the tachinid names from arnaud ( 1978 ) .
eagleman , d . m . , “envenomation by the asp caterpillar ( megalopyge opercularius ) ” clin . tox . 46 ( 3 ) : 201 - 205 , 2008 .
the southern flannel moth , megalopyge opercularis ( j . e . smith ) ( insecta : lepidoptera : zygaenoidea : megalopygidae ) , is an attractive small moth that is best - known because of its larva , the puss caterpillar , which is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the united states ( bishopp 1923 , el - mallakh et al . 1986 , hossler 2010 , khalaf 1975 ) .
the family name megalopygidae and genus name megalopyge are derived from the greek roots megalo ( large ) and pygidium ( rump ) - probably because of the shape of the caterpillars . the specific epithet , opercularis , is derived from the latin word operculum ( borror 1960 ) and refers to the lid ( door ) on the cocoon . the name “puss caterpillar” is likely in reference to the caterpillar’s resemblance to a cat with its soft fur and tail .
hyposotor fugitivus attacks and kills young larvae ( khalaf 1977 ) . lanugo retentor oviposits through the wall of the cocoon and is parasitic externally on prepupae or pupae ( khalaf 1975 , khalaf 1981 ) . full - grown lanugo larvae make their own cocoons inside the megalopyge cocoons and when mature , the adult wasps chew their way out of both cocoons making holes of 2 - 3 mm diameter . the holes in the megalopyge cocoon are often , but not always chewed through the operculum .
puss moth caterpillars ( megalopyge opercularis ) , of the order lepidoptera , are also known as asps . they are one of the most toxic caterpillars in north america . puss moth caterpillars are endemic to the southern us and live in shade trees and shrubbery around homes and schools and in parks . the asp caterpillar produces 2 generations a year , leading to a bimodal peak in late spring and late fall . they are teardrop shaped and , because they have long silky hair , resemble a tuft of cotton or fur . their color varies from yellow or gray to reddish brown . when a puss moth caterpillar rubs or is pressed against skin , venomous hairs become embedded .
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the southern flannel moth is the most common of the five species of megalopygids found in the southeastern united states .
the southern flannel moth is found from new jersey to florida and west to arkansas and texas ( covell 2005 ) . it is common in florida but reaches its greatest abundance in texas from dallas southward in the western central part of the state ( bishopp 1923 ) .
adults : adults are small moths with wingspans of 2 . 4 to 3 . 6 cm ( approximately 1 to 1 . 5 in ) ( covell 2005 ) . females are larger than males . the front wings are yellow with some black along the costal margins and waves of white hair - like setae ( scales ) on the basal 2 / 3 of the wings . khalaf ( 1984 ) demonstrated that the hair - like setae are actually deeply divided scales and that the undivided bases of the scales are typical of wing scales of other moths . the black color is more pronounced in males . hind wings of both sexes are uniformly creamy - yellow . the common name “flannel moth” is due to the thick coating of fur - like setae on the bodies which is predominantly orange on the thorax .
antennae are bipectinate ( comb - like ) with rami ( teeth ) on two sides . rami of antennae of males ( figures 1 , 2 , and 4 ) are much longer than those of antennae of females ( figures 3 and 5 ) . the rami of the antennae of females are so short that the antennae appear almost thread - like .
eggs : the light yellow eggs average 1 . 2 mm in length and 0 . 6 mm in width ( bishopp 1923 ) and are slightly rounded on the ends .
larvae : the number of instars is uncertain and may be variable . bishop ( 1923 ) stated that there are probably five or six instars . and gave the following approximate lengths for the first four and last instars : 1st instar : 1 . 5 mm , 2nd instar : 2 . 3 mm , 3rd instar : 3 . 1 mm , 4th instar : 3 . 6mm , mature larva : 2 . 54 cm ( 1 inch ) . davidson ( 1967 ) reported similar dimensions . it seems that there may have been a misidentification of later instars by these authors based on the huge size difference reported between the fourth and final instars . khalaf ( 1975 ) reported that there are 8 to 10 instars .
full - grown larvae , including the ones in figures 13 to 15 reared by the author on winged elm , ulmus alata michaux , were much larger and measured approximately 3 . 5 cm ( 1 . 4 inches ) in body length and 4 . 0 cm ( 1 . 6 inches ) including the tail .
the integument of first and second instars is yellow but becomes pale greenish white to white in later instars . larvae become progressively more “hairy” with each molt . all instars have rows of verrucae ( raised sclerites with radiating setae [ gordh and headrick 2001 ] ) that bear hollow spines each of which has a venom gland at its base ( foot 1922 ) . the spines are obscured by the long soft setae in the late instars . late instars have a hairy tail . the color of late instars is somewhat variable .
in the photographs of larvae that follow , only the first , next - to - last , and last instars are known for certain . the other larvae are in increasing order of maturity , but their exact instar in not known .
the bodies of late instar puss caterpillars are normally completely hidden from sight by the thick coating of hair ( setae ) . however , the head and prothorax may be exposed when the larvae are moving about or occasionally when feeding .
unlike most other moth larvae , megalopygid larvae have seven pairs of prolegs . megalopygids have accessory prolegs on abdominal segments two and seven in addition to the normal complement of prolegs on abdominal segments three through six and ten . the accessory prolegs of all north american species of megalopygids , including the puss caterpillar , have no crochets ( stehr 1987 , wagner 2005 ) .
megalopygid larvae also have post - spiracular appendages ( figure 26 ) ( = digitate sensilla of epstein [ 1996 ] ) on the abdominal segments that are hidden by the thick coat of setae . a defensive function was assigned to these structures by hoffman ( 1932 [ cited by epstein 1996 ] ) who reported that stimulation in the area of the “sensilla” resulted in the larva moving both the sub - dorsal and lateral spine - bearing verrucae toward the spiracles .
cocoons : the cocoons vary in size from 1 . 3 cm to 2 . 0 cm . they have a small hump ( hair pocket ) on the back , and the flattened front end is formed by the operculum . newly spun cocoons have a thin tapering front that extends beyond the operculum . as the cocoon ages and weathers , this front part collapses to form a flattened silk pad on the substrate in front of the operculum . the only apparent function of this ephemeral front part is to maintain structural integrity of the cocoon until the operculum is finished .
cocoons are extremely tough and persist on trees long after the moth has emerged . some persist long enough to become covered with lichens .
pupae : unlike pupae of most moth families , abdominal segments four to six of the pupae are movable in the megalopygidae and their close relatives including the limacodidae . the appendages of the pupae are appressed to the surface of the bodies but are neither cemented to the body nor to each other ( mosher 1916 ) . according to mosher ( 1916 ) , the “glazed eyepieces” of megalopygid pupae are probably the actual eyes of the pupa , and the “sculptured eyepieces” are likely extensions of the vertex rather than parts of the eyes .
anterior bands of spines are present on the dorsal aspect of the pupal abdominal segments .
the post - spiracular appendages from the larval stage are retained in the pupae , but are reduced to button - like structures .
the southern flannel moth is bivoltine ( has two broods per year ) with a possible partial third brood in the deep south ( khalaf 1975 ) . eagleman ( 2008 ) presented epidemiological evidence for two major broods by plotting the chronological distribution of puss caterpillar envenomations for a three year period . his data showed two distinct peaks - one developing in early summer and the second in the fall .
females usually mate the night of emergence and lay their eggs during the first two nights following mating . eggs are laid in single or double curved rows ( occasionally in patches ) on foliage or small twigs and are covered with hair from the under side of abdomen of the female . eggs hatch in six to eight days .
larvae of the southern flannel moth are polyphagous ( heppner 1997 ) and are recorded from plant species belonging to 41 genera ( heppner 2003 ) . some host records may be erroneous . like many other lepidoptera larvae , mature puss caterpillars sometimes wander from the host plant and onto other nearby plants prior to spinning their cocoons . cocoons may even be found on buildings .
larvae pictured here were reared in an un - air - conditioned garage during the heat of the summer and were fed foliage of winged elm ( ulmus alata michaux ) . the first larva to complete development began to spin its cocoon 46 days after hatching from the egg . micks ( 1956 ) reared larvae at 25 °c on yaupon holly ( ilex vomitoria aiton ) , and reported that larval development required about six weeks .
mature larvae begin to spin their cocoons by making a thin framework of silk using their hair covering as the supporting framework . cocoons are found on small twigs and branches and also in deep furrows of bark or under loose bark . some larvae wander off the host plant and are often found on adjacent buildings .
after the outer layer of silk is laid down , larvae remove the soft hair from their bodies and pack it into the hump at the top of the cocoon and then add another inner layer to the cocoon . larvae of the first generation pupate approximately 16 days after completing the cocoon and begin emerging as adults approximately two weeks later . individuals of the fall generation overwinter as larvae ( prepupae ) and pupate in late spring of the next year .
the pharate adult ( pre - adult ) stage forces the operculum open by repeated alternating lengthening and shortening of the abdomen ( davidson 1967 ) - probably while hooking the dorsal bands of spines of the segments into the floor and inner surface of the operculum of the cocoon thereby gradually moving the pharate adult forward and upward . although they are not glued to the body , the legs remain folded and do not appear to assist in emergence from the cocoon .
the rounded frons may assist in forcing open the cocoon ( epstein 1996 ) - presumably by pressing against the upper front edge of the cocoon as the operculum is being forced open . the expanded posterior margins of the occiput may function in a similar way by pressing against the operculum .
only when the pre - adult is nearly out of the cocoon does the adult moth split the pupal exoskeleton and emerge . the pupal exuviae is held by tension from the operculum and remains on the cocoon until it is beaten away by weathering .
occasionally , in outbreak years , puss caterpillars are sufficiently numerous to defoliate some trees ( bishopp 1923 ) . however , their main importance is medical . in texas , they have been so numerous in some years that schools in san antonio in 1923 and galveston in 1951 were closed temporarily because of stings to children ( diaz 2005 ) .
the venomous spines of puss caterpillars are hollow and each is equipped with a venom gland at its base ( foot 1922 ) . all larval instars , as well as exuviae , may sting but the toxicity of the stings increases with increasing size of the larvae ( davidson 1967 ) .
foot ( 1922 ) reported that some individuals react more severely to stings than others , and the severity of the sting varies with the thickness of the skin where the sting occurs the sting produces an immediate intense burning pain followed the appearance of a red grid - like pattern on the skin that matches the pattern of the venomous spines on the caterpillar . swelling and sometimes also lymphadenopathy follow .
in addition to the characteristic localized symptoms , more general systemic manifestations may also occur including headache , fever , nausea , vomiting , tachycardia , low blood pressure , seizures and more rarely , abdominal pain , muscle spasms and convulsions ( diaz 2005 , eagleman 2008 , el - mallakh et al . 1986 , hossler 2010 , mcgovern 1961 , pinson and morgan 1991 ) .
the venom is not well - characterized but it has been shown to possess hemolytic activity , and there is evidence that it is proteinaceous based primarily on its precipitation by 75 % saturated ammonium sulfate and the fact that it is inactivated by digestion with proteolytic enzymes ( trypsin , pepsin , or chymotrypsin ) ( picarelli and valle 1971 ) .
eagleman ( 2008 ) has reviewed common treatments for puss caterpillar stings . remedies that may be helpful in some cases include removing broken spine tips from the skin with tape , applying ice packs , use of oral antihistamine , application of hydrocortisone cream to the site of the sting , systemic corticosteroids , and intravenous calcium gluconate .
khalaf ( 1975 ) observed chrysopa sp . ( neuroptera : chrysopidae ) feeding on eggs and early instars . khalaf ( 1975 ) also observed an anolis lizard eat a 4th instar larva ( about 5 mm long ) after which it displayed gulping motions and rubbed its mouth against the ground . larvae are probably attacked by a variety of generalist predators , but reported observations are lacking . older instars are likely well - defended from vertebrate predators by their venomous spines .
eggs of the tachinids are laid externally on the puss caterpillars . most caterpillars are parasitized late enough that the flies mature in the cocoons . the adult flies then emerge by forcing open the operculum of the cocoon ( khalaf 1981 ) .
puss caterpillars have several behaviors that may help them escape natural enemies . after molting , the larvae eat their exuviae - including the setae and venomous spines . some parasitoids of other insects have been demonstrated to locate their hosts by chemical cues from the exuviae . the exuviae also likely provide some nutrition to the larvae .
puss caterpillars propel their fecal pellets . this behavior may serve to get the feces off the food . however , there is evidence that predators and parasitoids of some insects may locate their prey or hosts by honing in on volatiles from the feces .
in most years , puss caterpillars are kept under control by natural enemies . if control measures are required , chemical insecticide or bacillus thuringiensis applications recommended for control of other caterpillars ( osborne et al . 2012 ) should be effective .
a wide variety of insects use the old abandoned cocoons as homes or temporary shelters - either entering through the front as the opercula sag with age or through the exit holes chewed by ichneumonid parasitoids . two species of ants have even been found raising brood inside the cocoons . spiders are also common inhabitants of old cocoons .
arnaud ph . 1978 . a host - parasite catalog of north american tachinidae ( diptera ) . united states department of agriculture miscellaneous publication 1319 . washington , d . c . updated names for this catalog are available online . ( 17 march 2016 )
bishopp fc . 1923 . the puss caterpillar and the effects of its sting on man . united states department of agriculture . department circular 288 . 14 pp .
borror dj . 1960 . dictionary of word roots and combining forms . mayfield publishing company . palo alto , california . 134 pp .
covell cv . 2005 . a field guide to moths of eastern north america . special publication number 12 . virginia museum of natural history . martinsville , virginia . 496 pp .
diaz jh . 2005 . the evolving global epidemiology , syndromic classification , management , and prevention of caterpillar envenoming . american journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 72 : 347 - 357 .
epstein me . 1996 . revision and phylogeny of the limacodid - group families , with evolutionary studies on slug caterpillars ( lepidoptera : zygaenoidea ) . smithsonian contributions to zoology . number 582 . 102 pp .
gordh g , headrick dh . 2001 . a dictionary of entomology . cabi publishing . new york , new york . 1032 pp .
heppner jb . 2003 . lepidoptera of florida . part 1 . introduction and catalog . volume 17 of arthropods of florida and neighboring land areas . division of plant industry . florida department of agriculture and consumer services . gainesville , florida . 670 pp .
heppner jb . 1997 . urticating caterpillars in florida : 3 . puss caterpillar and flannel moths ( lepidoptera : megalopygidae ) . florida department of agriculture and consumer services , division of plant industry . gainesville , florida . entomology circular no . 381 . 2 pp .
hoffman f . 1932 . beitrage zur naturgeschichte brasilianischer schmetterlinge . deutsche entomologische zeitschrift 1932 : 97 - 148 .
hossler ew . 2010 . caterpillars and moths . part ii . dermatologic manifestations of encounters with lepidoptera . journal of the american academy of dermatology 62 : 13 - 28 .
khalaf kt . 1975 . biology of the puss caterpillar and its ichneumonid parasite . loyola university press . new orleans , louisiana . 43 pp .
khalaf kt . 1981 . multiparasitism of puss caterpillar by a wasp and fly species ( lepidoptera : megalopygidae ) . florida entomologist 64 : 534 - 537 .
khalaf kt . 1984 . the identity of wing hairs in megalopygidae . journal of the lepidopterists’ society 38 : 64 .
lintner ja . 1869 . transformations of lagoa crispata packard . twenty - third annual report of the new york state cabinet of natural history . appendix d . entomological contributions by lintner ja . x pp . 138 - 145 .
micks dw . 1956 . laboratory rearing of the puss caterpillar , with notes on the incidence of parasitism . journal of economic entomology 49 : 37 - 39 .
mosher e . 1916 . a classification of the lepidoptera based on characters of the pupae . bulletin of the illinois state laboratory of natural history 12 : 17 - 159 . ( no longer available online )
o’hara je , wood dm . 2004 . catalogue of the tachinidae ( diptera ) of north america north of mexico . associated publishers . gainesville , florida . 410 pp .
ohara je . 2009 . update of tachinid names in arnaud ( 1978 ) . ( 17 march 2016 )
osborne ls , buss ea , mannion cm , price jf . 2012 . commercial foliage and woody ornamental arthropod pest management . eny - 311 ( revised june , 2006 ) . entomology and nematology department , . florida cooperative extension service , institute of food and agricultural sciences , university of florida . ( no longer available online )
packard as . 1894 . a study of the transformations and anatomy of lagoa crispata , a bombycine moth . proceedings of the american philosophical society 32 : 275 - 292 .
patton cn . 1956 . the larvaevoridae of florida , with notes on their biology and host relationships . m . s . thesis . university of florida . gainesville , florida . 66 pp .
picarelli zp , valle jr . 1971 . pharmacological studies on caterpillar venoms . in : bucherl w , buckley ee . venomous animals and their venoms . volume 3 . , pp 103 - 118 . academic press . new york , new york .
smith je . 1797 . the natural history of the rarer lepidopterous insects of georgia . vol . 2 , printed by bensley t for smith je . london . 214 pp .
stehr fw . 1987 . in stehr fw . immature insects . kendall / hunt publishing company . dubuque , iowa . pp . 454 - 456 .
wagner dl . 2005 . caterpillars of eastern north america . princeton university press . princeton , new jersey . 512 pp .
several different caterpillar species look like escapees from trump ' s noggin , and nearly all of them have urticating hairs .
urticating
is a fancy way of saying highly irritating . ( the jokes write themselves here , don ' t they ? )
recent media stories about asp caterpillar stings seem a bit . . . overly hyped .
predators taking over florida
is pure exaggeration ( as well as inaccurate , since these caterpillars are plant - eaters . ) asp caterpillars are wide - spread throughout the americas , and while they do have population fluctuations from year to year , they aren ' t new or an introduced species . statements like
so far no one has died a caterpillar - caused death
suggest death by toxic trump toupee is a real possibility .
are these little stinging tribbles really that dangerous ? some people seem to shake a sting off , but others end up in the emergency room . why is there so much variation ?
fortunately , entomologists are curious people , and there is a long , distinguished history of rubbing stinging insects on yourself for science . the go - to person for entomological pain is dr . justin schmidt , best known as the author of the schmidt pain index ; a ranking system calculated from the agony caused by a wide variety of wasps and bees stinging him during his research . while schmidt hasn ' t systematically studied caterpillars , he did say the pain of a caterpillar sting lasted longer than the pain of most wasp or bee stings .
i next contacted dr . donald hall , a medical entomologist from the university of florida , who has experience working with these caterpillars . hall was able to confirm that indeed , the pain of an asp caterpillar sting is extremely unpleasant . he suggested the wide variation in reactions between people who get stung may be in part because of how many spines on the caterpillar are encountered , and where on the body the sting occurs . someone that just brushes by a caterpillar might get a small , painful sting ; someone that steps on a caterpillar , or traps it between fingers , gets a full dose of all the venom over a tender spot .
i asked hall how much it really hurts :
the pain is a deep , aching pain . it feels like it goes all the way to the bone . if you get stung on the finger the pain radiates up the arm . the swelling can go up to the armpit .
that was his description of stings he received caring for recently hatched asp caterpillars–they were about 1 cm long , only 1 / 3 of the size they reach when they are fully grown and ready to turn into a moth . the caterpillars turn around and eat their shed skins as they grow – hairy poisonous spines and all . each shed results in a caterpillar with more of a fiery , stinging punch .
asp caterpillars are not the only prickly brain rugs you need to look out for in the undergrowth . eleven different families of caterpillars have urticating hairs . the hag moth caterpillar looks a bit like trump on a windy day :
the hag moth caterpillar , phobetron pithecium , is less stingy than asp caterpillars , but still should not be petted .
other common stingers to watch out for are the io moth caterpillar ( automeris io ) and the saddleback caterpillar ( sibine stimulea ) . in 2012 , the cdc issued a bulletin about
mild pruritic rash
outbreaks in daycare facilities that had large numbers of white - marked tussock moth caterpillar s ( orgyia leucostigma ) on playgrounds . even the banded wooly bear can cause a mild dermatitis , although its bristles are not venom - tipped .
generally , i try to convince people that insects are harmless , and for the vast majority of species , this is true . but the stakes are fairly high for negative reactions from caterpillar petting , if you don ' t know exactly what kind of fuzzy caterpillar you are looking at . teaching small kids to look but not touch fuzzy caterpillars is also a good idea , at least until they are old enough to learn about trump hair .
a handy photo guide to stinging caterpillars of the u . s . is available free via university of maryland extension service .
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wings and body cream ; thorax and fw base orangish . some blackish and white along basal 2 / 3 of fw costa , but no sharp wing pattern .
larvae resemble small furry cats . they have stinging hairs hidden among tufts of dense , soft hairs . they feed externally on various trees and shrubs .
maryland , to florida , west to missouri and texas . strays to new york and pennsylvania .
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the use of adhesive tape to remove the spines that remain on the skin is recommended . wash the area with soap and water to remove any remaining venom . prompt application of an ice pack and a baking soda poultice should help reduce pain and swelling . over the counter analgesics appear to be ineffective for reducing pain and headache . oral administration of antihistamines may help relieve itching and burning following up with topical corticosteroids to reduce intensity of inflammation .
the caterpillars spend the winter in cocoons attached to twigs with the puss moth ( aka flannel moth ) emerging in the late spring . the adult moth with a short life of 5 - 7 days deposit eggs on shrubs and trees with no known predilection for a specific species and within days the larva emerges . the caterpillars feed on deciduous trees and shrubs . it is unclear how many instars the moth goes through but it appears to be about 5 - 7 molts . their color varies from white gray to reddish brown or a mixture of colors .
diaz , j . h . , “the evolving global epidemiology , syndromic classification , management , and prevention of caterpillar envenoming” am . j . trop . med . hyg . 72 ( 3 ) : 347 - 357 , 2005 .
lamdin , j . m . et . al . , “the venomous hair structure , venom and life cycle of logoa crispata , a puss caterpillar of oklahoma” toxicon 38 : 1163 - 1189 , 2000 .
lee , d . , rd pitetti and ml casselbrant , “oropharyngeal manifestations of lepidopterism” arch . otolaryngol . head neck surg . 125 : 50 - 52 , 1999 .
neustater , b . r . , nh stollman and hd manten , “sting of the puss caterpillar : an unusual cause of acute abdominal pain” south . med . j . 89 ( 8 ) : 826 - 827 1997 .
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found at a lighted wall at an all - night self - service car wash . i am presuming this is a male due to the plumose antennae .
i agree that this larva is dangerous . the worst pain i ever had . put my left hand down on the grass to support myself as i was getting up from the lawn . got strung on the little finger . within five minutes i felt a stabbing pain in my armpit and my little finger was swollen to the point that i could not bend it . i took benadryl and went to bed at five o ' clock pm . the day was over for me .
that sounded horrible . i ' ve read about the flannel moths and the caterpillars and i think the defense is pretty cool but getting stung by the moth or the caterpillar or both is not so pretty . sorry to hear that you got stung .
urltoken they want to hear from people who have been stung by this caterpillar .
it sounds like you had a terrible experience ! i definitely don ' t touch any hairy caterpillars , since i know some can sting . thanks for the warning and for sharing your story .
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many have wondered about exact nature of donald trump’s hair . is it the world’s worst toupee ? a poorly - executed elaborate comb - over ? a weird , incredibly expensive weave ? the world may never know . but i prefer to think it’s inspired by nature—not another human’s lovely locks , of course , but those of this animal , which some have taken to calling the donald trump caterpillar or simply the trumpapillar :
but while the adult is a plush hybrid between moth and cat , the young caterpillar’s golden hairs are not just fluff . the donald trump caterpillar isn’t just a surprisingly - accurate mimic of the donald’s hair—it’s even more venomous than its namesake . the lovely waves of dandelion “fur” which so perfectly emulate the republican candidate’s locks are actually dangerous spines capable of delivering potent toxins .
while these photos were taken in the amazon , this furry monster isn’t just found south of the border ; its range extends through texas all the way up to maryland and down through florida . many americans have trumpy toupees crawling around their backyards and don’t even know it ! so if you live in the south , keep an eye out—you’ll regret rubbing elbows with the trumpapillar even more than these apprentice contestants do with its namesake .
donald and hillary visit a bakery during campaigning . hillary bumps into a table , slipping three cream puffs into her pocket . she tells trump , “see how clever i am ? nobody saw anything . the election is mine ! ”
trump goes to the counter and says , “give me a cream puff and i will show you a magic trick . ”
the counterman gives him a cream puff . trump swallows it and asks for another , and another , and another . the counterman is not progressive . “magic trick my butt , where are my cream puffs ! ”
that’s hilarious , but it’s actually stolen from the original version where the people in it were reversed . which was stolen from the last several presidential elections where it was used with both candidates’ names in each case . and those were stolen from an old political cartoon from the 1800s .
on a hot day , boss tweed departs tammany hall and swaggers into mcsorley’s ale house .
“gimme a cold one ! ” demands the boss , but seeing no money the tapster demurs .
“come on , man - for posterity ‘s sake ! ” avers the great man of the people .
william m . “boss” tweed was a democrat . “ i don’t care who does the electing , so long as i get to do the nominating ” the democrat vision remains , though cupidity has been displaced with rapacity .
and , of course , democrats were the conservative party at the time , and republicans were the progressives . the more things change , the more they stay the same .
i think his own words make it pretty clear what he thinks he’d be entitled to do in that elevator . between what his multiple affairs , cavalier comments about sexual assault , and bragging about the “perks” of inspecting the miss universe pageant contestants , he’s a real joke of a human being . just more pathetic than funny .
dr . christie wilcox is a science writer based in the greater seattle area . her bylines include national geographic , popular science , and quanta
, released august 2016 ( scientific american / fsg books ) . to learn more about her life and work , check out
puss caterpillar refers to cat - like form of caterpillar , perhaps . asp refers to sting of caterpillar , is a local name used in texas
caterpillar is densely covered with gray to tan hairs , which form a rusty - red crest along the back . unlike the similar
, it has a tail - like tuft of hairs that stick straight out from the rear end , extending for a length greater than two body segments .
in north central florida , puss caterpillars are most common on various species of oaks but are also common on elms . - ufl
occasionally , in outbreak years , puss caterpillars are sufficiently numerous to defoliate some trees ( bishopp 1923 ) . however , their main importance is medical . in texas , they have been so numerous in some years that schools in san antonio in 1923 and galveston in 1951 were closed temporarily because of stings to children ( diaz jh . 2005 . the evolving global epidemiology , syndromic classification , management , and prevention of caterpillar envenoming . american journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 72 : 347 - 357 )
smith , j . e . & j . abbot , 1797 . the natural history of the rarer lepidopterous insects of georgia .
j . edwards , cadell & davies , and j . white , london .
bold - barcode of life data systems - species account with collection map and photos of pinned adults .
the natural history of the rarer lepidopterous insects of georgia . james edward smith & john abbot . 1797 . j . edwards , cadell & davies , and j . white , london . 2 vols . , 214 pp . , 104 pl . .
caterpillars of eastern north america david l . wagner . 2005 . princeton university press .
arthropods of florida and neighboring land areas : lepidoptera of florida j . b . heppner . 2003 . florida department of agriculture 17 ( 1 ) : 1 - 670 .
peterson field guides : eastern moths charles v . covell . 1984 . houghton mifflin company .
contributed by cotinis on 30 june , 2004 - 8 : 11am additional contributions by hannah nendick - mason , beatriz moisset , lynette elliott , mike quinn , maury heiman , ron m . , randy hardy last updated 18 june , 2018 - 6 : 41am
i ' ve been stung by the saddle - back one . it hurts !
an internet friend of mine regaled me with a tale of a buddy of his that looked like he got whacked in the face with a 2 x 4 . did he owe money to a bookie ? girlfriend beat him up ? no , he got his ass handed to him by a one inch long fluffy little caterpillar . the hell you say ? yeah , a caterpillar . what’s the world coming to ? every day that i step outside i feel like i’m in mother nature’s thunderdome . who knew mother nature was really tina turner ?
, goes by the name puss , tree asp , or southern flannel moth caterpillar . their habitat starts in maryland and sweeps down south to florida and west into texas and missouri , inhabiting all the states in - between . it resembles a tribble , and if you’re an original star trek fan , you’ll notice the resemblance , too . but while tribbles were relatively harmless , save for the exponential reproduction , the puss caterpillar is venomous . buried beneath it’s hairs , our furry fiend has 6 rows of urticating hairs . these specialized hairs are like mini - hypodermic needles hooked up to glands full of venom that inject upon contact .
the caterpillars emerge from their cocoons in the spring , and grow and darken in color as they consume the foliage around them . as the spring - time caterpillars turn into moths , those too will lay eggs , giving rise to a second generation . thus the prime time for envenomations is the early summer and early fall ( 1 ) .
historically , the puss moth caterpillar has been an ongoing problem in many areas , and particularly texas . a 1923 circular from the u . s . department of agriculture ( 2 ) reported that thousands of stings have occurred in a single season , and that “in some cases the fear of the caterpillars became almost a mania . ” and in 1921 schools in san antonio were shut down until they could get the caterpillar population under control . the best quote from the circular , however , is :
in dallas and fort worth , tex . , and other cities the forestry departments were deluged with requests that something be done to eliminate the pest , and the street trees were sprayed with arsenicals on an extensive scale .
the saying “if you can’t beat them , join them” obviously doesn’t apply in texas , instead it’s arsenic warfare . i shouldn’t be so hard on texas , it was the ’20s after all , and arsenic was a popular and common pesticide… . and murder weapon , but we’ll leave that for a later date .
the unfortunate part , at least for me , is that not a lot of study has gone into identifying the exact nature of the puss moth caterpillar venom . but this is typical for many venomous species . the fact is , venom is not just one chemical substance , it is usually made up of dozens of compounds . these can range from acetylcholinesterases to paralyze , to disintigrens to prevent blood coagulation , to toxins causing death .


the slaty bristlefront ( merulaxis ater ) is a member of the tapaculos , the neotropical bird family rhinocryptidae .

it inhabits the forests of south-east brazil .

it is currently becoming rare due to habitat loss , especially to the lowland forests .

slaty bristlefront

information on the slaty bristlefront ( merulaxis ater ) is being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
the slaty bristlefront is classified as near threatened ( nt ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
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krabbe , n . k . & schulenberg , t . s . ( 2018 ) . slaty bristlefront ( merulaxis ater ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
this species is listed as near threatened , as it has a moderately small population which is suspected to be declining owing to habitat loss . these declines are predicted to continue into the future , unless remedial conservation measures are taken .
recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : merulaxis ater . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .
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) , in neotropical birds online ( t . s . schulenberg , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , ny , usa . retrieved from neotropical birds online :
closely related to m . stresemanni and has been considered conspecific ( see that species ) . monotypic .
se brazil from s bahia ( at least formerly ) and espírito santo s to e paraná and e santa catarina .
18·5 cm ; one male 37·2 g , one female 33 g . large , dark tapaculo with short crest of stiff narrow feathers standing upright at base of bill and on forecrown . . . .
song , reportedly only seasonal , begins with series up to 1 minute long of clicks given at slightly . . .
humid lowland and montane forest , and mature secondary woodland . at 400–1800 m , locally down . . .
details of diet not documented . usually in pairs , members of which forage c . 10–20 m apart , keeping in vocal contact . hops , walks or . . .
song recorded mostly in oct–feb , but in são paulo also in late jul and in sept ; reportedly single - brooded . no other details . . .
not globally threatened . currently considered near - threatened . restricted - range species : present in atlantic forest lowlands eba . uncommon to locally fairly common . at . . .
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recent phylogenetic study recommends division into two subfamilies , rhinocryptinae and scytalopodinae # r .
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we would like to invite participants of this ornithological congress of the americas to submit manuscripts to be considered for publication on a special volume of the brazilian journal of ornithology . we welcome review and case study manuscripts derived from the research exposed at the meeting . particularly , we would like to invite organizers of each symposium , as well as symposium´s participants , to submit a review manuscript on the topic of the symposium , which could have particular emphasis on the individual talks involved in the symposium . also , we would like to publish one study case per symposium . in addition to the manuscripts derived from symposia , we encourage other authors presenting their studies to submit manuscripts as a general submi
for this particular issue , the brazilian journal of ornithology will publish articles and reviews on ornithology in general , with emphasis on neotropical birds . it is indexed in databases zoological records , biological abstract , scopus , and isi . the current ( june 2017 ) impact factor is 0 . 414 ) . the journal o
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the burnet companion moth ( euclidia glyphica ) is a moth of the erebidae family .

it is found in most of the palearctic ecozone from ireland in the west to mongolia and siberia in the east , south to the mediterranean and north africa .

burnet companion moth

burnet companion ( euclidia glyphica ) - norfolk moths - the macro and micro moths of norfolk .
burnet companion moth feeding on willow flower in newborough warren , anglesey , north wales . the moth was being stalked by a pale crab spider ( misumena vatia ) . like the moth , i didn ' t see the spider at first .
looking for a specific moth species ? enter just part of the name below .
we hung about in the glade hoping for a silver - washed fritillary but were disappointed . plenty of other insects about though with marbled white on the wing and a burnet companion moth . skev tracked down this small pink - phase grasshopper sp . the likes of which neither of us had seen before and which i hope skev can id .
burnet rose rust , phragmidium rosae - pimpinellifoliae , cooloorta , july 2016 . | irish natural history | pinterest | natural history and rust
wingspan 25 - 30 mm . gets its english name from the fact that it is often found in company with burnet moths ( zygaena spp ) .
english : burnet companion moth ( euclidia glyphica ) filmed in the burgwald , hesse , germany . deutsch : euclidia glyphica gefilmt im burgwald , mittelhessen . author : pristurus license : cc by - sa 3 . 0 link : urltoken details of the licenses can be found on this channel ' s
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1 : what ' s the difference between a butterfly and a moth ? there are many differences . adult butterflies are active in the day , while most - but not all - moths are active at night . when resting , a butterfly holds its wings together above its back ; a moth holds its wings horizontally . and butterfly antennae are thickened , or clubbed , at the tips , while moth antennae are most commonly straight or feathered .
fairly frequent but not common in leicestershire & rutland . l & r moth group status = b ( scarce resident or restricted distribution or regular migrant )
and bee moths , not behemoths but broad - bordered bee hawk - moths . what stunners and what moth porn . i spent ages with them doing photos and some video that needs editing up some other time .
before the species accounts proper there is a useful glossary of terms . the species accounts themselves start with an introduction to the species family . each moth then gets a full page with a large photograph and a small inset photo if there is a confusion species . the text guides the reader through all you need to find and identify the moth . there is a quick reference guide down the right - hand of the page with a distribution map . the photographs are universally excellent and annotated to highlight key id features .
the largely orange - yellow hindwings , combined with the warm brown forewings are characteristic of this species which can be confused with no other . often seen in the company of the mother shipton and some burnet moths , this species flies in sunshine and warm overcast weather . very alert and readily disturbed from low vegetation , generally flying only short distances .
my plan was to head over to chambers farm wood in lincolnshire for a bit of moth porn . now thanks to the a46 widening getting to lincoln is a piece of piss . once at chambers farm wood , i headed not for the traditional ride , by little scrubs meadow but to the butterfly garden . here there was plenty of red valarian which was attracting bees… i’m not good on bee id so any help will do .
this handy guide follows the usual wildguides format and allows you to identify confidently most of the insects you will encounter in the field or even the garden . a useful introduction looks at the separation of moths and butterflies before looking at moth biology ; the naming of moths and their taxonomy . the introduction then focuses on identifying moths , looking at habitat and has a handy section on gardening for moths ( and other insects by default ) .
after trying and failing again we headed off to see if we might find any scarlet tiger moth , no such luck but we did have a female broad - bodied chaser . suddenly with the olympics on the horizon i became all patriotic thinking of the stunning ( ly naff ) opening ceremony directed by danny boyle ( oh danny boy… what have you done ) . i was made to think about this by the way british farmers care for and enhance our beautiful british countryside…
description : wingspan 28 - 34 mm . a nervous and difficult moth to approach . forewings purplish brown with a dark median fascia outlined with a pale line ; there is also a small dark patch near the costa . the antemedian line is pale and running obliquely across the wing . the postmedian line is broad and edged with a pale fine line . hindwings dark brown in the basal region and along to the distal aspect of the tornus . the termen area is orange - brown with dark brown band running almost to the top of the wing .
after the rubbish summer so far and a few emails back and forth to skev , i decided to head to ketton quarry this morning to see if there were any signs of hornet moth emerging… there weren’t ! clearly skev had the same and i eventually found him by the donkey paddock swishing his net . in the donkey paddock , i had come upon an adder but the only shot of it was a blurred tail disappearing… bugger . plenty of wildflowers and a few butterflies such as ringlet and meadow brown were on the wing as it warmed up .
the popular , english name for this moth comes from the pattern on its forewing . this pattern resembles the iconic representation of ursula southeil , known as mother shipton – a sixteenth - century prophetess and witch . mother shipton is a mostly mythical character , who supposedly foretold the death of cardinal wolsey in 1530 . charles hindley , a nineteenth - century bookseller , created a prophetic poem that he claimed to be by shipton . this poem told of
carriages without horses
and air planes , as well as predicting the end of the world in 1881 .
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a taxon identifier is composed of name , author , year and attribute , all separated by a blank . these are all extracted from the original publication .
the name is reproduced exactly as proposed in the original publication . the name of a genus is made up of one word and species made up of two words ( genus and species ) separated by a blank .
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museum für naturkunde leibniz - institut für evolutions - und biodiversitätsforschung invalidenstr . 43 10115 berlin germany e - mail : fauna - eu ( at ) mfn - berlin . de website : urltoken
the larvae can be seen from late june to late august before overwintering as pupae in a cocoon among plant debris .
white clover ( trifolium repens ) , red clover ( trifolium pratense ) , black medick ( medicago lupulina ) , lucerne ( medicago sativa ) , common bird’s - foot trefoil ( lotus corniculatus ) and probably other trefoils and vetches .
dry or damp grasslands , usually on calcareous soils , including downland , flower - rich hay meadows , woodland rides , verges and embankments .
fairly well distributed in the southern half of england and south - east wales , becoming more restricted in distribution in the rest of wales , northern england , southern scotland and ireland . scarce on the channel islands
company limited by guarantee , registered in england ( 2206468 ) . vat no . gb 991 2771 89 registered office : manor yard , east lulworth , wareham , dorset , bh20 5qp tel : 01929 400 209 charity registered : england & wales ( 254937 ) . scotland ( sco39268 )
it is relatively common in the southern half of britain , becoming scarcer further north .
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it is relatively common in the southern half of britain , becoming scarcer further north . in a recent survey to determine the status of all macro moths in britain this species was classified as common .
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urltoken
recorded in 25 ( 36 % ) of 69 10k squares . first recorded in 1873 . last recorded in 2018 .
underlying maps using digital map data © norfolk online lepidoptera archive - nola™ 2018 . © james wheeler - n o r f o l k m o t h s 2007 - 2018 . data © nola™ 2018
status : restricted to the limestone grasslands of fermanagh where it can be locally common . outside fermanagh it is extremely local , confined to just a few sites in armagh including milford railway cutting , navan fort , and thompson ' s quarry . it was seen in the mid 1970s at rich hill railway station .
ecology : a small dayflying species most active in sunshine and difficult to approach . adults are mainly found in limestone grassland and wet meadows . the larvae feed during july and august on clovers trifolium spp . and trefoils lotus spp . it overwinters as a pupa .
world distribution : eurasiatic ; common and widespread throughout western europe as far north as sweden and finland .
english - german online dictionary developed to help you share your knowledge with others . more information ! contains translations by tu chemnitz and mr honey ' s business dictionary ( german - english ) . thanks on that account ! links to this dictionary or to single translations are very welcome ! questions and answers
the red pierrot ( talicada nyseus ) is a small but striking butterfly found in south asia and south - east asia belonging to the lycaenids or blues family . red pierrots , flying weakly around and perching on the kalanchoe plant , are usually noticed by excited children in gardens due to their beautiful striking patterns and colours .
the butterfly with a wing span of 3 to 3 . 5 cm . the upper side of its wings are black except for a large portion of the lower edge of the hind wing which is orange .
on the underside , the forewing is white with black spots more toward the margin . the hind wing is very striking , it is white with black spots toward the base and the margin has a wide band of orange with white spots . there is a lot of variation found in the blacks spots on the hind wings .
locally abundant . widely distributed in peninsular india , and has been recorded from many localities in maharashtra , karnataka , punjab , and orissa . also found in the hilly regions of ne india and northern myanmar . studies suggest that they may be on the way to colonizing the foothills of the himalayas due to changes in the habitat .
found in semi - arid plains , degraded patches of evergreen patches , and semi - evergreen forest , gardens , hill stations and forests , in fact wherever its foodplant , kalanchoe , is abundant . it is found from the plains to 8000 feet .
the red pierrot is a weak flier , and flutters about close to the ground . it flies in short bursts and settles often but not for very long . it basks with its wings half open , but prefers shade to sun and jungle or undergrowth to open areas . it keeps on the wing almost till dark when it settles on the undersides of leafs and twigs often in company . it is sluggish early in the morning and late in the evening . it visits flowers of herbs especially of the amaranthaceae and acanthaceae family for nectar . it visits both ornamental and wild flowers and varieties of alternanthera are among its favourite .
it always sits with its wings closed to display the bright markings of its undersides . it fearlessness , weak flight and distinctive markings all indicate that it is a protected butterfly , which is peculiar considering that its hostplants are not known to contain any sequestrable toxins .
there is a mention in literature of the species being found at lights at night , however such phenomena are usually restricted to species that are crepuscular and this occurrence may be incidental . life history
it is not a common butterfly , but near its food plant , kalanchoe , it is found in abundance and is gregarious in all its stages .
the female lays eggs on the underside of a leaf . young and old leaves are selected without discrimination as the leaves of kalanchoe are thick and succulent during all stages .
the caterpillar is pale yellow to a dirty white , and flattened with large , jet black spiracles . the entire body is covered with tiny white setae or bristle - like hair .
this caterpillar is a leaf miner by habit and this serves as its defense . as soon as it hatches it bores into the leaf and will spend the rest of its life between the epidermal layers of the leaf . occasionally it will change leaves .
the caterpillar tunnels through the entire leaf in a neat winding manner so as to make sure to consume the entire leaf . it leaves a black trail within that is filled with droppings . the caterpillar can only be seen when it is changing leaves or when it comes to the surface to pupate .
onisciform , but much rounded , and with the segments at the divisions very clearly defined ; head small , almost concealed ; last segment flattened . it is in colour fleshy - white , with a row of nine small black dots along the back on each side and a ring of four similar dots on the segment nearest the head ; it is profusely covered with small white hairs . it feeds in the interior of the fleshy leaves of bryophyllum calycinum , only emerging in order to turn into a pupa . —davidson , bell and aitken quoted in bingham
at the time of pupation the caterpillar comes out of the leaf and weaves a silk pad and a tight body band and then moults to form the pupa . the pupa can be either on the under or upper surface of the leaf . it is yellow and covered with long light hairs . the pupa is also marked with numerous black spots all over the body .
. . . much resembles the larva , being short and stout and blunt and covered with short - white hair . it is of the same fleshy colour as the larva and has two lines of small black dots along the surface of the abdomen continued along the thorax . it also has a third row of four similar dots on the middle of the abdomen between them ; the two dots on the thorax nearest the head are also connected by two other dots . —davidson , bell and aitken quoted in bingham
the larval host plants are kalanchoe laciniata and k . pinnata of the family crassulaceae ( stonecrop family ) ; the latter host being a common garden plant . adult butterflies have sometimes been seen to visit lichens . studies suggest that they collect phenolic substances by scraping lichens
sciencedaily ( jan . 22 , 2008 ) - nowhere in nature is there so much beautiful colour as on the wings of butterflies . scientists , however , are still baffled about exactly how these colours are created . marco giraldo has been examining the structure of the surface of the wings of the cabbage white and other butterflies . among the things he has discovered is why european cabbage whites are rebuffed more often than japanese ones . giraldo will be awarded a phd by the university of groningen on 25 january 2008 .
the colours on butterfly wings are used as an advertisement . the patterns on the wings enable butterflies to recognize their own species at a distance and differentiate between males and females - rather handy when you ' re hunting for a partner . just like a pointillist painting , the surface of the wing is constructed of a huge collection of coloured dots , called scales , each about 50 x 250 micrometers in size .
however , scientists don ' t yet know very much about how the colour on the wings is formed . what they do know is that the colours are created in two different ways : via pigments and via nanostructures on the scales , which ensure that light is distributed in ways that are sometimes spectacular . these so - called structure colours can clearly be seen on the morpho butterflies of the south american rainforests .
cabbage white marco giraldo examined the structure and the pigments of the wings of the cabbage white and other whites from the pieridae family . the physicist chose the whites because they have relatively simple pigmentation . by comparing the scales of various sorts under an electron microscope , he discovered how the colouration of whites is caused . giraldo is the first to clarify how the colour of these butterflies is influenced by the nanostructural characteristics .
scale structure although the spatial structure of a scale depends on the type of butterfly , there are a number of general characteristics : a scale consists of two layers , linked by pillars . the undersurface is virtually smooth and without structure , but the upper surface is formed by a large number of elongated , parallel ridges , about one to two micrometers from each other . the colour is determined by the dispersal of light by the scale structures and by the absorption of light by any pigments present . the pigments of the cabbage white , for example , absorb ultraviolet light and the brimstone blue light . at the same time they also scatter white or yellow light respectively .
effective giraldo also discovered that the wings of whites are constructed in a surprisingly effective way . both sides of the wings have two layers of overlapping scales that reflect light . the more scales there are , the more light is reflected . this light reflection is very important as butterflies want to be seen . giraldo discovered that these two layers form an optimal construction : with more than two layers the reflection may be improved , but the wing would become disproportionately heavy .
japanese males giraldo has also discovered why japanese male cabbage whites are better at recognizing females than european cabbage whites , who still make mistakes in this area . this is because the wings of japanese male and female cabbage whites differ subtly , unlike those of their european relatives : the scales on the wings of japanese female cabbage whites lack specific pigment grains , those that ensure that uv light is absorbed . males do have these pigment grains , as do both sexes of the european cabbage whites . this difference makes it easier for japanese male cabbage whites , who unlike humans can see uv light , to differentiate between males and females .
colour industry new colour methods can be developed using the knowledge derived from giraldo ' s research . it may be possible to apply the nanostructures observed in butterflies to create impressive optic effects in paint , varnish , cosmetics , packaging materials and clothes . industry is thus following butterfly wing research with great interest .
sciencedaily ( may 1 , 2003 ) - up to 20 layers of transparent scales on butterfly wings scatter white light to produce brilliant blue structural color . alison sweeney , duke university , and collaborators at the smithsonian tropical research institute report in nature that polarized light from iridescent female heliconius butterflies functions as a mating signal . this may be the first example of mate recognition based on polarized light . physical properties of wing scales may play an important role in speciation of heliconius butterflies .
people in small planes flying low over tropical forest often comment about the tiny flashes of blue from iridescent butterfly wings that stand out against dark green jungle foliage . but the ecological significance of light scattering and shaping by butterflies has , for the most part , been overlooked .
sweeney brings a new emphasis on the physical properties of butterfly wings to a group studying the genetics and ecology of speciation in heliconius butterflies . she presented moving female butterfly wings to conspecific males with and without filters that eliminate polarized light . males of an iridescent species approached females producing polarized signals significantly more often when signals were not depolarized . males of another , non - iridescent species approached females , which do not produce polarized signals , at the same rate regardless of the presence or absence of the depolarizing filters .
differences in light bending by genetically inherited patterns of butterfly scales may be important in sexual selection and speciation of heliconius butterflies and may vary according to the specific light environment they occupy in tropical forests .
ref . alison sweeney , christopher jiggins , sonke johnsen . polarized light as a butterfly mating signal . nature . 1 may , 2003 .
the smithsonian tropical research institute , headquartered in panama city , panama , is one of the world ? s leading centers for research on the ecology , evolution and conservation of tropical organisms .
sciencedaily ( oct . 26 , 2007 ) - the genes that make a fruit fly ' s eyes red also produce red wing patterns in the heliconius butterfly found in south and central america , finds a new study by a uc irvine entomologist .
bob reed , assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology , discovered that genes involved in making insect eye pigments evolved over time to also make wing pigments in butterflies . this finding sheds light on the genetic causes of wing patterns and why , in the heliconius , those patterns can vary widely from region to region .
' we found that evolution is achieved primarily through recycling old genes into new functions , as opposed to evolving entirely new genes from scratch , ' reed said .
within one species of the butterfly genus heliconius , more than 20 distinct wing patterns can exist in different geographic regions . over time , the heliconius evolves to look like local unrelated butterfly species that are poisonous to birds , a phenomenon called mimicry .
' it is a very basic textbook example of natural selection , ' reed said . ' if you look like you ' re poisonous , you ' re not going to get eaten and you can produce offspring . '
reed ' s study also explains under which conditions certain genes will cause a stripe on a heliconius wing to become yellow or red .
w . owen mcmillan of the university of puerto rico and lisa m . nagy of the university of arizona also worked on this study , which was funded by the national science foundation and a university of arizona igert genomics fellowship .
uc irvine has two additional butterfly experts - adriana briscoe , who studies butterfly eyes and color vision , and tony long , who studies eyespot patterns on butterfly wings . all three scientists are members of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology in the school of biological sciences .
results of the study appeared online in the proceedings of the royal society b .
2 : do butterflies have any of our five senses ? to some extent , adult butterflies have all five senses . by far the most important sense for butterflies is smell - the sensors on their antennae are highly attuned to odors . butterflies can also taste . they have ' taste buds ' at the end of the tongue , and females taste plants to identify them by using sensory structures on their feet .
3 : how do butterflies communicate ? adult butterflies communicate with one another mostly through chemical cues - the males produce chemicals called pheromones to seduce the females . additionally , a few species communicate with sound . the male cracker butterfly ( hamadryas ) can make loud noises with his wings .
4 : do butterflies sleep ? at night , or when the day is cloudy , adult butterflies rest by hanging upside down from leaves or twigs , where they are hidden among the foliage . we don ' t really know whether or not they are sleeping .
5 : how do butterflies reproduce ? if you see two adult butterflies with their abdomens linked tail - to - tail , they are mating . the male grasps the female and deposits a sperm packet , which fertilizes the female ' s eggs . the butterflies can fly while mating , but they usually avoid moving unless they are disturbed .
6 : how long do butterflies live ? although the caterpillar may take months to develop , adult butterflies of most species live only a few weeks . exceptions include migratory species , which may live up to 10 months . in warm climates there are continuous generations , producing butterflies year - round .
7 : do butterflies migrate ? most adult butterflies stick close to home , but a few species , including the monarch butterfly ( danaus plexippus ) , are migratory . monarchs travel incredible distances from canada and the northern united states to overwintering sites in mexico , where they roost together in vast numbers . having survived the winter , the adults return northward in the spring .
8 : what makes butterfly wings colorful ? butterfly wings are covered with tiny scales , each a single color . most of the colors are produced by pigments , but the beautiful iridescence of some butterflies results from a reflective microstructure on the scale ' s surface . don ' t touch a butterfly ' s wing - the ' powder ' that rubs off is actually the scales .
9 : are butterflies endangered ? are any extinct ? butterflies are extremely sensitive to environmental changes , and many species have become endangered or extinct because of habitat destruction . some adult butterflies have also been threatened by commercial collectors , like the spectacular queen alexandra ' s birdwing , ornithoptera alexandrae , of papua new guinea .
10 : how small is the smallest butterfly , and how big is the biggest ? adult butterflies vary greatly in size . one of the smallest butterflies is the eastern pygmy blue , brephidium isophthalma , from the coastal southeastern united states , with a wingspan of about 5 / 8 of an inch . among the largest are the birdwing butterflies from new guinea , with wingspans of up to 12 inches .
if you love photography as much as we do please help ! a small donation can go a long way allowing us to make this site even better ! ! if you have any additional historical information about any of the photo ' s featured on our website please email me so we can add more information . this webpage was updated july 15 , 2014
at the end of the book is a list of day - flying moths with quick references to habitat , flight season , larval food plant and conservation status . there then follows a section on conservation , legislation and recording . for those wanting to get more involved there is a section for further reading and useful websites before a comprehensive index .
finally the inside of the rear cover has a handy life size comparisons plate of the main species families . the book also comes with a weatherproof plastic cover .
this is truly a field guide to slip into your bag or pocket and use in the field – get a copy and get ready to enjoy some moths this spring .
not a post title that will make much sense really but i always like and excuse for a bit of quo in a post . earlier this week andrew harrop discovered a small but apparently healthy population of chalkhill blue butterflies at the leicestershire and rutland wildlife trust reserve at bloody oaks quarry . after our first , mainly rubbish , vismig session of the year dave gray and i headed over that way .
almost as soon as we entered the reserve we came across a male chalkhill blue … an excellent if unexpected addition to my county list .
plenty of other butterflies as well but that’s for another post . here for all you old rockers is a bit of status quo and caroline – their first top 5 hit . here the significance of the title comes in – the chalkhill blues , dave reliably informs me , are seen most regularly on caroline thistle .
a few common lizard were basking by the gate but were hard to photograph , two adults and at least two juveniles .
another piece of photo art . this is one of the broad - bordered bee hawk - moths i photographed at chambers farm wood in june this year .
we decided to go and check out the reports of a rare flower for vc55 and headed off via the cutting to an area of beech woodland , stopping off to photograph yellow wort and common spotted orchid .
arriving at our destination our target was pretty easy to find with well over 100 spikes of yellow bird’s nest . what a stunning , sorry – crap plant… almost as dull as bird’s nest orchid . why are the rarest plants so often so ugly ? it’s not even yellow !
suitably stunned we headed off towards the bat cave , stopping off for a few southern marsh orchid and some past their best common twayblade .
heading back to the car park this common lizard ( well two ) played hard to get as did another snake… possibly another adder .
i left skev about 11 . 30 to head for home , stopping just before north luffenham for this wonderful display of poppies .
finally got around to editing up some footage of the broad - bordered bee hawk - moths from chambers farm wood in lincolnshire last week . for odonata fans there’s a bonus section of four - spotted chaser .
while it was nice to photograph them , a bit of - albeit - crap video says so much more . no wonder the rspb get inundated each year with reports of hummingbirds…
when i was looking in my diary yesterday at work i remarked to my colleague that ‘at least we’re on a study day tomorrow . ’ well , i was pretty hacked off . when she told me that was cancelled i was a bit crestfallen… working for the nhs is pretty shit at the minute – trust me !
i looked at the weather forecast , sunny ; i looked at my diary , empty . fuck it ! an impromptu day off…
around the pond were a couple of four - spotted chaser , on of whom was certainly bossing the pond and a nice male broad - bodied chaser that was always bullied away by the quad .
both the quad images were digiscoped and again i filmed the odes , of which more later .
i headed over to little scrubs meadow following a tip - off from norman hall for the orchids , a fine showing of common spotted orchid and in the woods at least 14 greater butterfly orchid spikes .
on my way home i stopped in at the whisby nature park but apart from loads of blue damselflies there was little or no dragonfly action… at least that i found .
shit film… there that’s controversial . manhunter with brian cox as hannibal lector was a much better film .
best bit in the film has to be the death’s - head hawkmoth . yesterday the buzza ledge crew trapped one of these stunning moths . shame it wouldn’t settle and was constantly trembling its wings .
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it has a wingspan of 27 - 29 mm ( 1 - 1 . 1 inch ) . dark brown wings with grey to white features on the fore wing . the outer rims of both wing pairs is rimmed with white spots . its habitat is in dry areas mainly places with sand or gravel like roadsides or shore - lines .
the following is a representative barcode sequence , the centroid of all available sequences for this species . there are 9 barcode sequences available from bold and genbank .
below is a sequence of the barcode region cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 ( coi or cox1 ) from a member of the species .
the eggs are laid singly on the tender young leaves of bird ' s - foot trefoil lotus corniculatus , the favoured foodplant ( although horseshoe vetch hippocrepis comosa and greater bird ' s - foot trefoil lotus pendunculatus are sometimes used ) . the caterpillar creates a shelter by spinning leaves together and feeds until fully grown in august . it then creates a larger tent to form a hibernaculum where it hibernates . pupation occurs the following spring without further feeding . adults are on the wing from mid - may till mid - june .
jim asher et al . the millennium atlas of butterflies of britain and ireland oxford university press
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