page_title: Halysidota tessellaris
section_title: Adults
hierarchical_section_title: Halysidota tessellaris / Life cycle / Adults
caption_attribution_description: English: Banded tussock moth (Halysidota tessellaris). 2014-06 in Durham, North Carolina.
context_page_description: Halysidota tessellaris, also called the pale tiger moth, banded tussock moth, and tessellated halisidota, is in the family Erebidae and the tribe Arctiini, the tiger moths. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. Like many related species, adult moths have chemical defenses acquired from its host plants, in this case, alkaloids. Larval behaviors suggest that they are chemically protected; they have not been analyzed for alkaloid content.
context_section_description: Wings are light brown. Forewings have bands of beige edged in black. The body is 'hairy' and yellow.  The thorax has blue-green lines on its uppersides. Adults are attracted to decaying plants with pyrrolizidine alkaloids. They regurgitate on them, then drink the fluids, and acquire defensive chemicals.
caption: Close-up of a pale tiger moth, with blue and orange hairs visible on its thorax
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