Page 294 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Pterophoridae
DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION Europe
TRIBUTION
DIS
HABIT
HABITAT
HABITAT T Grasslands, sand dunes, and shingle
A
T PLANT
HOST PLANTS
HOST PLANTS S Restharrow (Ononis spp.)
HOS

NOTE
NOTE
NO TE Green caterpillar that is well camou aged on its food plant
A
A
CONSERV
TION S
T
TUS
CONSERVATION STATUS
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but locally rare
ADULT WINGSPAN
⁄ –⅞ in (18–22 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
¼–
⁄ in (6–8 mm)
MARASMARCHA LUNAEDACTYLA
CRESCENT MOON
292
(HAWORTH, 1811)
Crescent Moon caterpillars hatch from eggs laid on
restharrows—tough weeds so-named because in the past they
obstructed harrows from breaking up the soil. The emerging
hairy, green caterpillars are well camouflaged among the
Actual size leaves and shoots of their host plant as they feed. When fully

developed, nal instar larvae also pupate on the host plant. The
pupae are found attached to the underside of a leaf or stem.
There is a single generation each year.

The tiny moths eclose and are active from June to August,
appearing at dusk. Adults of the Pterophoridae family are called

“plume moths” for their modi ed forewings, often consisting
The Crescent Moon caterpillar is hairy and of just a few feathery plumes. The species gets its common
green. The body is uniformly green with a faint name from the distinctive pale crescent around the cleft in the
dorsal line. The hairs are long and white but not
dense, arising in rings of tubercles around the forewing. At rest, the moths roll up their wings, which resemble
segments. The head is shiny black.
dead grass, and hold them out at right angles to form a T-shape.