Page 296 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Cossidae
DISTRIBUTION Europe, the Middle East, central Asia, Russia, and China
HABITAT Woodlands, parks, and gardens
HOST PLANTS Deciduous trees such as oak (Quercus spp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.),
and apple (Malus spp.)
NOTE Wood-eating and tunneling caterpillar that is rarely seen
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but widespread though declining in parts
of its range

ADULT WINGSPAN
2 –3¾ in (68–96mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
4 in (100 mm)
COSSUS COSSUS
GOAT MOTH
294
(LINNAEUS, 1758)

The young Goat Moth caterpillar, named for the peculiar,
strong, goatlike odor it gives o , burrows into the trunk of the

host tree and gnaws out a chamber in which to overwinter. Wood

is di cult to digest, so the caterpillar grows slowly and may
spend up to ve years in the larval stage. Eventually, it abandons

the tree and moves to the ground or an old tree stump, where it
spins a silk cocoon and pupates, incorporating particles of soil
to disguise the cocoon. In more northerly areas, the caterpillar
pupates inside the tree.

The large, grayish-brown adult emerges and ies between
April, in more southerly locations, and August, in the north
of its range. The caterpillar is unusual for its habit of feeding
The Goat Moth caterpillar has a distinctive,
black head and a large, black mark on the thorax. on wood, which, together with its tunneling, damages the
The black mandibles are particularly large and
serrated. It is a deep red-purple color along the host tree and causes economic harm to orchards and olive
back, with lighter and more orange tones along groves. Pest control has resulted in a steep decline in numbers
the lateral and ventral sides. Scattered over the
body are long, pale hairs. since the 1960s.

Actual size