Page 312 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Limacodidae
DISTRIBUTION Southern China, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Indochina
DISTRIBUTION
DIS
TRIBUTION
HABIT
HABITAT
HABITAT T Forests
A
HOST PLANTS
HOST PLANTS S Polyphagous, including nutmeg (Myristica spp.)
HOS
T PLANT
TE
NO
NOTE
NOTE Caterpillar that is sluglike and festooned with stinging spines
T
A
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but common
A
TUS
TION S
CONSERV
CONSERVATION STATUS
ADULT WINGSPAN

1–1⅜ in (25–35 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1⅜ in (35 mm)

SUSICA SINENSIS
SUSICA SINENSIS
310
(WALKER, 1856)
Susica sinensis caterpillars, like many other lepidopteran
larvae, consume their freshly shed skins after molting from
one instar to the next. Cup moth (or slug moth) caterpillars of
the stinging variety, including S. sinensis, typically consume
everything, spines and all. This species undergoes a dramatic
transformation in terms of size, morphology, and color when

it molts into the nal instar. At earlier stages, the larvae display
vivid blue markings on a green body, with the anterior and
posterior dorsolateral scoli much longer than those in between.
At maturity, the body is glossy white with green markings and
all spiny scoli of uniform size.

The stinging spines of limacodid slug caterpillars, including
those of Susica sinensis, are capable of causing painful injuries if
Actual size
in contact with human skin, introducing toxins produced from
glands at the base of the hollow spines. This species is sometimes
informally referred to as the Statuesque Cup Moth for its erect
cartoon character-like postures, often while inverted.

The Susica sinensis caterpillar is pearly
white, capsule-shaped, and has three broad,
green stripes with darker outlines. The outlines
of the dorsal stripe converge over the thoracic
segments to produce a pair of X marks.
The lateral stripes are heavily waved to
circumvent the bases of the heavily spined
scoli and incorporate the spiracles. There
are four longitudinal rows of scoli forming
a uniform halo of defensive, green,
black-tipped spines.