Page 314 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Zygaenidae
DISTRIBUTION
DIS TRIBUTION Southwestern China
DISTRIBUTION
HABIT A T Elevated forests and urban ornamental plantings
HABITAT
HABITAT
HOST PLANTS
HOS
HOST PLANTS S Prunus cerasoides and P. majestica
T PLANT

NOTE
NO
NOTE Defoliating, distasteful caterpillar of a day- ying moth
TE
CONSERVATION STATUS
CONSERVATION STATUS
CONSERV A TION S T A TUS Not evaluated, but can be very common in parts of its range
and elsewhere rarely seen
ADULT WINGSPAN
3⅜ in (85 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1 ⁄ in (30 mm)
ACHELURA YUNNANENSIS
ACHELURA YUNNANENSIS
312
HORIE & XUE, 1999

Achelura yunnanensis caterpillars can occur in huge numbers
on host plants. They have only one generation annually, with
the late instar caterpillars leaving the host plant to pupate in
late summer. The silk-wrapped pupa is formed in adjoining
evergreen foliage or in the leaf litter to overwinter, as the host
plant is deciduous but often already defoliated by the larvae. The
moths emerge the following summer en masse.

Typical of most caterpillars of the subfamily Chalcosiinae,
Achelura yunnanensis, when threatened, secretes a transparent,
viscous liquid from glands associated with its numerous body
verrucae. These droplets contain cyanoglucosides, which act
as a taste deterrent against natural enemies; the distastefulness
is passed on to the adult moth. The moths are high-flying,

day- ying butter y mimics and do not travel far from the host

plant, so are rarely seen or identi ed. Members of the genus

Achelura, including A. yunnanensis, have only recently been
described, with new discoveries still to be made.

The Achelura yunnanensis caterpillar is a
Actual size striking, aposematic, yellow-and-black caterpillar.
Each segment bears a rectangular black zone
either side of the midline that includes two, raised,
conical structures bearing twin spinelike setae.
These are the source of the defensive cyanide
secretions, from visible cuticular cavities. A skirt
of white plumose hairs surrounds the body.