Page 351 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Lasiocampidae
DISTRIBUTION Europe, North Africa, and across Asia (except for the far north
and south) to Japan
HABITAT Deciduous forests up to 5,250 ft (1,600 m) elevation,
hedgerows, verges, grasslands, and farmlands
HOST PLANTS Deciduous trees, including apple (Malus spp.), hawthorn
(Crataegus spp.), willow (Salix spp.), and oak (Quercus spp.)
NOTE Gregarious caterpillar that feeds within a vast silken web
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but decreasing locally

ADULT WINGSPAN
1–1⅜ in (25–35 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1¾–2 in (45–50 mm)
MALACOSOMA NEUSTRIA
LACKEY MOTH 349

(LINNAEUS, 1758)

Lackey Moth caterpillars hatch en masse in spring from a ring
of overwintering eggs laid around twigs. The gregarious
larvae live together in a silken web, spun across branches of
the host tree. The web helps them regulate their temperature;
on sunny days the larvae bask on the surface to raise their body
temperature so they can become active. It also gives them
protection and deters natural enemies such as parasitic wasps
and birds. Mature caterpillars disperse into the surrounding
vegetation in search of food and a place to pupate.

The sparse cocoons can be found among leaves under trees
where the larvae have fed. Lackey Moth caterpillars are The Lackey Moth caterpillar is brown with

voracious eaters, feeding on leaves of many di erent deciduous blue, orange, and white stripes down the back.
The body is covered with long, orange-brown
tree species as well as fruit trees, causing localized defoliation. hairs. The head is gray with dark spots.
Population explosions can occur, and the caterpillars are
considered a pest, especially of orchards. The adult moths
are on the wing in summer.

Actual size