Page 356 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Brahmaeidae
DISTRIBUTION Southern Siberia and Russian Far East, Mongolia, China, Korea,
and south to Indonesia
HABITAT Forests
HOST PLANTS Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

NOTE Striking caterpillar that displays false eyes to scare o predators
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
4–4⅝ in (100–120 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
3½–4 in (90–100 mm)
BRAHMAEA TANCREI
SIBERIAN OWL MOTH
354
AUSTAUT, 1896

Siberian Owl Moth caterpillars hatch from round, white eggs
laid on the underside of leaves, eating their eggshells before
feeding on the leaves. They have four long, black laments on

their thorax and a further three at the tail end of their abdomen.

These laments are lost after the third molt and replaced by false
eyespots on the thorax, which normally remain hidden. The
species does not spin a cocoon but pupates underground or in
the leaf litter, where it overwinters.

The adult moths are on the wing in April, and there is just a
The Siberian Owl Moth caterpillar is large single generation each year. The fast-growing caterpillars are
with striking markings. The body is brown with
caramel and black oblique stripes along the active from May to June and, when threatened, they rear up
sides. The abdomen is covered with many
small, white dots, some ringed in brown. and curl their head down to reveal their eyespots, waving their
The spiracles are ringed in white. The head body from side to side to deter the predator. To further put o
and thorax are brown and black, while the
legs and prolegs are black. predators, they may also make a squeaky noise.

Actual size