Page 405 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Saturniidae
DISTRIBUTION Southern Mexico to eastern Peru, Bolivia,
and Brazil (Pará Province)
HABITAT Tropical forests or scrub
HOST PLANTS Unknown in the wild; in captivity has fed on acacia (Acacia spp.)
NOTE Stinging caterpillar that develops through six or seven instars
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but widespread in tropical America

ADULT WINGSPAN
4⅛–5¼ in (105–135 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
4 in (100 mm)
HYPERCHIRIA NAUSICA
HYPERCHIRIA NAUSICA 403

(CRAMER, 1779)

In its early stages, the Hyperchiria nausica caterpillar is a bright
yellow member of a tightly knit group and does not acquire
the caramel color of a mature caterpillar until the sixth and
seventh instars. When roaming from one leaf or branch to
another, larvae proceed slowly and deliberately in single le.

This caterpillar belongs to the subfamily Hemileucinae, whose
members generally require six instars for males and seven instars
for the larger females to mature. Most of the tropical species
make a silk cocoon wrapped in leaves on or above the ground. The Hyperchiria nausica caterpillar is short,
thick-bodied, and blackened yellow in color.
It is almost completely covered with protective
The mature caterpillar resembles a woolly bear caterpillar of rosettes of brownish yellow, poisonous spines
Arctiinae, but, unlike the species of that subfamily, this one that are tipped with white. The legs, prolegs,
and head are black, and the abdominal feet
can sting. The adult moth looks like a dead leaf or animal face are pinkish tan.
with two eyes, a nose, and mouth. Hyperchiria nausica is one
of between 6 and 20 recognized species of Hyperchiria; it was
previously classi ed in Automeris because of the eyespots on its

hindwings, which are characteristic of members of that genus.

Actual size