Page 428 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Saturniidae
DISTRIBUTION Southeastern Mexico, south to Bolivia, and the Caribbean (Saint
Lucia and Martinique)
HABITAT Tropical forests and scrub
HOST PLANTS Cercidium microphillum; in captivity has fed on plum and wild
cherry (Prunus spp.)
NOTE Silkmoth caterpillar that is unusually colorful
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
3¾–4⅝ in (95–120 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
3⅛ in (80 mm)
ROTHSCHILDIA ERYCINA
ROTHSCHILDIA ERYCINA
426
(SHAW, 1796)

When the Rothschildia erycina caterpillar hatches from its
brownish egg, it is black and yellow and usually among a dozen
or more siblings. One by one the larvae make their way to where

the rst one to hatch has chosen to rest on the underside of an
appropriate leaf. As they grow and molt, they change colors and
detail in each of their ve instars, nally becoming independent

and displaying a broad pattern of white, black, green, and bright
orange. This is aposematic coloration, warning birds that a
The Rothschildia erycina caterpillar is white or caterpillar may be poisonous.
pale green with a black band on each segment,
partly or mostly concealed on the dorsum by a
broad, orange band. The tiny scoli, or tubercles, The mature caterpillar spins a strong cocoon, which it carefully
are studded with harmless, short, black spines.
The head, true legs, and prolegs are black. The hangs from a small branch, and the adult silkmoth emerges about
center of the ventrum is pale green. six weeks later. The adult is a much smaller, streamlined version
of the Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) of Asia, to which it is related,
but is more intricately patterned and more colorful. There are
several subspecies of Rothschildia erycina, varying widely in size.

Actual size