Page 500 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Geometridae
DISTRIBUTION United States, from South Dakota in the Midwest south to Texas,
and from Massachusetts to Florida in the east
HABITAT Pitch pine-scrub oak barrens in the north; woodlands and
forests in the south
HOST PLANTS Apple (Malus spp.), Clethra spp., Myrica spp., cherry (Prunus spp.),
oak (Quercus spp.), Vaccinium spp., and likely many other
woody plants
NOTE Caterpillar that is colorful and variable; adult females are wingless
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but relatively common in the south of its range
and rare in the north

ADULT WINGSPAN
1⅛–1⅝ in (29–41 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1 ⁄ in (40 mm)
LYCIA YPSILON
WOOLLY GRAY
498
(FORBES, 1885)

Woolly Gray caterpillars hatch in spring and feed on a variety
of woody plants. While most geometrid caterpillars are
cryptically colored in subdued gray, brown, or green, this
species is brightly colored and patterned, though not aposematic.
It seems most likely that the markings serve a dual purpose;
their complexity and variability help the caterpillars evade
birds, which are skillful at recognizing only speci c patterns,

and, if the larvae are detected, their bright coloring might also
alarm potential predators.

Lycia ypsilon overwinters as a pupa, and, in the north of its range,
the males eclose and y before all the snow has melted. In the

south of its range (Florida), it is also one of the earliest moths of

the year, ying from January to March in a single generation.
The females are wingless and crawl on the ground, making
them hardly recognizable as Lepidoptera.

The Woolly Gray caterpillar is typical of
Actual size inchworm moth larvae in shape, with two
pairs of prolegs and a long, slender body.
It is patterned in yellow, red, maroon, black,
and white, with the head and last abdominal
segment peppered white. Individuals are
variably colored, with a burgundy or gray
(light or dark) base color, patterned stripes,
and red (or sometimes yellow) spots behind
the spiracles.