Page 525 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Notodontidae
DISTRIBUTION North America, from southeastern Canada to Florida,
west to Texas
HABITAT Forests, woodlands, and roadside edges
HOST PLANTS Woody trees, including basswood (Tilia spp.), oak (Quercus spp.),
beech (Fagus spp.), cherry (Prunus spp.), and witch hazel
(Hamamelis spp.)
NOTE Notodontid prominent caterpillar commonly encountered in
eastern United States forests
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but common in its range

ADULT WINGSPAN
1½–2 ⁄ in (38–56 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1¾ in (45 mm)
HETEROCAMPA BIUNDATA
WAVY-LINED HETEROCAMPA 523

WALKER, 1855

Like many “prominent” caterpillars, which are named for
the protruding tuft of hair on the forewing of adults, the
Wavy-lined Heterocampa prefers to feed and rest on leaf edges,
where an effective camouflage helps it to hide in plain sight.
Early instar larvae sport a pair of eshy “antlers” behind the

head. These defining appendages become fully manifested
during the third instar. During the fourth and fth ( nal) instars,

the prothoracic growths are minimalized or nonexistent, as the
caterpillar’s appearance becomes more bulbous and reddish
prior to pupation. The prepupal caterpillar overwinters in soil

or leaf litter, and the adult moth ies from April to August.
Actual size
Heterocampa biundata shares its range with two similar species,
H. obliqua, a specific oak feeder, and H. guttivitta, which is
usually less vibrantly patterned. Two generations of mature
larvae occur from May to November. Wavy-lined and other
Heterocampa caterpillars are often found infested with the
larvae of parasitic chalcid wasps, which deposit their eggs on
the caterpillar’s skin, leaving the offspring to consume the
caterpillar from within.

The Wavy-lined Heterocampa caterpillar is
variable in pattern, predominantly light green
with a recognizable X-shaped saddle marking
in the center of the dorsum. Brown or white
splotches are often present along the sides
of the body. The head color ranges from light
brown to dull reddish pink purple. Young
individuals are more vibrantly antlered and
typically darker than more mature larvae.