Page 526 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Notodontidae
DISTRIBUTION North America, from southern and southeastern Canada
to Florida, west to Texas
HABITAT Fields, woodlands, and roadside edges
HOST PLANTS Elm (Ulmus spp.)
NOTE Caterpillar that mimics a leaf
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but common throughout its range

ADULT WINGSPAN
1 ⁄ –1 ⁄ in (30–40 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1 ⁄ in (40 mm) NERICE BIDENTATA
DOUBLE-TOOTHED
PROMINENT
524
WALKER, 1855

Double-toothed Prominent caterpillars hatch from eggs laid on
their host plant from June onward, and are present into early
November. The larvae are communal, so when one is found,
a search of the surrounding elm foliage will likely yield many
others. They are more often discovered on young sapling
elms than on larger, more mature trees. Nature has provided
the caterpillar with an effective deterrent against predation.
Like many larvae that use disguise as defense, it is a master of
mimicry, carving out a section of leaf, then positioning its resting
body within the cavity to create a convincing new leaf edge.

The pupa overwinters underground, and adult moths y from
April to September. Two generations are typical throughout
the range. Resembling a miniature stegosaurus dinosaur, the
Double-toothed Prominent caterpillar is easily recognized
by its jagged, double-toothed dorsum. This attribute clearly

de nes the species and di erentiates it from similarly colored
notodontid prominent larvae located within its range.

The Double-toothed Prominent caterpillar is
bright to olive green with lighter green to pale
white on the upper abdomen of mature
specimens. A reddish stripe, often bordered
with cream or yellow, appears laterally along
each side of the thorax. A coarse keel of jagged
“teeth” spans the dorsum. The claspers of Actual size
this species are disproportionally small for
a caterpillar of its size.