Page 532 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Notodontidae
DISTRIBUTION From western Europe (the Pyrenees and southern England)
through central Europe, north to the Baltic Sea, and east to
the Black Sea
HABITAT Forests, hedgerows, and scrublands, especially on calcareous soils
HOST PLANTS Mainly Field Maple (Acer campestre) and probably other
Acer spp.
NOTE Caterpillar that is unique among European maple-feeding species
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
1 ⁄ –1¾ in (30–45 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1 ⁄ –1 ⁄ in (30–34 mm)
PTILODON CUCULLINA
MAPLE PROMINENT
530
([DENIS & SCHIFFERMÜLLER], 1775])

Maple Prominent caterpillars hatch from domed, bluish-white
eggs laid on leaves in small groups and in two broods, from
May to August. The larvae feed and rest openly among the
leaves, usually singly. The smooth, brown pupa is formed in
a flimsy cocoon among leaf litter on the ground, and this is
the overwintering stage.

When half-grown, the Maple Prominent caterpillar looks
much like the Coxcomb Prominent (Ptilodon capucina), also

found on Acer species. It di ers, however, in that its head has
two dark, roughly vertical stripes and less deeply divided warts
on the hind protuberance. When mature, the caterpillar more
closely resembles Notodonta species, especially the Pebble
Prominent (N. ziczac), although the latter does not feed on Acer,
lacks the Maple Prominent’s double-tipped wart on its hind
protuberance, and has larger dorsal humps. The very similar
Ptilodon saerdabensis, found in Turkey, the Causasus, and Iran,
was formerly considered to be a subspecies of P. cucullina.

The Maple Prominent caterpillar is whitish
green or whitish brown, with darker green or
brown along the back, forming a broad band in
the frontal third of the body, reduced otherwise
Actual size to three thin lines or dashes. It has a series of
dorsal humps, the largest on the fth segment.
The protuberance near the hind end has a pink,
double-tipped, wartlike projection.