Subfamily Arctiinae – Tiger and Lichen Moths


Subfamily Arctiinae
Tiger and Lichen Moths

dagger moth caterpillar

Dagger moth caterpillar found at 9650 ft. Flat Tops Wilderness, Colorado. Acronicta barnseii or lupini [3]

Formerly family Arctiidae, this is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species in three tribes worldwide [2].

This large assemblage also includes footmen, Haploa, and ctenuchid moths.

Virginia Ctenuchid MothVirginia Ctenuchid Moth

The most distinctive feature of the family is a tymbal organ on the metathorax which uses a thin membrane to produce ultrasonic countermeasures against their chief predator’s (bats) echolocation system.

Delicate Cycnia MothDelicate Cycnia Moth

Larvae of some species use sound along with color to advertise their inedibility; many species acquire chemical defenses from their hostplants e.g., milkweeds or dogbane.)

Harnessed Tiger MothHarnessed Tiger Moth

Haploa lecontei
Haploa lecontei
Haploa reversa
Haploa reversa
Haploa confusa
Haploa confusa
Oregon Cycnia Moth
Oregon Cycnia Moth

banded woolly bear caterpillarBanded Woolly Bear Caterpillar

Common folklore has it that the forthcoming severity of a winter can be predicted by the amount of black on the Isabella tiger moth’s caterpillar, the most familiar woolly bear in North America; however the relative width of the black band varies among instars, not according to weather (Wagner 2005).

Yellow-collared Scape Moth
Yellow-collared Scape Moth

Yellow Bear Caterpillar
Yellow Bear Caterpillar

Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar - Euchaetes egle
Milkweed Tussock Moth

Virginia Ctenuchid Caterpillar
Virginia Ctenuchid Caterpillar

References
1. United States Geological Survey, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests
2. Bugguide.net “Subfamily Arctiinae
3. Bugguide.net “Dagger Moth Caterpillar

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