Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237
Euchaetes elegans
This record describes Euchaetes elegans (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult - sexually dimorphic. In males the dorsal abdomen is entirely crimson while in females the last segment is white.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Arctiinae
- Tribe
- Arctiini
- Genus
- Euchaetes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
sw US (CA to w. TX) - Map (MPG) Type locality: Owen's Valley, California.
Seasonal Activity
Adults fly July through September.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on milkweeds, including a broad-leaved Asclepias (Comstock & Dammers, 1936).
Life History
About 100 eggs are laid in a single mass on a milkweed leaf and covered in white scales from the mother's abdomen. Early instar larvae feed communally. Later instars will snap their heads side to side and sometimes drop to the ground when threatened. Pupation is on the host plant in a silken cocoon which incorporates the larval hairs. Adults often play dead when handled, with wings held high at a steep angle and abdomen curled downward. This behavior exposes the brilliant crimson dorsal abdomen, normally hidden by the wings, and perhaps is used as a warning to potential predators that they are distasteful, or even toxic, as many milkweed-feeding insects are known to be (notes from rearings featured below).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Specific epithet is Latin meaning "elegant."
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Euchaetes elegans. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Randy Hardy; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn , James Bailey
Frequently Asked Questions About Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237
What is Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237?
Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237 (Euchaetes elegans) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237?
Forewing length 16-18 mm, females larger than males. Larva to 28 mm (Comstock & Dammers, 1936). Pupa 14 mm (Comstock & Dammers, 1936).
How do you identify Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237?
Adult - sexually dimorphic. In males the dorsal abdomen is entirely crimson while in females the last segment is white.
Where is Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237 found?
Range: sw US (CA to w. TX) - Map (MPG) Type locality: Owen's Valley, California.
What does Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237 eat?
The diet of the Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237 includes Larvae feed on milkweeds, including a broad-leaved Asclepias (Comstock & Dammers, 1936)..
When is Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237 active?
Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237: seasonal activity - Adults fly July through September..
What is the life cycle of a Elegant Tussock Moth - Hodges#8237?
About 100 eggs are laid in a single mass on a milkweed leaf and covered in white scales from the mother's abdomen. Early instar larvae feed communally. Later instars will snap their heads side to side and sometimes drop to the ground when threatened. Pupation is on the host plant in a silken cocoon which incorporates the larval hairs. Adults often play dead when handled, with wings held high at a steep angle and abdomen curled downward. This behavior exposes the brilliant crimson dorsal abdomen, normally hidden by the wings, and perhaps is used as a warning to potential predators that they are distasteful, or even toxic, as many milkweed-feeding insects are known to be (notes from rearings featured below).