Spiny Oak Slug Moth
Euclea delphinii F. Limacodidae
Host plant: Found on post oak (Quercus stellata)
Date found: 17, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Schoolcraft Prairie, Washington County, MO
2024 Caterpillar Season – Spiny Oak Slug
Category: Lepidoptera
2024 Caterpillar Season – Catalpa Sphinx
Catalpa Sphinx
Ceratomia catalpae F. Sphingidae
Host plant: Found on northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
Date found: 17, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Schoolcraft Prairie, Washington County, MO
2024 Caterpillar Season – Melanolophia
Melanolophia species
Melanolophia sp (likely canadaria) F. Geometridae
Host plant: Found on walnut (Juglans nigra)
Date found: 13, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Bayer Chesterfield location, St. Louis MO
2024 Caterpillar Season – Io Moth
Io Moth
Automeris io F. Saturniidae
Host plant: Not recorded
Date found: 17, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Schoolcraft Prairie, Washington County, MO
Io Moth
Automeris io F. Saturniidae
Host plant: Not recorded
Date found: 22, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Washington State Park, Washington County, MO
2024 Caterpillar Season – Halysidota Tussock Moths
Today I’m featuring two fantastic tussock moths. Although these two are distinctive as larvae, the adults are indistinguishable without genital dissection.
Banded Tussock Moth
Halysidota tessellaris F. Erebidae
Host plant: Found on hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Date found: 19, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Huzzah Conservation Area, Crawford County, MO
Sycamore Tussock Moth
Halysidota harrisii F. Erebidae
Host plant: Found on sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Date found: 22, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Washington State Park, Washington County, MO
2024 Caterpillar Season – Asimina Webworm Moth
Asimina Webworm Moth
Omphalocera munroei F. Pyralidae
Host plant: pawpaws (Asimona sp)
Date found: 07, Aug, 2024
Location Found: Babler State Park, St. Louis County, MO
2024 Caterpillar Season – Mottled Prominent
The mottled prominent (Macrurocampa marthesia) is found in the Notodontidae family and is a relatively common caterpillar found on oaks and other members of the Fagaceae. The long tail-like appendages are the anal prolegs and are quite long in early instars, becoming progressively shorter with each molt. Each of these animals were found in mid-late August at the Schoolcraft Prairie property in Washington County, Missouri.
2024 Caterpillar Season – Dark Marathyssa
Tonight’s caterpillar comes from the Euteliidae family. Marathyssa inficita, or the dark marathyssa is much more interesting looking as an adult moth. This species hosts almost solely on sumac (Rhus sp.). This one was found in early August at Cuivre River State Park on winged sumac (Rhus copallinum).
2024 Caterpillar Season – Pawpaw Sphinx
Today’s caterpillar is from another monotypic genus in the family Sphingidae. The pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus) hosts not only on pawpaw (Asimina triloba), but also on hollies-Ilex and blueberries-Vaccinium. This animal was found on A. triloba in early August at Babler State Park in St. Louis County, MO.
2024 Caterpillar Season – Duskywing
Today’s caterpillar is a little confusing in a a couple of ways. This individual is either Erynnis juvenalis (Juvenal’s duskywing) or E. horatius (Horace’s duskywing). Both species look pretty much identical as larva and both use several oak species as host plants. I’m no expert but it seems that these are best identified to species in their adult form.
The second confusing thing is that I found this individual while beat-sheeting a small ash tree (Fraxinus sp.) in mid-July at Onondaga Cave State Park in Crawford County, MO. From my understanding, both species are obligate oak feeders. This might mean it had fallen from a higher oak and landed in the ash tree, or it might be pre-pupal and looking for a place to pupate. Most often Caterpillars move from their host plants to pupate in a neighboring tree or plant.
If you have any thoughts or tips on how I might discern this guy to species with just a couple of simple photos and the information I supplied, please let me know.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 