"What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked." -Aldo Leopold
Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata fam. Limacodidae (Hodges#4669)
Host plant(s): pin oak (Quercus palustris), red oak (Quercus sp.)
Date(s) and location(s): 31 Aug, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO; 19 Sep, 2025 – Don Robinson State Park, Jefferson County, MO
Notes: Like most of the limacodids seem to be, this species can be found in a wide variety of habitats and utilize nearly any native woody plant for hosts.
Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata fam. Limacodidae
Host plant: Found on white oak (Quercus alba)
Date found: 21, Sep, 2024
Locations Found: Onondaga State Park, Crawford County, MO
Notes: Named for its resemblance to the bumpy texture of shagreen rawhide.
Shagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata fam. Limacodidae
Host plant: Found on red oak species (Quercus sp.)
Date found: 5, Oct, 2024
Locations Found: Daniel Boone Conservation Area, Warren County, MO
Notes: Careful examination is needed to distinguish caterpillars of Apoda biguttata, A. y-inversum, and Lithacodes fasciola.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 