"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
Skiff Moth Prolimacodes badia (Hübner, 1822) P-no. 57a0065, fam. Limacodidae Host plant(s): Found on ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) Date(s) found: 2 August, 2026 Locations found: Don Robinson State Park, Jefferson County, MO Notes: Skiff moths can be found in a variety of colors and patterns—from nearly pure green to containing lots of warm brown colorations that assist them in camouflage by mimicking necrotic spots on leaves. I thought the one pictured here was pretty enough to take some photos.
Larvae of the Limacodidae usually keep their heads protected within their thoracic segments. Here is a nice opportunity to see the head capsule of Prolimacodes badia along with those impressive dark mandibles.
It’s not everyday you can see the true legs of a slug moth caterpillar, but they do have them as you can see if you look closely at this photo. They provide little in regards to locomotion, but I assume they find some purpose for them.
Skiff Moth Prolimacodes badia fam. Limacodidae (Hodges#4671) Host plant(s): Found on chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) Date(s) and location(s): 31 August, 2025 – Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO Notes: This poor cat is host to a tachinid fly larvae. A closeup image is included showing the egg as well as the larvae that has pierced the skin of the caterpillar in order to breath.
The highly variable colors and patterns of the skiff moth are hypothesized to mimic senescent/necrotic lesions on leaf surfaces. They often have paired white spots that are thought to mimic the eggs of the tachinid fly, a parasite that enters the caterpillar after hatching. These “egg mimics” are hypothesized to work by dissuading flies that may attempt to avoid depositing eggs on victims that were previously parasitized.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 