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Banded tussock moth or Sycamore tussock moth

Halysidota tessellaris or Halysidota harrisii

Description:

Pale orange tiger moth.

Habitat:

Owls Hill Nature Reserve

Notes:

Attracted to a lit up sheet.

1 Species ID Suggestions

Banded Tussock Moth
Halysidota tessellaris


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9 Comments

Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 11 years ago

I understand your point. Thank you for bringing this information to my attention. It is always nice to learn something new!

childs.kj
childs.kj 11 years ago

BugGuide is a great resource but you cannot make a call based on the images posted there unless they are of a distinctive species or have been confirmed by DNA barcoding or dissection. There is no real vetting process since anyone can post directly to any species page. I've talked to lepidopterists that have dealt with hundreds, sometimes thousands of specimens and they agree the 2 species cannot be visually separated,

Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 11 years ago

Observe these two specimens, and I think it would be fairest for Karen to make the call, but as you can see, The Sycamore Tussock Moth and the Banded Tussock Moth look quite different, despite the claims they are indistinguishable.
Sycamore Tussock:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/328941

Banded Tussock:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/461520

Thanks Childs.kj for bringing this to my attention. I did not know how similar the species were until you just pointed it out!
Always fun learning something new!

Personally, I do think this is the Banded Tussock because it appears to me that the Sycamore Tussock has the turquoise lines very close together, while the Banded Tussock has the turquoise lines that are more separated.
Thanks again for the challenge!


Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 11 years ago

Actually Childs.kj, the Sycamore is generally a duller shade of yellow.

childs.kj
childs.kj 11 years ago

This is just as likely Halysidota harrisii, the Sycamore Tussock Moth. In the eastern part of North America, H. harrisii and H. tessellaris are visually the same and can only be separated by dissection of genitalia.

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Me too Claire!

ceherzog
ceherzog 11 years ago

I love their subtle color.

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Thanks again Jacob, or should I say "Mothman"!

Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 11 years ago

A close relative to the tigers, Karen! A tussock, actually. Halysidota tessellaris, Banded Tussock. Nice find! I like the greenish marks on the head!

KarenL
Spotted by
KarenL

Brentwood, Tennessee, USA

Spotted on Jul 24, 2012
Submitted on Jul 25, 2012

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