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Salt marsh moth (larva)

Estigmene acrea

Description:

Adult: forewing white with about 20 small black spots scattered across the disk, and 5 larger black spots spaced along the costa. Males have dark yellow hindwings, those of females are mostly white (with 3 or 4 black blotches in both sexes).

Larva: highly variable, blond to brown to black, with long bristly hairs standing upright in dense tufts from orange or black tubercles; hairs longer at both ends of body, especially toward the rear end. Spiracles white. Moves very rapidly. Face mainly black with yellow down the center. (information from BugGuide)

Habitat:

City park

2 Species ID Suggestions

eelhsamarie
eelhsamarie 10 years ago
Fall Webworm
Hyphantria cunea Fall webworm


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4 Comments

Aaron_G
Aaron_G 10 years ago

Thank you for the suggestion, eelhsamarie, but I think J found the right caterpillar. I re-checked my books and I don't have this one listed in either one. Looks like I need more books! :-D

mauna Kunzah
mauna Kunzah 10 years ago

I agree with Jakubko.

Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 10 years ago

Wonderful, Aaron! Estigmene acrea seems to match better with the facial patterns as well as the body patterns.

Sergio Monteiro
Sergio Monteiro 10 years ago

Photo #4 is just great!

Aaron_G
Spotted by
Aaron_G

Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Spotted on Sep 2, 2013
Submitted on Sep 4, 2013

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