Crowned slug moth

We, humans, pride ourselves in our artistic ability, but Mother Nature continues to create living art that boggles the mind to this day. A perfect example of this is a bizarre creature known as the crowned slug moth, whose caterpillar form looks like it belongs in a museum. But while these moths are found throughout the eastern half of the US (dipping as far west as the tip of Texas), it’s a rare treat to come across the larvae. Pin If you’re fortunate enough to see one, it’s important to know if they’re a threat to you or your garden, so let’s take a moment and look closely at this fascinating species. What Is A Crowned Slug Moth, And Is It Garden Safe? These moths are generally harmless, but you’ll want to avoid touching their larvae. Due to their rarity, they’re not considered a threat to crops or ornamentals. Introducing The Crowned Slug Moth The crowned slug moth ( Isa textula) is a somewhat rare species with a large territory, making them quite hard to find. The adults are sometimes referred to as skiff moths, although this common name is shared with another species. Adults have a hunched back and are a muddy brown coloration with bits of inconspicuous gray on the wings and thin antennae that tend to bend backward along the body instead of forwards. Measuring only about ¾” inches long with a 1” inch wingspan, it’s easy to miss them. The larvae, conversely, are things of sheer beauty. They’re flat, with two ridges along their back, leafing from two horns in the front ...

Summary The Crowned Slug Moth or Skiff Moth ( Isa textula) is a moth of the Limacodidae family. It is found from Minnesota, southern Ontario and Massachusetts to Florida and Mississippi. Additional photos Click here to see additional photo records : Sources and Credits • (c) Rob Curtis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Rob Curtis • Adapted by Chris Cheatle from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), • (c) Chris Cheatle, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) More Info • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Appearance The larvae feed on the leaves of various trees, including oak, cherry, maple, basswood, elm and beech. Early instars leave zigzagging tracks in the underside of leaves. They are pale green and flattened and have lobes with stinging spines and additional stinging hairs which run down the back. References: Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.