White-marked tussock moth

Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension Description: 1 1/3 inch long. Reddish-orange heads with a hairy, yellowish body. It has four squarish, toothbrush-like tufts of hair on top of their body, two long black bundles of hair near the head that point forward and a blackish tuft of long hairs at the tip of the abdomen. Where/When: Attacks many hardwood trees including apple, basswood/linden, birch, elm, maple, poplar and occasionally even conifers like fir and spruce. Present May to June and again in August to September.

Watch Video: Beware of the Tussock Caterpillar You don’t have to be a landscaper or have a green thumb to have noticed the hordes of fuzzy black and white caterpillars that have taken South Texas by storm. They’re everywhere – on sidewalks, on outdoor stairs, in parking lots. If there’s a tree or a bush around, chances are dozens of tussock moth caterpillars aren’t too far away. Agriculture extension agents around the state have fielded calls about them in recent weeks.They're common in Texas in spring, though the concern is greater this year because many landscapes are suffering from moisture stress and are still recovering from Jason Ott, the Nueces County Extension Agent with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, saidwhile these weird-looking nuisances can be irradicated with pesticides, it’s best to endure them. "In most cases leaving them alone is appropriate, especially once they have finished feeding there is really no reason to treat them," Ott said. "If they are actively feeding, you might consider treating them, but for most homeowners it would be difficult to treat the tops of trees they are feeding in." News: Tussock moth caterpillars are about an inch or two long with four brush-like tufts, or bunches of hair, and red dots on the back of their bodies. They also have a pair of longer black hairs in front and a red-orange head. You don't want totouch them; theycan lead to a rash, though some people will react more severely than others. News: Facts about tuss...

White-marked Tussock Moth White-marked Tussock Moth Orgyia leucostigma OWLET MOTH FAMILY (Erebidae) Description The male White-marked Tussock Moth has a wingspan of 1 to 1.5 inches. The forewing of the male is gray with black markings on the pm. line and a white spot near the inner margin. The am. line is wavy and black. The hindwing is plain brown. The female is wingless. She is heavy-bodied and is covered with dense, pale gray hair. The female is identical to the female Definite Tussock Moth, and can only be identified by association with known males. It is assumed that the female shown here (photos E & F) are of this species since the male is commonly seen in Fontenelle Forest. The mature caterpillar is 1.4 inches long. It has a bright red head, 4 white mid-dorsal tufts and near the end, a black mid-dorsal stripe with 2 red warts. There are 2 long black tufts extending from the head and long white hairs on the body. Occurrence This species is common here in Fontenelle Forest. The moths are attracted to lights and have been seen here in September and October. The caterpillars are seen more frequently than the adult moths. Comments This moth is in the Tussock Moth subfamily (Lymantriinae). The larva feeds on over 140 known plants including black locust, oak, willow, elm, cherry and hackberry. The female lays up to 300 eggs in a froth-covered mass over the cocoon from which she has emerged. This insect overwinters in the egg stage. Disclaimer: The content of NatureSearch i...

Description and Biology Skip to Description and Biology The whitemarked tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma, is a native insect that for unknown reasons, may suddenly become locally abundant. This insect overwinters as eggs in a mass laid in or on the mother's cocoon. In spring, the eggs hatch and the tiny, hairy caterpillars begin to feed and grow. Some drop from trees suspended by a silk strand. These may balloon for a considerable distance to invade new landscapes. After feeding for several weeks, the caterpillars eventually grow 1 to 1 1/ 2 inches long. They have two hair "pencils" of black setae that extend forward beyond the head and a rear "pencil" of black setae at the rear. The caterpillars also have four dense white clumps of short setae on the top of the first four abdominal segments as well as two bright red bumps on segments six and seven. Some of these setae contain urticating material that can cause dermatitis on sensitive skin. When mature, the caterpillars spin grayish cocoons inside of which they pupate. Cocoons are often abundant on bark and objects nearby. Sometime whitemarked tussock moth caterpillars can be a nuisance as they crawl about looking for a suitable place to spin their cocoons. About two weeks later, the moths emerge and mate. Male moths have mottled brown to brownish gray wings that have a purplish tint when newly emerged. Females have wings that are so short the moths appear to be wingless and are gray, plump creatures that lay their eggs in...

• Home • About Me • Blog Posts • Welcome to What Next Photography & Graphic Arts • Butterflies Posts about butterflies • Dogs & Cats • Holidays Posts having to do with holidays • Horses Posts about horses • Moths Posts about moths • Photography Posts about photography • Plants and Flowers Posts about plants and flowers • Cart • Shop • My account • Checkout • Contact Us • Home • Galleries • Flowers & Plants Gallery • Dogs & Cats Gallery • Insects Gallery • Reptiles and Amphibians Gallery White-Marked Tussock Moth Now that even in Florida we are seeing cooler weather (we had our first frost in my area early last week) many of our abundant insects are in their dormant stages, so we are seeing fewer of them out and about. Even the mosquitoes that were everywhere during our late summer rains have more or less gone away. That’s why I was actually surprised to see a white-marked tussock moth ( Orgyia leucostigma) on the wall of our kennels a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure it was one of the few survivors by that point, and the frost probably got it if it hadn’t died already. I suspect that a lot of the nocturnal insects see our white walls as a light source, because it’s always been a good place to look for Antennas and Eyes Even though this adult moth was nothing super exceptional to look at, I was still intrigued by it’s big, feather-like antennas and it’s furry legs and feet. The antennas are especially cool as you can see by the photos. Even though we generally think of antenna...

Q: Last week I nosed my car into a bush when I parked at a restaurant. When I came out an hour later, the hood was swarming with 20 of the ugliest caterpillars I've ever seen. Yesterday I met friends for lunch, and a few of the caterpillars joined us for dessert. I've identified them as white marked tussock moth caterpillars. Do those spines sting? — B.W., Houston A: Each spring we see a number of caterpillars feeding on the new foliage of various plants. Those in trees often drop to lower plants and feed. These include the larvae of tussock moths, fall webworms (more populations arrive in summer/fall) and tent caterpillars. Yes, the tussock moth larvae can sting. Kathy Huber has worked for the Houston Chronicle since May 1981. She was Features Copy Desk chief before becoming the first full-time garden editor for the paper in 1988. She writes a weekly garden Q&A and feature stories. A Texas Master Gardener, she's the author of The Texas Flower Garden, published by Gibbs-Smith in 1996. She's been a frequent speaker at various garden events. A native of Moultrie, Ga., she graduated from Queens University of Charlotte, formerly Queens College. She did graduate work through the University of Georgia system. She is married to photographer John Everett and they have one son.