Species Panthea furcilla - Eastern Panthea - Hodges#9182 (original) (raw)

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)

Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)

Subfamily Pantheinae

Genus Panthea

Species furcilla (Eastern Panthea - Hodges#9182)

Other Common Names

Tufted White Pine Caterpillar (larva)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Panthea pallescens

Numbers

common in most of range; rare in the southwest (Texas)

Identification

Adult: forewing variably whitish to medium gray with heavy black AM, median, and PM lines; AM and median lines almost straight; PM line curves inward to touch median line near inner margin, then separates again before reaching innner margin; ST line jagged, highly irregular; melanic specimens have obscure pattern and almost black forewing; hindwing mostly brownish-gray with whitish patch or strip along outer margin.

Larva: Body red, brown, or black with variable pattern; first 2 thoracic, and first and eighth abdominal segments with black (sometimes white) lashes; longer hairs in lashes broadening to tips; other hairs in white, rusty, or black tufts borne on low warts; whitish abdominal spiracles often in charcoal patches bordered below by broad, oblique creamy spots that may form wavy subspiracular band

[description adapted from Caterpillars of Eastern Forests]

Range

eastern United States: Maine to Florida, west to Texas, north to Indiana and Ohio

may also extend to Colorado and Wisconsin, but the U. of Colorado and U. of Wisconsin lists do not indicate whether specimens were collected locally (in contrast, Oregon State U. states that the specimens of P. furcilla in their collection were NOT collected in Oregon)

has not been recorded in Canada, according to CBIF

Habitat

mixed and coniferous forests; adults are nocturnal and come to light

Season

adults fly from May to August (2 broods)

larvae present from May to October

Food

Larvae feed on conifers such as pine (Pinus spp.), spruce (Picea spp.), and Tamarack (Larix laricina).

Life Cycle

two generations per year

Larva; adult

Print References

Covell, p. 80, plate 16 #20 (1)

Caterpillars of Eastern Forests, p. 34 (2)

Internet References

Maryland Moths adult images (Larry Line, Maryland)

live larva image (Chris Maier, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, insectimages.org)

Works Cited