Day 78#: Buff-Tip Moth
Today's animal of the day is the Buff-Tip Moth (Phalera bucephala)!
Photo credit: Manuel Raab
This species of moth can be found in open woodlands throughout Eurasia and parts of North Africa. They get their name from the buff coloration of the tips of their wings and around their heads, which, along with the grayish-brown coloration of the rest of the wings and body, make the moth resemble a broken twig when it's in a resting position. Their wingspan ranges from 2.2 to 2.7 inches long, and can have slightly different colorations and patternings depending on the region they are found in. They were first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, who was a Swedish biologist who helped come up with the concept of binomial nomenclature (which means naming an organism with both a genus and species name). Of course, people had known about this species for probably thousands of years before Linnaeus was born, but he was the first to formally describe this species and many others.
Photo credit: Paolo Mazzei
Caterpillars first hatch in July and are an orangish-yellow color with black heads and stripes, along with white hair-like fuzz covering their bodies. When they first hatch, they tend to feed in large groups, but slowly become more solitary as they grow larger. They will feed on the leaves of a wide variety of trees and other plants such as maples, birches, chestnuts, hazels, poplars, oaks, willows, elms, currants, elms, limes, and roses. They are also quite fond of feeding on apple trees, and are considered somewhat of an agricultural pest in some places. However, they don't usually do too much damage and only really pose a threat to smaller trees.
Photo credit: Giedrius Blagnys
During the fall, these caterpillars will burrow into the soil and transform into a pupa so they can hibernate over the winter. Adults will emerge from their pupae in late May and usually only live until July or early August since, like many species of moth, they lack mouths and so rely on the energy they stored up as caterpillars to survive until they've successfully mated.
