Aug 2, 2020
Bug of the Day
The lost scales on this very worn hag moth (Phobetron pithecium) make it look even darker and weirder :-).
seen from Norway
seen from Egypt
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Singapore
seen from Japan
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Russia
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from China
seen from China
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from Bulgaria
Bug of the Day
The lost scales on this very worn hag moth (Phobetron pithecium) make it look even darker and weirder :-).
Monkey slug (Phobetron pithecium)
Photo by Antonio CBC Lopes
Hag moth (Phobetron pithecium), Fishers Island NY, August 2016
Caterpillars in the slug moth family (Limacodidae) tend to look strange, but the Hag moth caterpillar is down right bizarre. Also called “monkey slugs”, these caterpillars bear 10 pairs of furry, tentacle-like appendages that easily break off when touched. This makes it extremely difficult for predators to determine which end of the body is the head, and makes it equally difficult for predators to get a good grip of the caterpillar. Add in stinging hairs and you have an impressive defense mechanism. As caterpillars, hag moths feed on a variety of trees and shrubs, including cherries, maples, oaks, and willows. This one was feeding on a black cherry (Prunus serotina). As adults, the moths mimic the appearance as wasps or bees. Males take on a waspish appearance, while females appear more fuzzy like a bumblebee. The adults do not feed.
One or two generations a year in the eastern US. Adults appear late spring into summer, and caterpillars into late summer. Caterpillars overwinter as pupae.
Bug of the Day
Really excited to find this hag moth (Phobetron pithecium) at the light the other night (sitting a few feet off to the side, away from the spongy moth mayhem). A new species for my yard list and one where the caterpillar is seen more often than the adult. I love the fluffy yellowish pom-poms decorating the front legs :-).
Monkey Slug Caterpillar, Phobetron sp., Limacodidae by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: More videos from Ecuador at rumble.com/user/EcuadorMegadiverso
Some type of Peruvian HAG MOTH CATERPILLAR - Phobetron sp. (Lymacodidae) © Rafael Oliveira
The hag moth larva, sometimes called the monkey slug, is distinctive in form and easy to identify. The full-grown caterpillar is brown, hairy, and about 5/8 inch long. Along the body there are nine pairs of fleshy lateral processes which bear hidden urticating setae. The third, fifth, and seventh pairs of processes are long and sometimes twisted. These have been described as resembling "disheveled locks of a hag", apparently the basis for the common name.
The caterpillar is generally a solitary feeder, and will feed on foliage of several trees including apple, ash, birch, dogwood, hickory, oak, and willow.