''Bombycomorpha bifascia'', the pepper-tree caterpillar, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Lasiocampidae The Lasiocampidae are a family of moths also known as eggars, tent caterpillars, snout moths (although this also refers to the Pyralidae), or lappet moths. Over 2,000 species occur worldwide, and probably not all have been named or studied. It i ...

, which is native to

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...

Food plants

The larvae feed on the foliage of '' Searsia dentata'', the pepper-tree ''

Schinus molle ''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish si ...

'', and other

Anacardiaceae The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce ...

. They show a preference for the foliage of the introduced pepper-tree. The larvae are highly gregarious and feed in small groups, with a tendency to become cannibalistic when food is depleted.

Life cycle

The 40 mm long larva is black with two narrow yellow lines (bifascia) running down each flank. A coating of orange hairs gives it a yellowish appearance. Moulting four times they attain full size in 50–60 days, at which point they descend to ground level and search for a suitable pupating spot. The cocoons are about 20 mm long and chocolate-brown in colour, their surface texture and colour resembling that of dried mud. After some 14 days the moth emerges. If weather conditions are unfavourable the larvae hibernate until the following spring.

Etymology

Their generic name ''Bombycomorpha'' refers to their resemblance to the silkworm moths, genus ''

Bombyx ''Bombyx'' is the genus of true silk moths or mulberry silk moths of the family Bombycidae, also known as silkworms, which are the larvae or caterpillars of silk moths. The genus was erected as a subgenus by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition ...

''.

Life stages

Bombycomorpha bifascia01.jpg, Bombycomorpha bifascia02.jpg, Bombycomorpha bifascia03.jpg, Bombycomorpha bifascia04.jpg,

References

External links

* Lasiocampidae Moths of Africa Moths described in 1855 {{Lasiocampidae-stub