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 is the sole family in superfamily Lasiocampoidea.

Etymology

Their common name "snout moths" comes from the unique protruding mouth parts of some species which resemble a large nose. They are called " lappet moths" due to the decorative skin flaps found on the caterpillar's prolegs. The name "eggars" comes from the neat egg-shaped cocoons of some species. The scientific name is from the Greek ' (wooly) and ' (caterpillar).

Description

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s of this family are large and are most often hairy, especially on their sides. Most have skin flaps on their

prolegs A proleg is a small, fleshy, stub structure found on the ventral surface of the abdomen of most larval forms of insects of the order Lepidoptera, though they can also be found on other larval insects such as sawflies and a few other types of ins ...

and a pair of dorsal

gland In animals, a gland is a group of cells in an animal's body that synthesizes substances (such as hormones) for release into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland). Structure De ...

s on their abdomens. They feed on leaves of many different trees and shrubs, and often use these same plants to camouflage their cocoons. Some species are called tent caterpillars due to their habit of living together in nests spun of silk. As adults, the moths in this family are large bodied with broad wings and may still have the characteristic elongated mouth parts, or have reduced mouthparts and not feed as adults. They are either diurnal or

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

. Females lay a large number of eggs which are flat in appearance and either smooth or slightly pitted. In tent caterpillars, the eggs are deposited in masses and covered with a material that hardens in air. Females are generally larger and slower than the males, but the sexes otherwise resemble each other. Moths are typically brown or grey, with hairy legs and bodies.

Subfamilies and tribes

Subfamily Chionopsychinae (1 genus, 2 species) Subfamily Chondrosteginae (2 genera) Subfamily Lasiocampinae (130 genera) *Tribe Gastropachini (previously subfamily Gastropachinae) *Tribe Lasiocampini *Tribe Malacosomatini Subfamily

Macromphaliinae Macromphaliinae is a subfamily of the moth family Lasiocampidae. The subfamily was first described by John G. Franclemont in 1973. Genera *'' Apotolype'' Franclemont, 1973 *'' Artace'' Walker, 1855 *'' Hypopacha'' Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893 *'' Mac ...

(15 genera) Subfamily Poecilocampinae (two genera) Genera '' incertae sedis'' * ''

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...

'' * ''

Borocera ''Borocera'' is a genus of moths in the family Lasiocampidae. The genus was erected by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1833. Species *'' Borocera attenuata'' (Kenrick, 1914) *'' Borocera aurantiaca'' Viette, 1962 *''Borocera cajani'' Vinson, 1863 *''B ...

'' * ''

Nesara ''Nesara'' is a genus of moths in 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 wo ...

Selected North American species

American lappet moth ''Phyllodesma americana'', the American lappet moth, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is found from Nova Scotia to orthern Florida west through Texas to California, north to British Columbia and Yukon. The wingspan is 29–49 mm ...

, ''Phyllodesma americana '' * Riley's lappet moth, ''Heteropacha rileyana'' * Eastern tent caterpillar, ''Malacosoma americanum'' *

Forest tent caterpillar The forest tent caterpillar moth (''Malacosoma disstria'') is a moth found throughout North America, especially in the eastern regions. Unlike related tent caterpillar species, the larvae of forest tent caterpillars do not make tents, but rather ...

, ''Malacosoma disstrium'' * Western tent caterpillar, ''Malacosoma californicum'' * Larch moth, ''Tolype laricis'' * Velleda lappet moth, or large tolype ''Tolype velleda''

References

*Fitzgerald, Terrence D. (1995) ''The Tent Caterpillars''. Cornell University Press: Ithaca, NY. *Watson, L. & Dallwitz, M. J. (2003 onwards) ''British Insects: The Families of Lepidoptera''. *Maier, C. T.; Lemmon, C. R.; Fengler, J. M.; Schweitzer, D. F. & Reardon, R. C. (2004) ''Caterpillars on the Foliage of Conifers in the Northeastern United States.''. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team: Morgantown, WV.

External links