''Isa textula'', the crowned slug moth or skiff moth 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
Limacodidae
The Limacodidae or Eucleidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea;Scoble, M.J. (1992). ''The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity.'' Oxford University Press. the placement is in dispute. They are often ca ...
. It is found in North America from
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, southern
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
and
to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, Texas, and
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
.
Bug Guide
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The larvae feed on the leaves of various trees, including oak, cherry, maple, basswood, elm and beech. Early instar
An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...
s leave zigzagging tracks in the underside of leaves. They are pale green and flattened and have lobes with stinging spines and additional stinging hairs which run down the back.
Another moth, ''Prolimacodes badia
''Prolimacodes badia'', the skiff moth, is a moth of the family Limacodidae. It is found in North America from New Hampshire to Florida, west to southern Ontario, Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi.
The wingspan is 24–35 mm. Adults ar ...
'', is also referred to by the common name skiff moth.
References
Gallery
Image:Isa_textula_larva.jpg, Larva
Image:Isa_textula_larva1.jpg, Larva
Image:Isa_textula_larva2.jpg, Larva
Image:Isa_textula_cocoon.jpg, Cocoon
Moths described in 1854
Limacodidae
Moths of North America
Taxa named by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer
{{Limacodidae-stub