The Lasiocampidae are a family of

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 ...

s also known as eggars, tent caterpillars, snout moths (although this also refers to the

Pyralidae The Pyralidae, commonly called pyralid moths, snout moths or grass moths, are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many (particularly older) classifications, the grass moths (Crambidae) are included in the Pyrali ...

), 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 A lappet is a decorative flap, fold or hanging part of a headdress or garment. Lappets were a feature of women's headgear until the early twentieth century, and are still a feature of religious garments. Examples of lappets are to be found on th ...

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 Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal c ...

glands on their

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

s. They feed on leaves of many different trees and shrubs, and often use these same plants to

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...

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 The Lasiocampinae are a subfamily of the moth family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to mai ...

(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 ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

'' * ''

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'' * ''

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 '' * Riley's lappet moth, ''Heteropacha rileyana'' *

Eastern tent caterpillar The eastern tent caterpillar (''Malacosoma americanum'') is a species of moth in the family Lasiocampidae, the tent caterpillars or lappet moths. It is univoltine, producing one generation per year. It is a tent caterpillar, a social species th ...

, ''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 rathe ...

, ''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