''Lochmaeus manteo'', the variable oakleaf caterpillar 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

Notodontidae Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the world, but they are most concentrated in tropical areas, espe ...

. It is found in eastern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is 37–50 mm. Adults are on wing from April to October. The larvae feed on various deciduous trees, especially ''

Quercus An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...

'' species. The larva can spray formic acid which is reported to cause blisters or severely irritate human skin.

External links

Bug Guide

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20090601233059/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/cateast/lochmant.htm Caterpillars of Eastern Forests
Images
Notodontidae Moths of North America Moths described in 1841 {{Notodontidae-stub