( Orgyia vetusta )
PHOTO COMMENT
(Boisduval ,1852 )
LOCATION DETAILS
RECOGNITION
BIOLOGY
CREDITS
Brad Smith
References
| Western Tussock Moth ( Orgyia vetusta ) | |
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PHOTO COMMENT | |
| IDENTIFICATION | |
| Identification: | Orgyia vetusta (Boisduval ,1852 ) |
| Common Name: | Western Tussock Moth |
| Life Stage: | (A) adult |
| PHYLOGENY | |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Superorder: | Holometabola |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Suborder: | Glossata |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Subfamily: | Orgyiinae |
| Tribe: | Orgyiini |
| Genus: | Orgyia |
| Taxon Code: | LEP00615 |
| ITIS/TSN: | 939676 |
LOCATION DETAILS | |
| Location Name | |
| Cerrito Creek, Albany | |
| County: | Alameda County |
| ECI Site#: | CA01020000 |
RECOGNITION | |
| Description | |
| The full-grown western tussock moth larva is 1.5 to 2 inches in length, generally gray in color with numerous colored spots, four prominent white tufts of hair on its body, and two black tufts on its head and one on its posterior end. The adult female moth is wingless and light silver-gray. Males are winged and also gray in color. | |
| Wingspan | |
| Male: Up to 25 mm; Female: wingless. | |
| Body Length | |
| Larva: 36-50 mm. | |
BIOLOGY | |
| Food | |
| Oak, poplar, willow, deciduous and citrus fruit trees, and walnut. | |
| Importance | |
| Western tussock moth caterpillars feed on foliage and young fruit, devouring large portions of leaves or entire leaves, and making irregular holes in the fruit. | |
| Development | |
| Larvae appear in spring and become adults in May, June, and July. These adults produce caterpillars that feed for 40 to 60 days before they pupate. There are two generations of tussock moth in southern California, but only one in northern California. | |
CREDITS | |
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Photographer Brad Smith | |
References | |
| ITIS. | |
| Western Forest Insects. 1977. Furniss, R.L. and V.M. Carolin. United States Department of Food and Agriculture. Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. | |
