Puss Moth

Friday 12 October 2012

Puss Moth:  The Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) is a lepidopteran from the family Notodontidae. Cerura vinula has a wingspan of 58 to 75 mm, the males are slightly smaller. They have white or yellowish-gray forewings, with dark lines. The hind wings are light graY and in the females they are almost transparent. The body is whitish- gray and bears black bands on top of the abdomen. The flight period extends from April to August depending on the altitude, in one generation. The host plants are the willow and the poplar, especially the aspen.

The females lay their chocolate brown 1.5 millimeters wide, hemispherical eggs on the upper side of the leaves of their food plants. The caterpillars are about 80 mm. They are bright light green and have a blackish brown, outlined in white dorsal pattern. Young caterpillars are completely black. The abdomen ends in a tail fork with two long, dark-colored tips bearing red extendable flagellae. The moth survives the winter as a Pupa in a very solid, wood reinforced cocoon, attached to a tree or pole.

 Puss Moth
 Puss Moth
 Puss Moth
Puss Moth

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