Similar to other eggs of the family Limacodidae, Acharia stimulea eggs are flat and are a translucent lime green color when first laid by the mother. Each egg is around 1.5-2.0mm long and 1mm wide. The mother Acharia stimulea will lay her eggs 3 days after mating on the underside of a host plant's leaf, laying clusters of 30-50 eggs at a single time with an average of 300 in total. After pupation the adult Acharia stimulea loses all of its vibrant coloring and develops velvety dark brown anterior wings and cream posterior wings. Similar to a slug, Acharia stimulea uses suckers and mucus to help them roll and adhere to surfaces. Like others in the family Limacodidae, they rely on their slug-like anatomy to move. The green of the body contrasts against its dark anterior (head ) and posterior (rear) which, along with the skirt of the body, contain tubercles with hollow spines that, when broken, release an irritating toxin into predators. During the mid and late instar (a phase between two periods of molting in the development), Acharia stimulea exhibits its characteristic lime-green coloring along the top of the body that contains its most identifiable feature, a dark marking at the center that is inclosed in a white and black that resembles a saddle. In Florida and Alabama in the United States, it feeds on ornamental palms such as the Manila palm ( Adonidia merrillii).Īcharia stimulea (formally known as Sibine stimulea) is a moth of the family Limacodidae that is most widely known and recognizable for its larvae phase.
The larvae feed on a large variety of plants. The cocoon may also have irritating hairs, and hairs from the larva can fall on surrounding objects.
#Another word for pack saddle bug skin#
The hairs should be removed from the skin immediately to prevent more venom spread. In some cases, more severe reactions to the venom can occur, including a systemic condition called erucism or acute urticaria, for which severe symptoms may include migraines, gastrointestinal symptoms, asthma complications, anaphylactic shock, rupturing of erythrocytes, and hemorrhaging. Contact with the hairs causes a painful, swollen rash and sometimes nausea in humans. These and most of the rest of the body bear urticating hairs that secrete an irritating venom. It has a pair of fleshy horns at both ends. The larva (caterpillar) is primarily green with brown at both ends and a prominent white-ringed brown dot in the center which resembles a saddle.
The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae. Edu.The saddleback caterpillar ( Acharia stimulea, formerly Sibine stimulea) is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. " Birdwing Butterflies." Tropical Factsheets. " Cecropia Moth," National Wildlife Federation. " Cecropia Moth - Hyalophora Cecropia Linnaeus". The Online Guide To The Animals Of Trinidad And Tobago. " Spotlight: the owl butterfly." Natural History Museum. " Puss caterpillar," Featured Creatures: University of Florida. " Puss Caterpillar (Larva), Southern Flannel Moth (Adult) Megalopyge Opercularis". The National Wildlife Federation Blog"." A Visual Journey Through The Monarch Life Cycle " Monarch Danaus Plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Butterflies And Moths Of North America". " Monarch Butterfly Facts For Kids - Naturemapping". " Regal Moth Or Hickory Horned Devil - Citheronia Regalis (Fabricius)". " Spicebush Swallowtail - Papilio Troilus Linnaeus". " Instar." Amateur Entomologists' Society. Whether you love identifying caterpillars in the wild or determining friend from foe in your garden, here's a before-and-after look at some of Mother Nature's most notable species.
"Instar" refers to the developmental stage of an arthropod between its various moults.Īfterward, butterfly caterpillars molt one final time into a hard chrysalis to begin their magical makeover, and moth caterpillars (with a few exceptions) wrap themselves in a silky cocoon. They grow so much during their brief lives that they typically shed their skin several times, often revamping their appearance from one instar phase to the next. What caterpillars all have in common is the incredible metamorphosis they undergo on their journey from egg to butterfly or moth.Ĭaterpillars represent just one stage of this transformational trek-the larval stage-during which their main purpose is to eat and grow. But the caterpillars they start from-with a variety of colors, shapes, markings, and armor-can be equally captivating. It's hard not to be captivated by the fluttery, fragile beauty of butterflies and moths.