Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Family
ARCTIIDAE
(ermine moths and
tiger moths)
Orgyia antiqua
(Linnaeus) (
837-839
)
Vapourer moth
An often abundant pest of trees and shrubs in nurseries,
parks and gardens, feeding indiscriminately on various
ornamentals; most important damage is likely on
younger plants, especially buddleia (
Buddleja
),
Camellia
,
Ceanothus
, crab-apple (
Malus
), firethorn
(
Pyracantha
), flowering cherry (
Prunus
), heather
(
Erica
),
Rhododendron
and rose (
Rosa
); infestations
also occur on conifers, including Douglas fir
(
Pseudotsuga menziesii
), fir (
Abies
), larch (
Larix
) and
pine (
Pinus
). Holarctic. Widespread in Europe.
Medium-sized to large, often brightly coloured moths.
The larvae are very hairy but the head is virtually
hairless; the body hairs arise in tufts from large
verrucae.
Arctia caja
(Linnaeus) (
840-841
)
Garden tiger moth
A generally common but minor pest of herbaceous
plants, mainly in weedy situations; also sometimes
associated with seedling trees and shrubs. North
Palaearctic. Widespread in Europe.
DESCRIPTION
Adult female:
10-15 mm long and virtually wingless;
body dark yellowish grey, fat and sack-like.
Adult
male:
25-33 mm wingspan; wings ochreous brown or
chestnut-brown; fore wings with darker markings and
with a large white spot near the hind angle.
Egg:
0.9 mm across; rounded, brownish grey to reddish grey,
with a central spot and a dark rim-like band.
Larva:
up
to 35 mm long; greyish or violet, with red, black and
yellow markings; body very hairy, including four brush-
like tufts of yellow or greyish hairs on the back, long
blackish pencil-like tufts near the head and similar
brownish tufts near the tail.
Pupa:
shiny brownish black
and rather hairy.
DESCRIPTION
Adult:
60-75 mm wingspan; fore wings chocolate-
brown, irregularly marked with creamy white; hind
wings orange-red, with several blue blotches.
Egg:
0.8 mm across; hemispherical, glossy, yellowish to
green.
Larva:
up to 60 mm long; mainly blackish, with
a thick coat of long, gingery, often pale-tipped hairs;
840
LIFE HISTORY
Adults occur from July to September or October, the
males flying in sunshine in search of newly emerged,
unmated and flightless females. The latter are sluggish
and, on emerging from the pupa, each remains
alongside the pupal cocoon upon which, after mating,
about 100-300 eggs are laid in a conspicuous batch. The
eggs hatch intermittently in the following spring.
Larvae then wander away to feed on the foliage of the
same or nearby plants. They sometimes rest together on
flowers or foliage whilst undergoing the change from
one instar to the next but soon become solitary. Fully
grown individuals eventually pupate in silken cocoons,
incorporating body hairs, spun on a twig, branch or
trunk of the host plant or on a suitable support such as a
nearby fence or wall. Adults emerge shortly afterwards.
In favourable conditions there is a second generation in
the autumn.
840
Garden tiger moth (
Arctia caja
).
841
DAMAGE
Larvae cause noticeable defoliation and also damage
buds and flowers, but infestations are rarely significant.
841
Larva of garden tiger moth (
Arctia caja
).
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