Explanation of Names
TESSELLARIS: from the Latin "tessella" (a little square stone); a tessellated pattern is one laid out in a mosaic of small square blocks. Refers to the checkered pattern on the forewing.
"Tussock moth" for the tufts of hair on the caterpillar. (
tussock = a tuft or clump of green grass or similar verdure, forming a small hillock--
Wiktionary.)
Numbers
common to abundant except in southern Florida and southern Texas
Identification
Adult: forewing long and slender, pale yellow or cream-colored, crossed by four slightly darker wavy bands composed of irregular rectangular blocks
hindwing much smaller than forewing; leading half semitransparent white; trailing half shading to pale yellow
thorax pale yellow or cream with a broad light-orange longitudinal stripe on top; the orange stripe contains two thin, parallel, pastel-turquoise stripes (resembling a "punk hairdo")
distinguished from the very similar
Sycamore Tussock Moth by the lack of a yellowish strip of rectangles running along the costa
Larva: gray, dirty tan to yellow-brown with long paired white and black lashes on second and third thoracic segments. Those of second thoracic segment projecting forward beyond head. Eighth abdominal segment with third set of lashes. Dark medial dorsal tufts often forming dorsal line. [description from
Caterpillars of Eastern Forests]
Range
eastern three-quarters of North America (absent west of the Rockies)
Habitat
deciduous woods; adults attracted to artificial light
Season
adults fly from May to August (or to October in the south)
Caterpillar: July-October
Food
Larvae feed on alder, ash, birch, elm, hazel, hickory, oak, poplar, tulip tree, walnut, willow.
Life Cycle
one generation per year in the north; two generations in the south
Remarks
Wide range of color in the larva:
Freshly eclosed:
early instars:
See Also
adult very similar to the Sycamore Tussock Moth (
H. harrisii) but that species has a yellowish strip of rectangles running along the costa, lacking in the Banded Tussock Moth (
compare images of both species at CBIF)
In Florida only, compare
Florida Tussock Moth (
H. cinctipes), which is virtually identical but the lower part of the face (frons) is brown, whereas the face is entirely yellow in Banded Tussock Moth.
In the southwest,
H. schausi is very similar.
not to be confused with
the Tussock Moths, family
LymantriidaePrint References
Covell, p. 72, plate 12 #6
(1)
Holland, plate XIV-12
(3)
Wagner, p. 27--photo caterpillar
(4)Internet References
Caterpillars of Eastern Forests live larva image plus common name references, description, foodplants, seasonality, life cycle (David Wagner and Valeria Giles, USGS)
live and pinned adult images by various photographers (Moth Photographers Group)
MIACY live adult image (John Himmelman, Connecticut)
Maryland Moths live adult images (Larry Line, Maryland)
United States distribution map (Montana State U., butterfliesandmoths.org)
Dallas Butterflies pinned adult image and foodplants (Dale Clark, Texas)
common name reference plus foodplants and flight season (Ohio State U.)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
