Caterpillar - Datana major - BugGuide.Net

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Noctuoidea » Prominent Moths (Notodontidae) » Phalerinae » Datana » Azalea Caterpillar Moth - Hodges#7905 (Datana major)

Photo#73008

Copyright © 2006 Jacques Doucet

Caterpillar - Datana major

Maringouin, Iberville Parish, Louisiana, USA
August 26, 2006

These hungry caterpillars are stripping everything off the azaleas. Need help to identify. Thanks.

Contributed by Jacques Doucet on 26 August, 2006 - 1:43pm
Last updated 10 November, 2008 - 5:11pm

Moved

Moved from Datana.

… john and jane balaban, 10 November, 2008 - 5:11pm

Datana

Something in the Genus Datana I think. I know they do eat azaleas but I don't know the species right now .

… Philip Chaon, 26 August, 2006 - 1:50pm

I agree

Datana major is the one known for hosting on Azaleas. It's usually yellow-striped but our guide page says it can be white-striped, and the red legs and head match yours.

Any chance of your raising some to adulthood? It would be good to confirm, plus we don't have a picture of an adult yet.

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 26 August, 2006 - 1:53pm

Thank you Hannah

I'll see what I can do. I'm not too good at that sort of thing, but I have an empty acquarium and that should do nicely. I'll let you know. Jacques

… Jacques Doucet, 26 August, 2006 - 3:35pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2009 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.