Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Flannel, Slug Caterpillar, Leaf Skeletonizer Moths and kin (Zygaenoidea) » Slug Caterpillar Moths (Limacodidae) » Isa » Crowned Slug Moth - Hodges#4681 (Isa textula)

Species Isa textula - Crowned Slug Moth - Hodges#4681

Isa textula larva, Rome, ME - Isa textula

Crowned Slug - Hodges#4681 - Isa textula - male

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Zygaenoidea (Flannel, Slug Caterpillar, Leaf Skeletonizer Moths and kin)

Family Limacodidae (Slug Caterpillar Moths)

Genus Isa

Species textula (Crowned Slug Moth - Hodges#4681)

Hodges Number

4681

Size

Caterpillar to 15mm

Identification

The caterpillar is pale green, flattened. Lobes bearing stinging spines radiate out from the edge of the body and additional stinging hairs run down its back. The middle of the back is often marked with yellow or red, especially towards the rear. The front edge of the body is edged with orange or red.(1)

Adult moth is brown

♂

♀

Range

Minnesota, S. Ontario and Massachusetts to Florida and Mississippi(1).

Also photographed in Texas; Bordelon and Knudson have specimens from the Big Thicket, and describe the species as "very common".

Habitat

Woodlands

Food

Larvae are often found on oak, but also eat leaves of many other trees including cherry, maple, basswood, elm and beech.

Dyar recorded on "chestnut, oak, beech, elm, maple, hop hornbeam, hickory, and linden" (2)

Life Cycle

Life cycle images:

larva; cocoon & adult

Remarks

Caution! This is a stinging caterpillar. See this site for more information.

Early instar caterpillars leave zigzagging tracks in the underside of leaves.

Print References

Bordelon and Knudson (3)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)

Barcode of Life (BOLD)

Auburn University site

Works Cited

1.	Caterpillars of Eastern North America David L. Wagner. 2005. Princeton University Press.

2.	The Life-Histories of the New York Slug Caterpillars Harrison G. Dyar. 1895. Journal of the New York Entomological Society.

3.	Checklist of the Big Thicket National Preserve (Texas Lepidoptera Survey publication #2) Charles Bordelon & Ed Knudson. 1999. Texas Lepidoptera Survey.

Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 22 July, 2005 - 4:54pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Joshua Stuart Rose, ceiseman, marcie oconnor, Blocky, Robert H. Biagi, PaleoJon, Steve Morris
Last updated 19 December, 2023 - 10:30am

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