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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Flannel, Slug Caterpillar, Leaf Skeletonizer Moths and kin (Zygaenoidea) » Flannel Moths (Megalopygidae) » Megalopyge » Southern Flannel Moth - Hodges#4647 (Megalopyge opercularis) » Megalopyge bissesa (Megalopyge opercularis bissesa)

Subspecies Megalopyge opercularis bissesa - Megalopyge bissesa

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Flannel Moth Caterpillar - Megalopyge opercularis

Megalopyge bissesa - Megalopyge opercularis

Image showing more wing detail - - Megalopyge opercularis - female

Megalopyge bissesa larva - Megalopyge opercularis

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 Megalopygidae (Flannel Moths)

Genus Megalopyge

Species opercularis (Southern Flannel Moth - Hodges#4647)

Subspecies bissesa (Megalopyge bissesa)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Megalopyge opercularis bissesa Dyar, 1911

4646 Megalopyge bissesa Dyar, 1911 is now recognized as a subspecies of 4647 Megalopyge opercularis Dyar, 1911 (Smith, 1797)

Size

Dyar (1911) reported the wingspan as ♂ 30 mm., ♀ 45 mm.

Powell & Opler (2009) reported the forewing length as 14-25 mm. (1)

Identification

Megalopyge bissesa resembles typical M. opercularis but outer third of the hindwing and forewing are pale and lacks any markings.

Range

Southern Arizona, southern Texas and Mexico. (1)

Season

Powell & Opler (2009) reported adults during the months of July to September.(1)

April records from Texas. (2)

Food

The known larval hosts include Quercus oblongifolia (Mexican blue oak) and Arctostaphylos sp. (manzanita).

Print References

Dyar, H.G., 1911. Descriptions of new species and genera of Lepidoptera from Mexico. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 38: 267.

Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. plate 20, fig. 24; p.165. (1)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group (2)

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (3)

Moths of Southeastern Arizona

Works Cited

1.	Moths of Western North America Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.

2.	North American Moth Photographers Group

3.	BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data Systems

Contributed by Maury J. Heiman on 18 October, 2010 - 1:21pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, Steve Nanz, Randy Hardy
Last updated 15 April, 2020 - 8:48am

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