Limacodidae

Definition

A family of moths (Lepidoptera) whose larvae are flattened, leg-reduced, and slug-like in form, giving the group its common name 'slug moths.' Adults are typically small with stout, hairy bodies and relatively broad wings. Larvae often possess urticating setae or spines for defense. The family is also known as Eucleidae; its superfamily placement remains disputed between Zygaenoidea and Cossoidea. The cocoons are characteristically cup-shaped, yielding the additional common name 'cup moths.'

Etymology

From Limacodes, an obsolete genus name (from Latin limax 'slug') + -idae, the standard family suffix in zoological nomenclature.

Example

The saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea, a limacodid whose larva bears a green saddle-shaped marking and stinging spines, is a familiar pest of ornamental plantings in eastern North America.

Synonyms

• Eucleidae

Related Terms

• Zygaenoidea
• Cossoidea
• Lepidoptera
• slug moth
• cup moth
• urticating setae
• larval morphology

Usage Notes

Specialists use Limacodidae for the family; Eucleidae is an accepted synonym but less common in recent literature. The superfamily assignment is unstable—check current phylogenetic sources. 'Slug moth' and 'cup moth' are vernacular names applied to both the family and its individual species. The larval form (reduced prolegs, ventral locomotion, flattened profile) is diagnostic and convergent with true slugs, but these are arthropods, not mollusks.