Euchaetes

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Arctiinae
Tribe: Arctiini
Subtribe: Phaegopterina
Genus: Euchaetes

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Euchaetes: /juːˈkeɪtiːz/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Euchaetes egle4 by DouglasGoldman. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Erebidae (10.3897-zookeys.788.26310) Figures 1–6 by Nagle RB, Schmidt BC (2018) A new species of Euchaetes Harris from southern Arizona (Erebidae, Arctiinae). In: Schmidt BC, Lafontaine JD (Eds) Contributions to the systematics of New World macro-moths VII. ZooKeys 788: 69-77. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.788.26310. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Euchaetes nancyae (10.3897-zookeys.788.26310) Figures 9, 10 by Nagle RB, Schmidt BC (2018) A new species of Euchaetes Harris from southern Arizona (Erebidae, Arctiinae). In: Schmidt BC, Lafontaine JD (Eds) Contributions to the systematics of New World macro-moths VII. ZooKeys 788: 69-77. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.788.26310. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Euchaetes nancyae (10.3897-zookeys.788.26310) Figures 11, 12 by Nagle RB, Schmidt BC (2018) A new species of Euchaetes Harris from southern Arizona (Erebidae, Arctiinae). In: Schmidt BC, Lafontaine JD (Eds) Contributions to the systematics of New World macro-moths VII. ZooKeys 788: 69-77. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.788.26310. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Euchaetes zella -25681, det. W.D. Field, Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Arizona, 28 August 1945, L. Arnberger (1) (49552556273) by Robb Hannawacker. Used under a Public domain license.

NovitatesZoologicae18 Pl03 by Horace Knight. Used under a Public domain license.

Summary

Euchaetes egle, also known as the milkweed tiger moth, belongs to the Erebidae family. This species specializes in feeding on milkweeds and dogbane, and is notable for its distinctively hairy larvae and chemical defenses acquired from its host plants.

Physical Characteristics

Wings are grayish, abdomens are hairy and yellow with a row of black dots on their dorsum. Mature caterpillars may grow as long as 35 mm.

Identification Tips

Look for the distinctive tufts of black, white, and orange (or sometimes yellow) setae on later instars of the larvae. Adults emit ultrasonic clicks from their tymbal organs when threatened.

Habitat

Commonly found in areas where milkweeds and dogbane grow, including fields and roadsides during mid to late summer.

Distribution

Southern Canada to Texas and Florida in North America.

Diet

Larvae primarily feed on milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) and sometimes on dogbane (Apocynum spp.).

Life Cycle

One generation per year in the north, and two or more generations in warmer southern regions.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs in masses on the undersides of leaves. Eggs hatch into larvae that are gregarious in early instars.

Predators

Predated by bats, which are deterred by the moths' chemical defenses of cardiac glycosides.

Ecosystem Role

As a herbivore, it plays a role in the ecology of milkweed and dogbane plants, impacting their population dynamics.

Collecting Methods

Light traps
Visual surveys of host plants

Preservation Methods

Pinned specimens
Dry storage of cocoons

Similar Taxa

Misconceptions

Some may confuse the unpalatability of this moth with that of other common moths, but Euchaetes egle's chemical defenses make it distasteful to many predators.