Hodges#8238

Euchaetes egle

Classification

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

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Euchaetes egle: /juːˈkeɪtiːz ˈɛɡli/

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

Images

Euchaetes egle l Jul 04-14 IMG 1473 by Jacy Lucier. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Euchaetes egle P1540165a by
xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Euchaetes egle3 by DouglasGoldman. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Euchaetes egle 420880225 by Christine Stone. Used under a CC0 license.

Euchaetes egle pupa by Beatriz Moisset. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Euchaetes egle 420496762 by Kirill Levchenko. Used under a CC0 license.

Summary

Euchaetes egle, commonly known as the milkweed tiger moth or milkweed tussock caterpillar, is a moth first described by Dru Drury in 1773. It feeds on milkweeds and dogbane and has chemical defenses that deter predators.

Physical Characteristics

Wingspan 32-43 mm. Wings usually unmarked gray, abdomen yellow with black spots. Males use tymbal organs to produce ultrasonic clicks.

Identification Tips

Bright tufts of black, white, and orange setae on later instar caterpillars; adult wings are generally gray with a yellowish hairy abdomen with black spots.

Habitat

Fields, edges, etc. with host plants like milkweeds and dogbane.

Distribution

Eastern half of the US, plus Quebec and Ontario; found from southern Canada and south through Texas and Florida.

Diet

Larvae feed on milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) and dogbane (Apocynum spp.). Adults are common feeders on the same plants.

Life Cycle

One generation per year occurs in the north, and two or more may occur in the south. Life stages include egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Reproduction

Females lay eggs in 'rafts' on the undersides of leaves. Caterpillars are gregarious during early instars and solitary in later instars.

Predators

Bats are deterred from feeding by the cardiac glycosides the moths acquire from their host plants; adults demonstrate unpalatability through ultrasonic clicks.

Ecosystem Role

As a herbivore, it may influence plant community dynamics, particularly in relation to milkweed populations.

Cultural Significance

The species name 'egle' may reference a character from a Lithuanian folk tale.

Evolution

Euchaetes egle is part of the family Erebidae and the tribe Arctiini. It retains chemical defenses from its host plants, a common trait in this family.