Euchaetes elegans

Stretch, 1874

Elegant Pygarctia, Elegant Tussock Moth

Euchaetes elegans is a in the Erebidae, Arctiinae, first described by Richard Harper Stretch in 1874. It ranges across the southwestern United States and extends south through Mexico to Colombia. are active during summer months, with activity recorded from July through September. The larvae feed exclusively on Asclepias (milkweeds), sequestering cardiac glycosides for chemical defense.

Euchaetes elegans by (c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sue Carnahan. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Euchaetes elegans: //juːˈkeɪtiːz ˈɛlɪɡænz//

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Distribution

Found in the southwestern United States (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas) and southward through Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, and Colombia.

Seasonality

are on wing from July to September.

Diet

Larvae feed on Asclepias (milkweeds).

Host Associations

  • Asclepias - larval food plantLarvae sequester cardiac glycosides from milkweed tissues for chemical defense.

Similar Taxa

  • Euchaetes egleBoth are Euchaetes with milkweed-feeding larvae; E. egle (milkweed tussock ) occurs in eastern North America and has more extensively documented , while E. elegans is restricted to western and southwestern ranges.
  • Pygarctia spragueiFormerly classified in Pygarctia; shares the pattern 'elegant pygarctia' group and similar western distribution, though P. spraguei has different larval associations.

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