Furcula

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Notodontidae
Subfamily: Cerurinae
Genus: Furcula

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Furcula: /ˈfʊr.kjʊ.lə/

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

Images

- 7937 – Furcula cinerea – Gray Furcula Moth (27682336790) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Furcula scolopendrina 01 by CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.

Furcula scolopendrina 03 by CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.

Zigzag Furcula Moth, Furcula scolopendrina -26350, det. R. Hannawacker, Roaring Springs, Grand Canyon, Arizona, 2 August 1938, Louis Schellbach III (49553311337) by Robb Hannawacker. Used under a Public domain license.

Furcula scolopendrina 02 by CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. Used under a CC0 license.

- 7939 – Furcula occidentalis – Western Furcula Moth caterpillar in pre-pupal form (48426699807) by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Summary

Furcula is a genus of moths in the Notodontidae family known for their distinct forked anal prolegs in their larvae. They are widespread across the United States and Canada and are often found in deciduous and mixed woodland habitats. The adults have varying wing colors and patterns that can help in identification.

Physical Characteristics

Wingspan 30-45 mm; forewing white to off-white to gray (with dark gray patches in median area and along costa near apex in 4 species); AM and terminal lines composed of black dots; some yellowish or orange markings usually present; hindwing white or pale grayish with terminal line of black dots and usually dark discal spot. Larva greenish-yellow to green with bluish-green or brown saddle in middle of back; long narrow tail-like projections from anal prolegs.

Identification Tips

Look for the distinctive long forked anal prolegs of the larva. Adult forewings may show varying shades of white to gray, with specific dark patches and markings.

Habitat

Deciduous and mixed woods and shrublands.

Distribution

Found throughout all of the United States and southern Canada, with distributions varying by species: F. borealis in eastern 2/3 of US and eastern half of Canada; F. cinerea in all of US and southern Canada; F. modesta across northern US and southern Canada and to California and Arizona; F. nivea primarily in western US; F. occidentalis in southern Yukon and across southern Canada and northern US; F. scolopendrina patchily in northeastern states and provinces and widely distributed in western states and provinces.

Diet

Larvae feed on leaves of birch, cherry, poplar, and willow.

Life Cycle

Two generations per year in the south; one in the north. Adults fly from April to October in the south; May to August in the north.