Lymantriinae
Guides
Dasychira
tussock moths
Dasychira is a genus of tussock moths in the family Erebidae, established by Jacob Hübner in 1809. The genus has a broad geographic distribution spanning Africa, Europe, North America, Madagascar, Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Java, and Australia. Several species are economically significant as defoliating pests of cultivated plants including oil palm, tea, and black wattle, with some species capable of outbreak population dynamics. The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features including porrect palpi with heavily haired second joints and sexually dimorphic antennae.
Dasychira atrivenosa
diminutive tussock moth
Dasychira atrivenosa, commonly known as the diminutive tussock moth, is a species of tussock moth in the family Erebidae. It is native to North America and was first described by Palm in 1873 under the basionym Parorgyia atrivenosa. The species is assigned MONA/Hodges number 8299. As a member of the subfamily Lymantriinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as tussock moths, though specific biological details for this species remain limited in published sources.
Dasychira mescalera
Dasychira mescalera is a species of tussock moth in the family Erebidae, described by Alexander Douglas Campbell Ferguson in 1977 (published 1978). It occurs in the southwestern United States, specifically in New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. The species belongs to the genus Dasychira, a group of moths characterized by prominent tufted setae on their larvae.
Dasychira obliquata
Streaked Tussock Moth
Dasychira obliquata, the Streaked Tussock Moth, is a North American moth species in the family Erebidae. It belongs to the tussock moth group, characterized by distinctive hair tufts on caterpillars. The species was originally described as Parorgyia obliquata before being transferred to Dasychira. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light.
Dasychira pinicola
pine tussock moth, pine tussock
Dasychira pinicola, the pine tussock moth, is a North American species in the tussock moth subfamily Lymantriinae. First described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1911, it is associated with pine forests in the eastern and upper midwestern United States. The species is recognized as a defoliator of Pinus species, with larvae feeding on jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and potentially other conifers.
Gynaephora
Arctic woolly bear moths, grassland caterpillars (Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau species)
A genus of tussock moths (Lymantriinae: Erebidae) distributed across the Holarctic in alpine, Arctic, and Subarctic regions. Best known for exceptionally slow larval development, with some species requiring multiple years to complete their life cycle. Females are flightless or nearly so, while males are strong fliers that actively search for mates. The genus includes both Arctic species (e.g., G. groenlandica, G. rossii) and high-altitude Asian species (e.g., G. alpherakii, G. menyuanensis) that are significant pests of alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
Orgyia definita
Definite Tussock Moth, Definite-marked Tussock Moth
Orgyia definita is a tussock moth in the family Erebidae, native to eastern North America. Males have functional wings with a wingspan of approximately 30 mm, while females are wingless—a distinctive trait shared with other Orgyia species. The larvae feed on a broad range of woody deciduous plants. The species was first described by Alpheus Spring Packard in 1865.
Orgyia magna
Great Tussock Moth
Orgyia magna is a species of tussock moth in the family Erebidae, described by Ferguson in 1977. It is found in North America. The species is assigned MONA/Hodges number 8310. Like other members of the genus Orgyia, females are likely wingless, though this specific trait has not been explicitly documented for this species.