Silkworm-moths
Guides
Apatelodidae
American silkworm moths
Apatelodidae is a family of medium-sized bombycoid moths endemic to the New World, with highest diversity in the Neotropical region. The family contains approximately 14 genera and 222+ species following recent taxonomic revisions, though generic boundaries remain in flux due to ongoing phylogenetic studies. Adults typically exhibit cryptic coloration in greyish, straw-yellow, or reddish-brown tones with darker wing markings. Larvae of at least some species possess urticating setae, a trait first documented in the family in 2025. The family was elevated from subfamily status within Bombycidae in recent decades and continues to undergo substantial taxonomic restructuring.