The Limacodidae or Eucleidae are a family of in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea;[Scoble, M.J. (1992). The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity. Oxford University Press. ] the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their bear a distinct resemblance to .[
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The larvae are often liberally covered in protective stinging hairs, and are mostly tropical, but occur worldwide, with about 1800 described species and probably many more as yet undescribed species.
Description
Moths
They are small, hairy moths, with reduced or absent mouthparts and fringed wings. They often perch with their sticking out at 90° from their thorax and wings. North American moths are mostly cryptic browns, sometimes marked with white or green, but the hag moth mimics .[Wagner, D.L. (2005). Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Princeton University Press. ]
Pupae
The final instar constructs a silk cocoon and hardens it with calcium oxalate excreted from its Malpighian tubules. Cocoons have a circular escape hatch, formed from a line of weakness in the silk matrix. It is forced open just prior to emergence of the adult.[Epstein, M.E. (1996). "Revision and phylogeny of the limacodid-group families, with evolutionary studies on slug caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea)." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. No. 582. ISSN 0081-0282]
Caterpillars
The larvae are typically very flattened, and instead of , they have suckers.
Larvae might be confused with the similarly flattened larvae of Lycaenidae butterflies, but those caterpillars have prolegs, are always longer than they are wide, and are always densely covered in short or long setae (hair-like bristles). The head is extended during feeding in the lycaenids, but remains covered in the Limacodidae.
Many limacodid larvae are green and fairly smooth (e.g. yellow-shouldered slug), but others have tubercles with and may have bright warning colours. The sting can be quite potent,[Marshall, S.A. (2006). Insects: Their natural history and diversity. Firefly Books. ] causing severe pain.
The larval head is concealed under folds.[ First- skeletonise the leaf (avoiding small veins and eating mostly one surface), but later instars eat the whole leaf, usually from the underside.][ Many species seem to feed on several genera of host plants.]
Limacodidae larvae in temperate forests of eastern North America prefer glabrous leaves, presumably because the trichomes of pubescent leaves interfere with their movement.[Lill, J.T., Marquis, R.J., Forkner, R.E., Le Corff, J., Holmberg, N., & Barber, N.A. (2006). "Leaf pubescent affects distribution and abundance of generalist slug caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae)." Environmental Entomology 35(3): 797–806. ISSN 0046-225X]
, showing the slimy pad in place of prolegs]]
'' larva, showing bright colours and presumably stinging setae]]
Eggs
Eggs are flattened and thin. They are highly transparent and the larva can be seen developing inside.
They may be laid singly or in clusters on leaves.
Ecological importance
Limacodidae (e.g.
Latoia viridissima,
Parasa lepida,
Penthocrates meyrick,
Aarodia nana) have caused serious
defoliation of
Arecaceae.
Notable species
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Hag moth or monkey slug ( Phobetron pithecium)
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Ochre-winged hag moth or yellow-shouldered slug ( Lithacodes fasciola)
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Spiny oak slug ( Euclea delphinii)
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Crowned slug ( Isa textula)
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Skiff moth ( Prolimacodes badia)
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Nettle caterpillar ( Latoia viridissima)
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Saddleback caterpillar ( Acharia stimulea)
External links
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[1] Brisbane Limacodids, with photo of cocoon.
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[2] Moths of Borneo
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