Definite tussock moth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Definite tussock moth
Scientific classification

The definite tussock moth (scientific name: Orgyia definita) is a type of moth found in eastern North America. It is also known as the definite-marked tussock moth. This moth belongs to a large family called Erebidae.

About the Definite Tussock Moth

The definite tussock moth was first described by a scientist named Alpheus Spring Packard in 1865. You can find this moth in many places across eastern North America. Its home range stretches from Minnesota to New Brunswick in Canada. It also lives south to states like South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

What Do They Look Like?

Adult male definite tussock moths have a wingspan of about 30 millimeters (about 1.2 inches). They are usually brown with darker patterns and some white spots.

Female definite tussock moths are quite different. They are wingless, meaning they do not have wings to fly.

Life as a Caterpillar

The young form of the definite tussock moth is a larva, also known as a caterpillar. These caterpillars eat the leaves of many different trees. Some of their favorite trees include willow, oak, basswood, elm, birch, red maple, and witch hazel.

The caterpillars have a yellow head and a yellow plate on their first body segment. They also have yellow glands on their back. Their bodies are covered in whitish hairs, and they have pale yellow, wart-like bumps called verrucae.

A definite tussock moth caterpillar in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.