Arched hooktip facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arched hooktip |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: |
Drepanidae
|
| Genus: |
Drepana
|
| Species: |
D. arcuata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Drepana arcuata Walker, 1855
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Meet the arched hooktip moth! Its scientific name is Drepana arcuata. This moth is also known as the masked birch caterpillar when it's young. It belongs to a group of moths called the Drepanidae family.
This interesting moth was first described by a scientist named Francis Walker in 1855. You can find the arched hooktip moth across a wide area in North America. It lives from Newfoundland all the way to Vancouver Island. You can also find it south in places like North Carolina, South Carolina, and California.
Contents
What Does the Arched Hooktip Moth Look Like?
The adult arched hooktip moth is a medium-sized insect. Its wingspan can be anywhere from 24 to 40 millimeters. That's about the length of two to four small paperclips!
Adult moths are usually seen flying around from mid-May through late-July. In colder, northern parts of its habitat, there is usually one group of moths born each year.
What Do Masked Birch Caterpillars Eat?
The young arched hooktip moths are called larvae or caterpillars. These caterpillars love to eat leaves from certain trees. Their favorite foods are the leaves of Betula papyrifera, which is also known as paper birch trees, and different kinds of Alnus trees. This is why the caterpillar is sometimes called the "masked birch caterpillar."
How Do Caterpillars Talk to Each Other?
One of the coolest things about the masked birch caterpillars is how they communicate! They don't use words like we do. Instead, they use sounds and vibrations.
Making Sounds on Leaves
These caterpillars can make sounds in a few different ways. They might shake their bodies to create vibrations. They also drum and scrape their mouthparts against the surface of a leaf.
Another unique way they make noise is by dragging special "oars" that are near their rear end against the leaf. These sounds and vibrations travel through the leaf.
Why Do Caterpillars Communicate?
The caterpillars build special shelters made of silk where many of them live together. Scientists think the sounds they make might help attract other caterpillars to these shared shelters. It's like they're sending out an invitation to their friends!
See Also
- List of moths of North America
