Sallow kitten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sallow kitten |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| (unranked): | |
| Family: |
Notodontidae
|
| Genus: |
Furcula
|
| Binomial name | |
| Furcula furcula |
|
The sallow kitten (Furcula furcula) is a type of moth. It belongs to a group of moths called Notodontidae. You can find these moths in many parts of Europe and in northern Iran. Like many moths, they are often drawn to light at night.
Contents
What the Sallow Kitten Looks Like
The sallow kitten moth is mostly grey and white. Its wings can spread out from 27 to 35 millimeters wide. That's about the length of a few small paperclips lined up!
Wings and Markings
The front part of each wing has a wide grey band in the middle. This moth looks a bit like another moth called the poplar kitten (Furcula bifida). However, the sallow kitten is usually a bit smaller. Also, the black line on the outer edge of its middle wing band is often jagged or angled. In the poplar kitten, this line is usually smooth and curved.
Life Cycle of the Sallow Kitten
The sallow kitten moth flies during the warmer months. You can see them from April all the way to the end of August.
Generations Each Year
These moths usually have two groups, or "generations," born each year. This means they complete their life cycle from egg to adult moth twice in one summer.
The Sallow Kitten Caterpillar
The caterpillar of the sallow kitten moth is quite interesting. It can grow up to 35 millimeters long.
Caterpillar Appearance and Diet
The caterpillar is a bright green color. It has a unique purple-brown marking on its back, which looks a bit like a saddle. You can find these caterpillars from June until September. They love to eat the leaves of certain trees. Their favorite foods are willow, birch, and poplar trees. The caterpillar's special "prolegs" (which are not true legs) are long and thin.
Images for kids
-
Male sallow kitten moth
-
Figs. 2c larvae before last moult 2, 2a, 2b larva after last moult 2d bark of willow showing the cocoon
