Pine tussock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pine tussock |
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The pine tussock moth, also known as the grizzled tussock moth, is a type of moth. Its scientific name is Dasychira grisefacta. This moth belongs to a family called Erebidae.
A scientist named Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. was the first to officially describe this species in 1911. You can find these moths in many parts of North America. They live in places like Alberta, British Columbia, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
About the Pine Tussock Moth
The pine tussock moth has some interesting features. Male moths have a wingspan of about 42 millimeters. This is roughly the length of a golf tee!
However, female pine tussock moths are quite different. They do not have wings at all! This means they cannot fly like the males.
What They Eat
The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, love to munch on different types of trees. They feed on the leaves or needles of several trees.
Their favorite meals include the Douglas fir, Western hemlock, Picea engelmannii, white spruce, Pinus ponderosa, and Colorado pinyon pine. These trees are important for the caterpillars to grow big and strong.
