Striped garden caterpillar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Striped garden caterpillar |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| On milkweed | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Trichordestra
|
| Species: |
T. legitima
|
| Binomial name | |
| Trichordestra legitima (Grote, 1864)
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The striped garden caterpillar (scientific name: Trichordestra legitima) is a type of moth. It belongs to a large family of moths called Noctuidae. This moth was first officially described by a scientist named Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1864.
Where It Lives
You can find the striped garden caterpillar moth across eastern North America. Its home ranges from Newfoundland in Canada all the way south to Florida. It also lives west to Texas and north into Saskatchewan.
What It Looks Like
This moth is not very big. Its wingspan usually measures between 25 and 39 millimeters. That's about the length of a few small paperclips lined up!
Life Cycle
Adult striped garden caterpillar moths are usually seen flying from June to September. They have one main generation each year. This means that the moths complete their full life cycle, from egg to adult, once within a year.
What It Eats
The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, eat many different kinds of plants. They enjoy both woody plants, like trees and shrubs, and herbaceous plants, which are softer, non-woody plants.
Some of their favorite foods include:
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Clover
- Grasses (especially Muhlenbergia and Agrostis)
- Milkweed
- Peas
- Raspberry
- Violets
- Willow
They are not picky eaters and can be found on many common garden and wild plants.
