
Banded tussock moth - Halysidota tessellaris
Total length: 20-25mm. Pale tan forewing with irregular pattern of slightly darker bands. Thorax has blue and yellow dorsal stripes.
Attracted to a moth light, but like many moths that I've spotted this week, they aren't landing on the sheet. They seem to prefer any other surface! This one was near the roof of my deck. Once again, please excuse the dirt! This side of my house regularly gets pummeled with dirt from the farm across the road from me and it's nearly impossible to keep it clean!

''Halysidota tessellaris'', also called the banded tussock moth, tessellated halisidota, and pale tiger moth, is in Erebidae. Like many related species, it has chemical defenses it acquires from its host plants, in this case, alkaloids, at least in adults. Larval brazen behaviours suggest that they are chemically protected; they have not been analyzed for alkaloid content.
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