Azalea Caterpillar Moth

Datana major

''Datana major'', the major datana or azalea caterpillar, is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is found from Maryland to Florida, west to Kansas and Arkansas.
Datana major Azalea Caterpillar Moth Azalea Caterpillar Moth,Datana major,Geotagged,United States

Appearance

The wingspan is 40–50 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August. Normally, there is one generation per year, although there may be a partial second generation in the southern part of the range.
Datana major This is a picture of Datana major at Downs Park in Pasadena, Maryland. Azalea Caterpillar Moth,Datana major,Geotagged,Summer,United States

Food

The larvae mainly feed on ''Rhododendron'' and ''Andromeda polifolia'', but have also been recorded on apple, blueberry and red oak. First instar larvae feed in a cluster side by side. Young larvae skeletonize the leaves and the larger ones eat the entire leaf.

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyNotodontidae
GenusDatana
SpeciesD. major