Salt Marsh Moth

Estigmene acrea

The Salt Marsh Moth or Acrea Moth is a moth in the family Arctiidae. It is found in North America, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Colombia and Mexico.
Salt Marsh Moth Caterpillar - Estigmene acrea Very hairy orange-tan caterpillar with long, soft setae projecting from its body. Its face was mostly black. These caterpillars are highly variable in color. Larvae feed on a huge variety of weedy plants, including ground cherry, milkweed, dog fennel, and mallow, in addition to crops and trees such as alfalfa, asparagus, bean, beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, clover, corn, cotton, lettuce, onion, pea, potato, soybean, sugarbeet, tobacco, tomato, turnip, alder, apple, cherry, elderberry, pear, and poplar. Estigmene acrea,Fall,Geotagged,Salt Marsh Moth,Salt Marsh Moth Caterpillar,United States,caterpillar,moth week 2018

Appearance

The head and thorax are white and the abdomen is yellow-orange with a row of black spots. The forewing is white with a variable pattern of black spots, with some individuals lacking any spots. The hindwing is yellow-orange in males and white in females. Both sexes have 3 or 4 black spots or blotches on the hindwings. The wingspan measures 4.5 to 6.8 cm.
Salt Marsh Tiger Moth (Estigmene acrea) Resting on the top of a chest freezer near porchlights/overgrown backyard habitat. The top of the freezer was rather cool, so I was able to pick this moth up very easily. After getting warm in my hands, it began vibrating its wings before flying away. Such a beauty! https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63596/salt_marsh_tiger_moth_estigmene_acrea.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63595/salt_marsh_tiger_moth_estigmene_acrea.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63594/salt_marsh_tiger_moth_estigmene_acrea.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/63598/salt_marsh_tiger_moth_estigmene_acrea.html Estigmene acrea,Geotagged,Lepidoptera,Moth Week 2018,Salt Marsh Moth,Summer,United States,estigmene,moth,moth week,moths,salt marsh tiger moth,tiger moth

Naming

*"Estigmene acrea acrea"
⤷ "Estigmene acrea arizonensis" Rothschild, 1910
⤷ "Estigmene acrea mexicana"
⤷ "Estigmene acrea columbiana" Rothschild, 1910
Salt Marsh Moth Caterpillar - Estigmene acrea Very hairy orange caterpillar with long, soft setae projecting from its body. Its body, underneath the hairs, was white. These caterpillars are highly variable in color. Larvae feed on a huge variety of weedy plants, including ground cherry, milkweed, dog fennel, and mallow, in addition to crops and trees such as alfalfa, asparagus, bean, beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, clover, corn, cotton, lettuce, onion, pea, potato, soybean, sugarbeet, tobacco, tomato, turnip, alder, apple, cherry, elderberry, pear, and poplar. Habitat: Spotted on vegetation growing on the edge of a pond. Estigmene acrea,Geotagged,Salt Marsh Moth,Salt Marsh Moth Caterpillar,Summer,United States,caterpillar

Behavior

The yellowish eggs are laid in clusters on the host plant leaves. The larva, known as the Salt Marsh Caterpillar, is highly variable in color, ranging from pale yellow to dark brownish-black. It has numerous soft setae which are longer toward the end of the body. The thoracic and abdominal segments have a few rows of orange or black warts. It pupates in a cocoon.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyErebidae
GenusEstigmene
SpeciesE. acrea
Photographed in
Canada
United States of America