TIGER MOTH

any of the nocturnal moths of the cosmopolitan family Arctiidae (order Lepidoptera), containing more than 3,500 species. Many have furry or hairy larvae (caterpillars) called woolly bears. Most adults have thick bodies and wings coloured white, orange, or green. When at rest the wings are folded rooflike over the body. The fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) is a serious pest. These caterpillars construct webs over leaves, sometimes covering large areas with silken sheets. They pupate above ground in cocoons made of larval hairs and silk. A typical arctiid, the Isabella tiger moth (Isia isabella), emerges in spring and attains a wingspan of 37 to 50 mm (1.5 to 2 inches). Black spots mark its abdomen and yellow wings. The larva, known as the banded woolly bear, is brown in the middle and black at both ends. According to superstition the length of the black ends predicts the severity of the coming winter: the shorter the ends, the milder the weather. The bright warning coloration displayed by some arctiids is associated with distastefulness, thus protecting the moths from predation. The footman moth family Lithosiidae is sometimes considered part of the family Arctiidae.