Rusty Tussock Moth

Fascinating facts about the Rusty Tussock Moth

• The female vapourer never leaves her cocoon, remaining immobile for her entire adult life. She spends only a brief period attached to the fine-meshed cocoon before dying, because adult moths do not feed and therefore live for a short time. This extreme sedentary habit means she relies entirely on chemical signals to attract mates, as she cannot fly to seek them.
• A stationary female vapourer releases a pheromone that creates a concentration gradient in the surrounding air. Males detect this scent and follow the gradient to locate the cocoon-bound female, who never takes flight.
• When threatened, the rusty tussock caterpillar rubs its hair-like setae against defensive glands at its rear, loading the hairs with toxins. The larvae hatch early in spring as foliage appears and can be found from May to early September in the UK. Though only a minor forest pest in North America, they may become a pest in UK cities when populations rise.
• Females deposit several hundred eggs on the outside of their empty cocoon, usually fastening them to a nearby host plant, fence or wall. The brownish eggs are rounded with slightly flattened tops and bottoms and show a small darker depression on the upper side. After being laid the species overwinters in this egg stage until the following spring. When the larvae emerge they immediately begin feeding on fresh foliage.
• Male rusty tussock moths display orange-to red-brown wings marked with a distinctive white comma-shaped spot on each forewing. Their short bipectinate, or plumose, antennae are conspicuous and aid in detecting female pheromones. The wingspan ranges from 35 to 38 mm, giving the moth a modest size. This colouration and pattern help the flying male locate mates while he zigzags through the air.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Rusty Tussock Moth

In the whispering grasses, a subtle presence stirs, as the Rusty Tussock Moth emerges, its downy body a soft blur of umber and gold, like the first hints of autumn. With a gentle, unhurried flight, it navigates the sun-dappled clearings, its feathery antennae twitching as it seeks out the leafy havens where its caterpillars will feast and grow. As it alights upon a twig, the moth's delicate legs grasp and release, a fleeting, ethereal moment, lost in the rustling tapestry of the wild.

More insects and spiders to discover

Browse Feravox