Pale Tussock Moth

Pale Tussock Moth

 

(Dasychira pudibunda) a moth of the family Lymantriidae. In males the wingspread reaches 45 mm; in females, 60 mm. The anterior wings have two or three dark stripes, and the posterior ones are gray. The catepillar is hairy, up to 5 cm long, and yellowish green; it has four bright yellow brushes on the back. There is a long tuft of poisonous red hairs at the end of the body which cause dermatitis when they come in contact with human skin.

The pale tussock moth is distributed in Europe and Asia; in the USSR it is found in the European part (except the north), in the south of Western Siberia, in the mountains of Middle Asia, and in the Far East. It is a pest of forests and orchards; it feeds on leaves, including those of fruit trees.